Tasmania Travels - Wineglass Bay Cruise

Up with the Swansea sunrise again, we jumped in the car and drove 50 mins to Coles Bay Jetty, where we boarded Wineglass Bay Cruises' big beautiful catamaran, for a 4 hour cruise around the Freycinet National Park. 
Rugged up in our winter woollies, we found our seats and got comfy as the big cat's motors purred out of the bay and hugged the rugged coastline.

Plenty of birds to be seen and lots of Australian Fur Seals sitting on the rocky outcrops. This guy blended in so well with the rocks, we almost missed him. I gave him a 9/10 for camouflage skills.

The sandy coloured rocks changed as we headed south, becoming stained salmon pink, similar to the colours at Wilson's Prom in Victoria.

As we moved into a sheltered cove, the waves became calmer, with just a feathery touch from the wind causing a rippled effect on the water.

But conditions can change quickly on the high seas, and the sea was angry that day, my friends. 
Ok, maybe not angry. Maybe just a little annoyed. A bit frustrated and teary. 

We've all been there. Like when we spent 3 months in Covid-19 lockdown. 

That's why there's places like Wineglass Bay. Places to look forward to when we can travel again. Places to tick off our bucket list. Places where our Aussie dollars can help small businesses, artists of all genres, farmers, country towns and tourism operators get back on their feet again. 

Because the grey clouds blow away, the rough waves subside, the dark blue seas turn to turquoise green, the sun shines again and before you know it, you're having a lovely lunch on a boat in one of the most picturesque places on Earth.

 

You find yourself having a glass of wine in a magical setting like Wineglass Bay. 

Cheers to future travels, hopefully not too far in the future!

St Kilda Pier

A spontaneous drive to St Kilda one afternoon, turned into a lovely walk along the foreshore and the iconic St Kilda pier and a chance encounter with one of the locals. 

The beautiful old Kiosk sits proudly at the end of the historic Pier...

...with great views back to St Kilda's Luna Park and Palais Theatre... 

...and a fantastic panoramic view of the city skyline.

The Pier is managed by Parks Victoria and is the home to a colony of Little Penguins and Rakali. I'd never been here to watch the Penguins come in at sunset, I'd only ever seen them at Phillip Island.

I was thrilled to find this guy just chillin' under a rock right next to the walkway. It's amazing that they live so close to the city, surrounded by hundreds of people all day, every day.

We watched locals fishing off the pier for a while, soaked up some sea air, then headed back to shore. 
Leonardo de Cormoranto entertained us on the way. "I'm the King of the World", he shouted.*
*may or may not be entirely true.

What: St Kilda Pier 
Where: St Kilda

When:Daily

Why: historic pier, city views

How Much: FREE
Grab a coffee at: The Snug Public House

Dinosaur Digs at The Caves

It's not every day you get to dig for dinosaur bones at the beach with a Paleontologist, but a school holiday program activity let us do just that.

The South Gippsland Conservation Centre offers these guided tours and we jumped at the chance to join.  

We started off with an information session at Inverloch's Bunurong Environment Centre, before driving ourselves to the local dig site at The Caves, which I had briefly visited on my Bunurong Coastal Drive a few months ago. 

The  area is a  renowned dig site, since the first fossils were found here in the 1920's and the Dinosaur Dreaming group has spent many years doing annual digs here. 

We started by clearing a section around the edge of a large rockpool, then tipping water over the coal-filled rock. Hammers were used to chip away at pieces of rock, in the hope of finding something of interest.

One of the group cracked a rock in half and the clean break within showed a beautiful fossilised leaf inside, just like this specimen on display at the Discovery Centre.

Petrified trees could be seen embedded in the rocky seabed...

 ...and these footprints showed us that there really was some Dinosaur evidence around.

We headed off to the end of the beach and explored The Caves before the tide came in.

I think I saw a dinosaur in there....can you see his face?

The Dinosaur Dreaming crew have relocated and now have an annual dig near Cape Otway and at an inland site near Koonwarra. This site at Flat Rocks/The Caves is open to the public, but is part of Bunurong Marine park, so check with DD or the Environment Centre before you head there with your hammer and bucket. 

What: South Gippsland Conservation Society
Where: The Esplanade, Inverloch
When:  Fri-Mon 10am-4pm
Why: Dinosaurs
How Much: FREE to visit the beach on your own
Related post: Bunurong Coastal Drive

Lonsdale Eco Cruises, Lakes Entrance

We boarded the Lonsdale at 1pm, excited at the thought of a 3 hour cruise around the beautiful lakes system.

We headed for the narrow Entrance, where the ocean meets the lakes.

The boat sat between the two rock walls and we were able to observe Australian Fur Seals sitting in the sunshine.

We chugged off towards the pretty village of Metung, where sail boats were anchored in peaceful inlets.

The waters of Lake King were calm and the cruise was smooth and relaxing.

Skipper Tony told us about places of interest and pointed out the many types of birdlife along the way. We saw Swans, Pelicans, Oyster Catchers, Cormorants, Plovers and Sea Eagles on the water, as well as many Kangaroos along the shore. A seal swam alongside the boat for a short time.
The sun was shining on the Lake and the we thought the cruise couldn't get any better...

..and then Melinda whipped up a batch of scones - in the boat's oven - and we were given these light and fluffy, delicious strawberry cream treats for afternoon tea.

We finished off the cruise by swinging by the Fishing Co-Op, the largest in Australia...

 ...where these guys were waiting for their own fishy treats to arrive.

Captain Jack Sparrow must have heard about the fresh baked treasures and requested permission to come aboard, but there wasn't a single crumb left as we arrived back at the dock. Arrrgh.
We loved the cruise and look forward to doing it again next time we are in Lakes Entrance.

What:  Lonsdale Eco Cruises
Where: Cunninghame Quay Jetty

When:  Daily at 1pm (except wednesday)
Why: cruise
How Much: Prices vary

Bunurong Coastal Drive

From Wonthaggi, it was a short drive to the start of the stunning Bunurong Coastal Drive at Cape Paterson.  Then we headed East to Inverloch to chill out on the beach for a couple of hours. We returned the same way, stopping at all the lookouts on our left, starting at Flat Rocks.

It's almost a mini Great Ocean Road, with clifftop lookouts, sweeping views of Bass Strait, wild surf beaches and wonderful rockpools along its 13km length. 

Oh, and a few dinosaurs to boot.

From 1994 to 2013, a group of dinosaur researchers, Dinosaur Dreaming, uncovered thousands of bones in the area. I've seen some on display in my travels at Cape OtwayLightstation (near the new dig site) and the Gondwana Exhibition at the National Wool Museum, Geelong.

 

Between Flat Rocks and The Caves, there have been many significant finds, including SEVEN types of dinosaurs!

It all began at Eagles Nest, a rocky outcrop just off shore, where Australia's very first dinosaur bone was discovered a century ago. Nowadays, there's a carpark and lookout on the clifftop, and a huge staircase leading down to the beach.

Shack Bay was our next stop. We clambered down another wooden staircase to the shoreline below...

...and was greeted by a gorgeous bay, with huge sandstone cliffs either side of a secluded stretch of sand.

Twin Reefs looked to be the most uninviting of the beaches, due to the rocky platforms under the waves - so we kept on trucking along.

   

The roadside flora as we approached Undertow Bay was lush and green, with bright Pigface flowers dotted throughout... 

...and just along the road, the late afternoon sun and seaspray mist gave the place a dark contrast.

Cape Paterson is a good place to start or finish the drive. We chose to have a quick snack at a perfectly located picnic table overlooking the ocean, before exploring the rocky shore. 

Surfers, swimmers, cyclists, adults, kids, dogs - they were all here to enjoy the sun, surf and sand. 

The area is comprised of Bunurong Marine National Park, Bunurong Marine Park and Bunurong Coastal Reserve, so check Parks Vic site and local signs for activity regulations before you go fishing with your dog :)

What: Bunurong Coastal Drive

Where: Cape Paterson Rd
When:  Daily
Why: beaches, scenery
How Much: FREE
Related post:  State Coal Mine, Wonthaggi