Portland Historic Tram

We jumped on the Portland Cable Tram mid-morning on a chilly day. We had barely taken our seat, when one of the kind staff (ALL volunteers) suggested we grab one of the lovely hand-made rugs from the pile on a corner seat - which we gratefully accepted. 

All settled in, cosy and warm, with our nanna rugs in place, we sat back and enjoyed the ride.

 

The historic trams,  some from Melbourne's cable tram network of the early 1900's, have been lovingly restored or replicated to create a wonderful way to get around Portland.

The hop-on-hop-off journey allowed us to see a big part of Portland, from the  Botanical Gardens to the wharves and all along the waterfront. The volunteers gave a running commentary of the history of the town and the sights we were seeing. We were amazed at the huge logging industry at work, and seeing ships dock in the deep water port to load up on woodchips and sawdust.

The turning point for the tram is the World War 2 Memorial Tower, which we climbed to enjoy 360 degree views of the area.

On the way back, we stopped to visit the All Saints Catholic Church, where Saint Mary McKillop is depicted in the stunning leadlight windows of what was once her local church.

We chugged back along the 7.3km of tracks to the depot, before exploring the Museum and marveling at the model train depicting Portland in the 1950's.

What: Portland Cable Tram
Where:Bentinck St, Portland

When: Daily
Why: history, sightseeing
How Much: $15