South Gippy Girl Photos & Words by Ken Roberts
MILLIE AND I WERE INVITED ON A MYSTERY ADVENTURE! WE LOVE FINDING NEW PLACES IN GIPPSLAND, ESPECIALLY THOSE HIDDEN AWAY THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF OR VISITED. THE DIRECTION OF OUR TRAVEL WAS TOWARDS SOUTH GIPPSLAND. The start of our journey wasn’t very promising as misty rain began to fall when we drove out of the driveway. We carried on and slowly as we rolled along the South Gippsland Highway the weather started to clear. The sky remained cloudy and there was a breeze but when we stopped at our first destination, Port Welshpool, it was fine. The Long Jetty at Port Welshpool is a fantastic structure with an interesting history. It was built in 1930 and utilised in World War 2 by minesweepers and vessels. In the 1960’s it was used by ships and barges for oil exploration in Bass Strait. The jetty was closed to the public in 2010 due to fire damage and a public battle was fought to save it. At a cost of 11 million dollars the jetty was restored and reopened in 2018 and has been a popular attraction ever since. I had been there before on a sunny calm day and it was great to see people enjoying the almost one kilometre stroll to the end of the jetty where ample facilities are set up for fishermen and sightseers. Many people and children were taking advantage of the safe, shallow water and beach at the entrance to the jetty.
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gippsland lifestyle autumn ����
On this visit with Millie the moody sky and fresh breeze made me decide to take only a short walk. Toora was our next destination and though it was a quiet weekday when most of the shops were closed I was amazed at the feeling of resurgence that was evident there. Buildings were being refurbished with several galleries and interesting shops to visit. The town has such a quaint appeal with some beautiful old buildings both restored and in original condition. It’s definitely worth a stop! Millie and I drove up the hill above the town to a scenic lookout that has a majestic view over corner inlet towards Wilsons Promontory. Though rain clouds were covering most of the “Prom” the view was still stunning. Clouds hung like fairy floss over what appeared to be a toy town below. I could only imagine the sight on a clear sky day. I vowed to return on a weekend and experience the delights of Toora and hopefully experience a further than the eye could see view of the beautiful region.
