Victor Harbour - Mt. Gambier

10th April 2017 - Victor Harbour

Once again, we woke up early to see the sunrise at Victor Harbour Harbor. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side as a thick layer of clouds obstructed our view. The long pier we were on led directly to the small island of Granite Island. Few wooden stairs allowed us to have a different view of Victor Harbour and the breaking waves on the island.

After taking some photos, we walked back along the pier and saw a belly and clapping fins in the sea. The girls are convinced that it was a dolphin, but I believe it was a seal. We can't always agree :)

After having breakfast at the hostel, we departed at 8 o'clock for Encounter Bay. From here, we were able to see Granite Island from a different angle and had a great view of the sea despite the weather.

We continued towards Coorong National Park with a stop in Goolwa and at the Murray Mouth Lookout. At the lookout, we had a view of an estuary between the sea and the inland water. Since it was low tide, we were able to wade quite far on the sand and get a closer look at the estuary. Unfortunately, we couldn't experience much more of the national park as it is only accessible by a 4WD vehicle.

Our journey continued passing Lake Alexandria through Wellington, where we were taken to the other side of a river by a small ferry (4free). Just before Narrung, there was another ferry, but we made a short stop near a lighthouse. We thought we could visit the lighthouse, but we were disappointed. However, we were able to save a small water turtle's life, which was curled up in the middle of the grass far away from the water. At least we hope we saved it...

During our drive, we stopped at various viewpoints such as Pelican Point or Jacks Point to get a few more views of the national park. Unfortunately, each of these points required driving on unpaved roads... Not so nice with a small car :D These roads also stole our time. We arrived near Salt Creek at sunset, and for the rest of the way, we had to drive in the dark. And as it turned out, it is no exaggeration that one should not drive in the dark in Australia.

The road continued straight, and the road was well paved. After a while, I noticed something on the side of the road and slowed down. Suddenly, a kangaroo jumped onto the highway, and I hit the brakes hard. Fortunately, nothing happened to us or the kangaroo. I continued driving to the next town, Kingston SE, even more cautiously. After refueling and enjoying a hearty portion of fish and chips ($10 for a kid's portion that was more than filling), Anna took over driving. Less than 20 minutes later, another kangaroo jumped out onto the road, followed by a small cat-like creature, and an owl flew over. Too many wild animals in such a short time. What did we learn from this? In Australia, do not drive in the dark!

Anna and I switched places again because she found it too overwhelming.

The journey continued for about an hour until we reached Mt. Gambier. In the meantime, we passed a serious accident. There was an overturned car in the grass, and pedestrians were clearing the road and warning or informing passing drivers. The Australians are very social!

When we arrived according to the GPS, we found ourselves in front of a house that we thought was our motel. Anna got out and went to the door but found a regular house with residents inside. She returned to the car, and as soon as she got in, an older man with a wooden club appeared at the door and yelled at us asking what we were doing there. Incredibly shocked, I hesitated, but I opened the door slightly and explained briefly which motel we were looking for. The man became slightly friendlier and directed us to the right place, then he walked back into his house, hiding the club in front of him. What a creepy evening!

Finally, around 10 p.m., we were in our motel room. It was a very nice and spacious room with a bathroom, an extra toilet, a small corner where we could prepare breakfast, and a small sitting area.

After a cold day (about 12°C) with rain and strong wind, and driving for a good 500km, we finally fell asleep exhausted in bed.