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COLOUR CODES.

Directions In dark navy

Touring notes In black Accommodation In rust National Parks In green

MONDAY 3rd OCTOBER 2011.

DATE 3rd October

4th October

5th October

6th October

7th October

8th October

9th October

WEEK 1

BERRY To

DALMENY

DALMENY To

EDEN

EDEN

EDEN To

MALLACOOTA

MALLACOOTA To

LAKE TYERS

LAKE

TYERS

LAKE TYERS

To YANAKIE

All ready to go by 9am

From To Distance Total Gerringong Nowra 22 km 22 km

Nowra Milton 60 km 82 km

Milton Ulladulla 5 km 104 km

Ulladulla Tabourie Lake 21 km 126 km

Tabourie Lake Batemans Bay 41 km 148 km

Batemans Bay Mogo 11 kms 160 km

We drive south to Nowra.

Nowra, New South Wales is located approximately 170 kilometres (110 miles) south of

Sydney. It has a population of around 27,500.

The area is mainly farming together with a number of State Forests. It is growing as a

leisure and retirement area for Canberra and Sydney

The naval air station HMAS Albatross is located about 10 kilometres south west of Nowra.

The name Nowra, originally written by Europeans as 'nou-woo-ro' (pronounced Nowa Nowa

by the Aborigines of the area), is the Aboriginal word for black cockatoo.

The Nowra region, south of Bomaderry Creek was inhabited by the Wodi-Wodi tribe of the

Yuin nation while north of Bomaderry Creek was inhabited by the Dharawal Aboriginal

people prior to European arrival. Around 1824, ex-convict Mary Reibey applied for a land

grant in the Burrier area, on the southern side of the Shoalhaven River. The Nowra town

ship was officially recognized in 1852. Less than ten years later, in 1861, a postal service

was established. Also in that year, the racehorse 'Archer', trained in Nowra by Etienne de

Mestre, won the first Melbourne Cup. By 1885, Nowra was declared a town.

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Nowra boasts the pristine Shoalhaven River, which formerly hosted the Australian National

wakeboarding championships; it is also a popular fishing location. The river divides Nowra

from Bomaderry and North Nowra, and is bridged by the historic Nowra Bridge. The

Shoalhaven river is a salt water river, although it itself does not flow into the sea. The

Shoalhaven River meets the sea through the canal that joins the Shoalhaven and

Crookhaven Rivers, which was dug by convicts under direction of local entrepreneur and

pioneer Alexander Berry.

Then onwards south along the Pacific Hwy. Past many of our favourite rally sites to Batemans Bay.

FROM TO DISTANCE TOTAL

Batemans Bay Mogo 10 km 10 km

Mogo Broulee 8 km 18 km

Broulee Moruya 9 km 27 km

Moruya Bodalla 22km 49 km

Bodalla Dalmeny 12 km 61 km

Our first stop will be at the old village of Mogo and zoo. We will stop here for a few hours. The old

Mogo town is on the Corner of Annett St & James Street. Entry: Adults $15, Seniors $12, Kids $8,

Family (2A + 2K) $40 (At time of this being printed)

History of Mogo

In 1857, the discovery of a single nugget sparked a gold rush in the area that saw the town

grow to a population of 10,000 virtually overnight. When the boom was over, Mogo stalled

but has been rescued by tourism in recent times thanks to its collection of historic buildings

and new attractions

OLD Mogo Town first opened on a small scale in November 1991 and was acquired by the

present owner in November 2000. Old Mogo Town is a reconstructed village depicting life in

the Gold Rush days of the 1850‘s, built on 4.5 hectares of Australian bush land nestled

between Mogo Village and the Mogo State Forest. Transport visitors to a long forgotten

world of hardship and deprivation, where fortunes were made and dreams shattered.

Pan for real gold, visit the antique machinery shed, get a ‗wanted‘ picture taken by our in-

house photographer, check out authentic buildings and static displays, and listen to the on–

site working rock crusher. Schools experience the wood-turner and blacksmith with a hold-

up by the notorious ―bloodiest bushrangers‖ the Clarke brothers, Thomas and John.

Open seven days a week with four informative guided tours each day 10.30AM

Turn down Tomakin Road to the zoo, where we will have lunch.

Mogo Zoo features beautiful picnic grounds set in luscious wildlife surrounds, barbecue

facilities situated just metres from animal exhibits, cafe and gift shop.

Entry is $23 adults, seniors $19, open 9 AM TO 5 PM

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Feeding the animals 10.30 and 1.30 pm

Mogo Zoo is a privately owned zoo; it‘s committed to the survival of endangered animals and provides world-standard facilities for over 200 animals, including more than 41 rare and exotic species and the largest collection of primates in any private Zoo in Australia. This extraordinary zoological collection includes silvery gibbons, chimpanzees, giraffe, zebra, meerkats, cotton-top tamarins, snow leopards, tigers, Nepalese red pandas, ring-tailed lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs, Brazilian tapir, oriental small-clawed otters, spider monkeys, siamangs and the only white lion pride in Australia.

After leaving the zoo, we drive down the Tomakin Road to the turn off where we go right

towards Garlandtown. Look out for the old airfield it has quite a history.

During World War II Moruya aerodrome was used as an advanced operational base. A trawler was attacked between Moruya and Batemans Bay by the Japanese in 1942. In 1944 a US freighter was torpedoed off Moruya by the German submarine U-862.

Further down the road on the right hand side you will see the quarries.

Two brothers Joseph and John Flett Loutitt commenced Quarrying for granite in the district

in the late 1850s. Their quarry on the south side of the river produced stone for many

Sydney landmarks including the pillars of the General Post office in Martin Place and the

base of the Captain Cook statue in Hyde Park. The Moruya Quarry, also known as the

Government Quarry, opened in 1876 on the northern bank of the Moruya River. From 1925

to 1932 250 men were employed by the contractor to produce 18,000 cubic metres of

dimension stone, 173,000 blocks and 200,000 yards of crushed stone that was used as

aggregate for concrete. During the seven years a small town of about 70 houses grew up

near the quarry called Granitetown; little remains of the town today. There was a third

quarry west of the Moruya Quarry operated by the Ziegler family. The Moruya Quarry is still

operated by the New South Wales Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural

Resources

The first bridge across the Moruya River was erected in 1876 though frequent flooding saw

new bridges erected in 1900 and 1945 and, most recently, in 1966.

Moruya is a small regional centre in New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Moruya

River, approximately 300 kilometres south of Sydney. At the 2006 census, Moruya had a

population of 2,432 people. The town relies predominantly on agriculture, aquaculture, and

tourism. Moruya is administered by the Eurobodalla Shire council and the shire chambers

are located in the town.

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The name Moruya is derived from an Indigenous Australian word, mherroyah, meaning

"home of the black swan" Black swans can still be seen in the lakes and rivers around

Moruya, and the black swan is used locally as an emblem (nationally, the black swan is

known as an emblem of Perth ).

The area was the traditional home of two Indigenous Australian tribes: the Walbanga and

the Brinja-Yuin. European settlement commenced in the 1820s following the extension of

the limits of location in 1829. The coast from Batemans Bay to Mherroyah was surveyed in

1828 by Surveyor Thomas Florance. The first European settler was Francis Flanagan from

Ireland who settled at Shannon View in 1829. John Hawdon from England established a

property named Kiora in 1831 and a village named after the property grew.

The town centre was surveyed in 1850 and the town gazetted in 1851. Moruya was

proclaimed a municipality in 1891. Local industries were timber getting, gold mining,

dairying and quarrying for granite.

After leaving Moruya we travel south 22 km to Bodalla.

At Bodalla we stop at the famous bakery and/or turn left at Potato Point Road and drive to

the famous Bodalla cheese factory. You can sample the cheese prior to buying.

If that is of no interest, stop and see the All Saints church. Built 1880 and designed by

Edmond Blackett, an early architecture of some renown. The church is built in the gothic

style and has some outstanding features, stained glass windows and organ.

Leaving here we drive to Dalmeny about another 12 kms, where we will be staying the night

at the Dalmeny Camping Ground.

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Dalmeny Camping Ground is situated on the south coast of NSW, 7km north of Narooma overlooking the beach.

Address: Mort Avenue

Your hosts Craig and Annette Boulton will be happy to assist with any questions you may have about the area will do everything possible to ensure that you have an enjoyable stay. They offer spacious powered and unpowered sites, and dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a lead are well behaved. The beach is patrolled during the Christmas school holidays and there is plenty to do.

Swimming, surfing, snorkeling, walking, fishing, cycling, tennis ... maybe something more relaxing like sitting back taking in the magnificent view with your favorite refreshment. We allow camp fires (these do need to be contained and any fire restrictions must be adhered to)

Powered and unpowered sites. Clean modern Toilets, Hot showers Disabled toilet and shower area. Washing machines, clothes dryer, clothes

lines. Gas BBQ available on request

Fantastic views of the beach, ocean and lake.

Firewood, Ice etc. Playground across the road Supermarket, petrol, t/away,

shops across the road

TARIFFS

Double Daily Rate Extra Adult/Child

Powered Sites $20-$32 $7/$2.50

Unpowered Sites $17-$26 $3.50/$1.50

Children under 5 yrs free, Child 5-16yrs

Peak rates apply Christmas, Easter and Long Weekends

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TUESDAY 4th

OCTOBER

We leave the camping ground and drive 7 km to Narooma.

Narooma is a town on the Princes Highway. The name is said to be derived from the Aboriginal word meaning ‗clear blue waters‘. At the 2006 census, Narooma had a population of 3,100 people.

HISTORY There had been an earlier settlement nearby at Punkalla, which was a port for

Bodalla and Nerrigundah; a ruined jetty and timber mill can still be seen there. Gold was

discovered nearby at Central Tilba in 1880 and a post office was opened at Corunna, but

called Noorooma until 1882. There is still a street bearing this spelling in the town today.

A township was surveyed at Narooma in 1883 and it was declared a port in 1884. Its school

opened in 1886 and its post office in 1889. Transport to Narooma was first from the sea.

From 1894 a hand-worked punt crossed Wagonga Inlet linking Narooma with Moruya. A

daily mail coach ran through the town between Bega and Moruya.

Narooma was regarded as a tourist destination from the early twentieth century. The local oyster industry was established around 1900. The Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church on the Princes Highway dates from 1914. Together with the associated parsonage, it is regarded as an excellent example of the Australian Federation Carpenter Gothic architectural style.

A petrol driven punt that had previously operated at Batemans Bay was installed in 1929,. The Narooma bridge was the first major bridge constructed on the Princes Highway by the Main Roads Board as part of its efforts to develop the highway. The bridge was built between 1929 and 1931 and crosses the Wagonga Inlet. The bridge has three spans and is made of steel and concrete. It is one of two bascule span bridges of its type remaining in New South Wales in 2002; the other was being threatened with demolition in 2002. A footpath was added to the eastern (seaward) side of the bridge in 1960.

A fish cannery opened in 1937 or 1940 to process tuna and salmon. Salmon which visited the inlet annually were trapped and processed. It is said that during one of the annual visits a worker left the trap gate open which allowed a small number of fish to escape. The salmon never returned to Narooma and the cannery was closed.

From To Distance Total distance

Dalmeny Narooma 7 km 7 km

Narooma Mystery Bay 12 km 19 km

Mystery Bay Central Tilba 11 km 30 km

Central Tilba Bermagui 14 km 44 km

Bermagui Tathra 44 km 88 km

Tathra Merimbula 20 km 108 km

Merimbula Pambula 6 km 114 km

Pambula Eden 17 km 131 km

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GEOLOGY Narooma is located on the Narooma Terrane which used to be separated by

thousands of kilometers from the Australian coast. It traveled to the west and attached itself

to the side of the Lachlan Fold Belt which became part of Australia. The rock found near

Narooma includes the Narooma Chert dating from Cambrian times, and turbidites. There is

also the remains of an submarine volcano with pillow lava.

THINGS TO DO AND SEE Charter operators tour from Narooma onto and around

Montague Island. Montague Island, a National Parks and Wildlife Reserve, is eight

kilometres offshore from Narooma. The island was sighted off the coast by Captain Cook in

1770.

Mount Gulaga, until recently also known as Mt. Dromedary, the name given by Captain Cook for its resemblance to the Dromedary Camel, can be reached from the village of Tilba Tilba. There are eight rainforest types on the mountain, and rock sites of significance to the local indigenous population. Views from the top of the mountain are limited by the vegetation. Beaches in the area include Dalmeny Beach, Narooma Beach, Bar Beach (flat water) and Yabarra Beach.

Australia Rock is found at the bar crossing (where the inlet empties into the sea). The shape of Australia cut into the rock wall was accidental and was created many years ago when a ship was tied to the rock with large chains to prevent it from washing away. The chains wore the shape into the rock during rough seas and it has been known as Australia Rock ever since

The Great Southern Blues and Rockabilly Festival was held here annually on the October long weekend until it moved to Batemans Bay in 2010.

After we have a look around Narooma, we will drive south and turn off into Mystery Bay.

We were going to stay here at the campsite but I received some very bad reports on it. Hopefully by

the time we reach here it will have been cleaned up a bit.

Mystery Bay is a small town on the south coast of New South Wales. Mystery Bay is

located halfway between Central Tilba and Narooma, two kilometres off the Princes

Highway on Mystery Bay Road. At the 2006 census, Mystery Bay had a population

of 168 people. Mystery Bay features a camping area in the Eurobodalla National

Park. Mystery Bay holds many different types of beaches that front the Tasman

Sea. Some beaches are surfing beaches, others are swimming beaches, and a lot

of these beaches contain spectacular large rocks. At low tide, these rocks become

rock pools.

The bay itself is the location where the abandoned wreck of a small boat was discovered in

mysterious circumstances in 1880. The boat had carried Lamont Young, a government

geologist inspecting new goldfields on behalf the New South Wales Mines Department

together with his assistant Max Schneider, and boat owner Thomas Towers and two others,

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from nearby Bermagui. None of the five men were ever seen again, and Mystery Bay was

named after their unexplained disappearance.

Our next stop will be just up the road at Tilba

Tilba, New South Wales

Central Tilba is a National Trust village situated 300km south of Sydney on the Princes Highway. It lies in the shadow of Gulaga Mountain (Mount Dromedary), which rises 2613 ft above sea level. Keen walkers can walk the Tilba Track from Pam's Store, taking in panoramic views along the way, or from the parking area on the northern side. Picnic facilities are available where both tracks meet at the Saddle. From there the track descends before reaching the rainforest section, and then spirals upwards to the summit. Alternatively, you can experience local Aboriginal culture and visit Koori heritage sites with Umbarra Cultural Tours. The countryside is spectacular, with the undulating slopes of the mountain - sighted and named by James Cook on 21 April, 1770. The village was settled mostly during the gold rush years of the 1890's and 1900's and was recently identified as one of Australia's top 20 heritage sites. Stroll the Village and browse the many craft, leather, wood-turning, antique, galleries, exclusive jewellery, cafes, bakery and the old time lolly shop. Sample the specially cheeses at the historic cheese factory, the historic Dromedary Hotel and Bates General Store, built in 1894 are reminders of days past. Just to the north is the local winery. Central Tilba and its near neighbor, Tilba Tilba, encapsulate Australia in the early part of this and the latter part of the last century. Nowhere in Australia will you find such wonderful historic villages unchanged by modern architecture. The pride of Central Tilba is the ABC Cheese Factory, established in 1891. Traces of gold were found in the streams of Mt Dromedary as early as 1852 which led to a small boom in mining which lasted until 1906. This boosted Central Tilba's growth, but the Cheese Factory provided the economic stability. In 1906, Central Tilba boasted a school of arts, a hotel, general store, 2 butchers, a post office, police station, court house, doctor and 9 other business establishments.

Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba are two villages in Eurobodalla Shire. The area was originally

inhabited by the Yuin Aboriginal tribe. Tilba is said to mean wind in the Yuin language.

Others have said the word is a Thawa Aboriginal term for 'many waters'. The town was

settled during the Australian gold rushes of the nineteenth century.

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From Tilba Tilba we watch for the turn off to Bermagui.

The name Bermagui is derived from the Dyirringanj word, permageua, possibly meaning 'canoe with

paddles'. It is said that offshore from Bermagui the continental shelf is at its closest point to the

mainland and hence there is good fishing. This closeness of the continental shelf also means that

Bermagui is renowned for cold currents, and sudden changes in water temperature.

A wharf was built at Bermagui in the 1870s for the coastal trade. The port was serviced by the

Illawarra Steam Navigation Company.

A 1910 article, 'Bermagui - In a Strange Sunset', published by Henry Lawson in The Bulletin

describes a steamer journey from Bermagui to Sydney. Lawson was probably travelling with the

Illawarra Steam Navigation Company.

Zane Grey, the well-known big-game fisherman of the 1930s and author of Westerns, wrote of his

experiences there. He was patron of the Bermugui Sport Fishing Association for 1936/37 and

anchored his yacht, the "Avalon" in Horseshoe Bay.

In 1943, the Japanese submarine I-21 sank the iron ore carrier SS Iron Knight off the coast of

Bermagui. Local fisherman had tangled their nets on the wreck deep below the surface in 125 meters

of water, but did not know the ship lay there until a team of divers confirmed its existence on June 4,

2006. On July 29, 2006 relatives and descendants of the ships crew came to Bermagui for a

memorial and commemorative service.

During the 1940s and 1950s the detective writer Arthur Upfield lived in the town and made it the

setting for one of his novels, "The Mystery of Swordfish Reef", published in 1943.

A fishing harbor was built at Bermagui in 1959, the first in a new series by the Public Works

Department.

Outdoor scenes from the film "The Man Who Sued God" starring Billy Connolly were shot in

Bermagui Harbor.

Over the Christmas break 2004/2005, the Leader of the Opposition, Mark Latham retreated here

from the media and decided to resign as ALP leader and from Parliament remarking in his

biography, "Thank God for Bermagui".

After leaving Bermagui we drive south to Tathra where we will stop at the old wharf.

Tathra is a seaside town. It has a population of 1,622. Tathra may mean "beautiful country" or "place

of wild cats" in a local aboriginal dialect.

Mimosa Rocks National Park starts at the northern end of Tathra Beach and runs north for about

16km. It has five access roads from the Tathra-Bermagui main road. Bournda National Park starts at

Kianinny Bay, at the southern end of Tathra, and runs south for about 13km. There is a good walking

track, near the coast, along most of its length.

The Bega River flows into the sea at the northern end of Tathra Beach, which is about 3km long. The

Snowy Mountains Highway joins Tathra to Cooma via Bega.

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HISTORY The Tathra area was first settled by Europeans in the 1820s and 1830s, although

it was outside the limits of legal settlement, the Nineteen Counties. A small jetty was built at

Tathra in the early 19th century. In 1861-62, a larger wharf was built from funds donated by

farmers and the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company, then regular shipping commenced in

1862. The wharf, built on turpentine supports set into solid rock, is now classified by the

National Trust.

When we leave Tathra we take the Bega road for 6km, and then turn down the road to Merimbula,

touching on the edge of the Bournda National Park.

MERIMBULA is a coastal town at the 2006 census, Merimbula had a population of 3,851

people. It serves predominantly as a tourist town. Merimbula is Aboriginal for 'two lakes'.

Merimbula is nearly the same distance to both Sydney and Melbourne, with both trips

taking between six and seven hours to drive. It is approximately three hours drive to

Australia's capital Canberra.

Merimbula is a predominantly a tourist town, with a majority of the town's earnings coming

from tourism. Merimbula does, however, have a small, but significant oyster farming

industry. Merimbula grows approximately 3% of NSW Sydney rock oysters and a small

amount of native flat oysters.

PAMBULA is a town in Bega Valley Shire on the far south coast of New South Wales,

Australia 473 kilometres (294 mi) south of Sydney via the Princes Highway. At the 2006

census, Pambula had a population of 1,146 people.

The area was populated by the Thaua Aboriginal people, with shell middens dating back

3000 years. The name Pambula is derived from its Dharwa name, pronounced "panboola",

meaning 'twin waters'. In 1797, the European voyager George Bass explored the area.

Pambula is a historic village with its first European settlers thought to have been the Imlay

brothers who established cattle runs on the Pambula River flats in the 1830s. The village of

Pambula situated on the flats near the river was planned in 1843 by surveyor Townsend

and the first school and churches were built there, but frequent flooding led to the village

being relocated to its present site on higher ground.

Captain John Lloyd, RN, acquired land in 1844 with his severance pay when he left the

Royal Navy, and built The Grange on the hill near the river. At about that time he invited the

family of Syms Covington to move there. Covington had joined the second survey

expedition of HMS Beagle as a fiddler and cabin boy. He became an assistant and

manservant to Charles Darwin during the voyage and for a few years afterwards before

immigrating to Australia. In 1854 he became Postmaster of Pambula, and managed an inn

called the Forest Oak Inn which still stands at a bend on the coast road.

The main land uses were grazing and agriculture, and tented accommodation on stock

routes was replaced by slab and bark huts, then by more permanent buildings providing

homes, housing, smithies, and hotels. Pambula had five licensed hotels by 1856 and the

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foundation stone for the courthouse was laid in 1860. Pambula was proclaimed a town in

1885.

In 1888, gold was discovered and villages grew up around the mines at nearby Yowaka

River and Pipeclay Creek. This created a boom in the town, but in the early 20th century

production of gold ceased and the prosperity of the town went into a decline.

Pambula continued to be the dominant town of the district, providing facilities which came to

include commercial premises, banks, courthouse, hospital, newspaper, and a school of

arts. Agriculture developed on the river flats, producing prize crops of maize and potatoes,

and a dairying industry became established. Timber felling was carried out in the

surrounding forests, and oyster farming was developed in the river.

Continuing to drive south we reach Eden where we will stop for two nights at the Garden of Eden.

Garden of Eden Caravan Park is located approximately 24 km from Merimbula, 17 km from Pambula. Our quiet family park is set amongst shady trees, gardens and spacious lawns. Close to town centre, and a short stroll to surf beach, rock pool, olympic pool, golf and bowls. Enjoy the magnificent coastline, forests and walks, historic sites, fishing and whale watching. Facilities include a tennis court, swimming pools, coin

laundromat, sullaged sites and dump point, with shop adjacent. Pets on leash are welcome (with sitebookings only) in low season. We offer a wide variety of cabins to suit every budget, as well as shady caravan and camping sites which can accommodate some of the larger motorhomes and 5th wheelers. While staying with us there are lots of things to see and do, including: Fantastic fishing - drop in a line or take one of a

number of Fishing Charters in the area Whale Watching - cruises available

Eden Killer Whale Museum

Aslings Beach Rockpool

Disaster Bay Lookout

Stay with us soon, please mention you found us

on the GoSeeAustralia.com.au website when you

call!

TARIFFS

Double Low Peak Mid

Pandanus Deluxe cabin # All linen Supplied#

$125 $220 $130

Jacaranda # No bedding for bunks #

$105 $200 $105

Hibiscus # Linen supplied $100 $190 $100

Frangipani # double bed linen supplied #

$85 $145 $90

Banyan # No bedding supplied #

$80 $135 $80

Lillypilly/No ensuite # No bedding supplied #

$70 $110 $70

Powered Site $31 $53 $32

Camp site $26 $47 $27

Extra child $10 $12 $11

Extra Adult $14 $18 $15

Booking essential for Mid and Peak Season # Linen hire available. # # Boom Gate Deposit is $20 Cash

refundable #

# MID- 17th January - 30th April# LOW-1st May-24th Dec # Special winter rates # PEAK 25th Dec-16th Jan

# EASTER PEAK April 6th-9th

#THE ABOVE TARRIF IS FOR 2 ADULTS AND ONE CAR# PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT

NOTICE

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WEDNESDAY 5TH

OCTOBER

Will be a free day to explore the local area.

Eden is a large whaling town in the South Coast region of New South Wales. The town,

478 kilometres (297 mi) south of the state capital Sydney near the border with Victoria, is

located between Nullica Bay to the south and Calle Calle Bay, the northern reach of

Twofold Bay, and built on undulating land adjacent to a deep harbour, Snug Cove, on its

western boundary.

The eastern coastline has rugged cliffs at the southern end and a wide, sandy surf beach,

Aslings Beach, north of the cliffs. The beach ends at the entrance to Lake Curalo, a safe

boating inlet of Twofold Bay. Although the urban settlement of Eden commenced in 1843

the settlement was not officially proclaimed as a township until 20 March 1885. The town‘s

main industries include fishing, forestry, and tourism.

HISTORY The local Aboriginal people who lived in the region prior to the arrival of

Europeans ere the Thaua or Thawa people of the Yuin nation.

Whaling ships had been operating in the area in 1791. George Bass first took shelter in

Twofold bay on the return leg of a voyage to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in February,

1798, having noted the bay on the southward leg of this same voyage in December 1797.

Later, in September of that year, on a subsequent voyage with Matthew Flinders, he and

Flinders surveyed the bay for the first time. They also made first contact with the local

Thawa Aboriginal people on this occasion.

The Australian botanist, Allan Cunningham, landed at Snug Cove in December 1817 so that

he could collect botanical specimens from the district.

The first whaling station, for shore whaling, was established in the area by John Raine in

1828. Local Aboriginal people were employed in the whaling industry. In 1834 the Imlay

brothers, Alexander, George and Peter, set up a whaling station at Snug Cove. Nearby they

built a small slab and bark hut, the first-known building erected at Eden. Sketches of the hut

were made by Sir Oswald Brierly in 1842 and by Captain Owen Stanley from H.M.S.

Rattlesnake in 1843.

The graziers from the Monaro district inland from Twofold Bay were seeking a better way

to transport their cattle to Hobart, Tasmania. It was decided to establish cattle-handling

facilities and an accompanying township on an appropriate site on Twofold Bay. Thus, in

1834, the Home Government authorized the captain of HMS Alligator to seek an

appropriate site for a settlement on Twofold Bay. Early in 1835 the Governor of New South

Wales, Governor Richard Bourke, visited Twofold Bay and the site of the proposed new

settlement on board H.M.S. Hyacinth.

Eventually the area for the proposed town, to be called Eden, was surveyed in 1842 by Mr

Thomas Townsend, the Government Surveyor. The main street, Imlay Street, was named

after the Imlay brothers who were early pioneers to the district. Other streets were named

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after Lieutenant Flinders, George Bass, Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert. A

wharf was built out into a cove, now named Cattle Bay, from a site on the western edge of

Eden, where cattle could be grazed prior to their being loaded onto the ships. Cattle were

also grazed on Lookout Point until 1853, and then this land was subdivided for housing.

Eden was named after George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, the British Secretary for the Colonies, Baron Auckland, whose family name was Eden.[5] After the town plan was finalized the first blocks were auctioned on the 9th March, 1843. The land was sold to Thomas Aspinall, Benjamin Boyd, S. Clinton, Lewes Gordon, W. Hirst, James Kirwan, J.P. Robinson and T.A. Townsend.

The first postmaster was appointed in 1843 but the first post office did not open until 1847. The Customs House was built in Eden in 1848. Earlier the first customs officer was appointed in 1846 but he was located at East Boyd initially, until the customs house was constructed.

Eden grew in the 1850s following the decline of nearby Boydtown, and the discovery of gold in Kiandra, which led to the 1859-1860 gold rushes. For a few hectic months hundreds of gold seekers landed at Eden, replenished their supplies then headed for Kiandra. With the winter snow falls at Kiandra came the hurried exodus of those same people keen to leave the district as soon as possible. For a short period Eden flourished, only to quickly return to its usual quiet pace again.

In the 1850s there were four hotels in Eden. One of these hotels, the Crown and Anchor, still stands. It is no longer licensed but it still provides accommodation to travellers. Just south of this building is another built in 1850 as commercial premises. Various businesses occupied the site. The building is now used as a private dwelling. The first government school started in 1857. The school attached to St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church commenced in 1888. There were also several private tutors in Eden.[7]

The shipping of cattle from Eden ceased in the late 1890s. Prior to that the business had expanded to include the shipping of cattle to South Australia, Queensland and to New Zealand.

Because Eden is equidistant between Sydney and both Melbourne and Tasmania, the port town was considered as a location for the Australian capital following Australian Federation in 1901. However, the ‗Limestone Plains‘ in Southern New South Wales were chosen instead as the location of the new city of Canberra. (Eden, Orange and the Yass limestone plains were the last three sites to be considered. )

Whaling declined in the 1920s and ended in 1930.

GOVERNMENT From its inception Eden was located in the County of Auckland, named

earlier after the Earl of Auckland from whom Eden also took its name. However, the County

of Auckland was not considered to be within the bounds of the colony of New South Wales

until many years after the settlement of Eden commenced.

The town of Eden lies within the Bega Valley Shire local government area. It is within the federal electorate of Eden-Monaro, which has for a long time been a key marginal seat,

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resulting in significant focus by the media and political parties during election campaigns. It is represented in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly by the electorate of Monaro.

INDUSTRY A number of industries are based in the town in the mid 2000's. These are

mainly related to the tourist industry and include a wide variety of accommodation, places to

eat and entertainment, especially fishing and sailing. As well, cruises of Twofold Bay and

for whale-watching leave the Eden Wharf located in Snug Cove. The cruise of Nullica Bay,

Twofold Bay, allows close views of the two major wharves mentioned in the article on

Twofold Bay.

Tourism contributes $180 million Australian dollars yearly to the economy of the shire – which includes Bega and several other towns. The area receives 550,000 visitors annually. Many people visit Eden for whale watching as whales migrate from Antarctic to tropical waters in June and July, and back again later in the year.

A significant fishing fleet is based in the harbour (Snug Cove). A tuna cannery opened in the town in 1949. It was closed in 1999, at the cost of many jobs. Saw-milling of timber has also been an important local industry for most of the life of the town. For over one hundred years the collection and export of wattle-bark was also a major local industry.

Whaling played a very important role in the town‘s economy for over 100 years before its decline in the area in the 1920s and its end in 1930. Eden‘s ‗Killer Whale Museum‘ informs visitors of the history of whaling in the area and the role of orcas (killer whales) led by Old Tom in herding whales into the harbour and helping whalers kill them. The whalers rewarded the orcas by allowing them to eat the lips and tongues of the dead whales.

THURSDAY 6TH

OCTOBER.

EDEN TO MALLACOTTA. About 100 km’s.

Not a day of heavy driving but a little treat popped in there because this place has something very

very special. Leaving Eden we travel south for 62 km to the boarder. Bye NSW for a few weeks.

Please remember that we can NOT take any fruit into Victoria

That includes table grapes, and plant of any fruit or soil.

After crossing the boarder to Victoria, we drive another 15 km to Genoa, and then turn off to

Mallacoota. Enjoy the 23 km drive into the township. Mind you the road, the last time I travelled on

this road it was is a typical coastal road, narrow and potholed.

We make our way to Mallacoota Foreshores Holiday Park and spend the rest of the day exploring.

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Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park 'A great holiday experience for families and travellers of all

ages.' HOME PAGE

Location, Location

Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park is your ideal traditional camping holiday with

modern park services provided.

Located mid-way between Melbourne and Sydney and just three hours drive from

Canberra, Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park is one of the largest holiday parks in

Victoria that caters for a verity of holiday seekers from our cities and

internationally. Mallacoota's incredible landscape and wildlife scenery attracts

artists and photographers from around the world!

A peaceful Park

There is a range of over 650 peaceful camping sites in the park each with

unique views to choose from. Don't forget you favourite water sport

activities with mooring and jetty sites available with free trailer parking.

Refer to the Park Layout Map to choose your ideal sites.

Patrons of the Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park love the pristine

environment while enjoying the atmosphere at the Park's Camp Kitchen

facility with two open fireplaces.

Rendezvous Mallacoota

Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park has it all to keep the kids active and for

parents to enjoy their space relaxing and taking in the scenery! With families

and friends living across our major cities, Mallacoota is known for its ideal

location between cities to host your next annual reunion holiday destination.

Of course this includes the family pets as well!

A Community Resource

The Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park is owned and operated by East Gippsland Shire Council on behalf of our

community. All profits generated from the park are invested in the Council's foreshore maintenance and improvements

budget.

Your Host Judith Clifton

Phone: (03) 5158 0300

Fax: (03) 5158 0189

Email: mallacootacp@wideband.net.au

1800 637 060

AAA rating

Address Allan Drive, Mallacoota

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MALLACOOTA is a beautiful holiday and fishing town located in the most eastern corner

of Victoria. It is a most relaxing place to holiday or stopover free from the intense holiday

crowds found elsewhere.

Quaintly retaining its 'undeveloped' charm, the town's remoteness has made it popular as a

quiet seaside experience in an area surrounded by forests, secluded beaches and pristine

waterways.

Croajingolong National Park embraces the village, and extends for over 100 kilometres along the

wilderness coast of the region. It is linear in shape and bordered on the southern side by the Pacific

Ocean, the western side by Bemm River and the eastern side by the township of Mallacoota. Its

northern boundary consists of dense bushland and low hills.

The name is thought to derive from the aboriginal word Krowathunkooloong, the name of the tribe

inhabiting that area of Victoria.

World Biosphere Reserve Croajingolong National Park along with the adjourning Nadgee Nature

Reserve in New South Wales are one of only 12 World Biosphere areas in Australia. It contains eco-

systems, majors habitat sites as well as gene pools that are managed in a way to protect them as well

as allowing for sustainable use of their resources.

The dimensions of the park are approximately 80 kilometres by 20 kilometres, and cover 875 km².

Popular camping spots exist at Thurra River, Mueller Inlet and Wingan Inlet and there is a 100

kilometre long walk along beaches, heath land and over challenging rocky headlands, stretching the

entire length of the park known as the Wilderness Coast Walk.

Popular destinations within Croajingolong national Park include,

Point Hicks and its lighthouse

Tamboon Inlet resort town

Spectacular sand dunes at Thurra River

Lake Elusive near Wingan Inlet

Mount Everard.

Rame Head

There are a number of lighthouses nearby, the most prominent being built in 1862 on the

granite outcrop of Gabo Island, 13 kilometres off the coast of Mallacoota.

Mallacoota Inlet captivates with its shimmering lakes, rivers, quiet beaches and forests - the

Top Lake, Bottom Lake, little inlets, cliffs, beaches and mountains offer innumerable places

to explore, boat, fish, walk, paint/photograph the scenery or simply sit and watch the

wildlife, flora and sunsets.

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Attractions:

Numerous places to explore.

Lake and ocean fishing. Water skiing, surfing reef diving, snorkelling and safe swimming areas for children. Bush and coastal walking tracks Wildlife watchers paradise (whales, seals, dolphins and over 280 species of birds). Visit Gabo island known for its historic pink granite light house and experience the

natural setting of the largest colony of penguins in Victoria. Visit Gipsy Point known for its friendly kangaroo population. Historians can visit the World War II bunker at the Mallacoota Aerodrome.

Copyright 2008

FRIDAY 7th October

From To Distance Total distance

Mallacoota Genoa 23 kms 23 kms

Genoa Cann River 47 kms 70 kms

Cann River Orbost 74 kms 144 kms

Orbost Nowa Nowa 36 kms 180 kms

Nowa Nowa Turn off 16 kms 196 kms

Turn off Lake Tyers 4 kms 200 kms

We drive back to Genoa, and left to Cann River. (This is where the Monaro Hwy, Cann River to

Canberra, start/ends.)

GENOA is a small town with a population just over 300. The Post Office opened here in 1888. In 1972 the earliest fossil track way of primitive tetrapods, dating back over 350 million years were found in the Genoa River Gorge.

Tetrapods (four footed in Latin) are vertebrate animals having four feet, legs or leg like appendages. Amphibians, reptiles,(even snakes) dinosaurs/bird and mammals are all tetrapods. The earliest tetrapods radiated from the Sarcopterygii or lobe-finned fish.

CANN RIVER is a town located at the junction of the Princes Highway and Monaro

Highway, in the Shire of East Gippsland. At the 2006 census, Cann River had a population

of 223. The town is close to Lind National Park, Coopracambra National Park, and

Croajingolong National Park, and is a popular stopping point for travellers between

Melbourne and Sydney using the Princes Highway route.

The next 74 kms the road winds through a mix of Pine Forrest and National parks and is narrow and winding with thick tress both sides of the road. Some of the little creeks names are quite amusing. If you get bored, make a list and compare with the others later. Note that Orbost is on the Snowy River.

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It is about 16 kilometres (10 mi) from the town of Marlo on the coast of Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Orbost had a population of 2452. Orbost is the service centre for the primary industries of beef, dairy cattle, and sawmilling. More recently, tourism has become an important industry, being the major town close to several national parks, including the Snowy River National Park, Alpine National Park, Errinundra National Park, Croajingolong National Park and Cape Conran Coastal Park.

HISTORY Peter Imlay established the Snowy River Station for grazing in 1842, and his

brother the Newmerella run nearby. In 1845 the land was sold to Norman McLeod, who

named the area after Orbost farm in the northwest of Isle of Skye, in Scotland.

Gold was discovered in the mid 1850s in the Bendoc area, in the mountains north of Orbost, which brought an influx of people to the district. By 1868 it was estimated that there was a population of 500 miners and squatters in the vicinity of Bendoc.

The Cameron family settled on the rich alluvial river flats in 1876, followed by many other selectors, many of them Scottish migrants. The Post Office opened on 1 December 1880 named Neumerella (sic) and was renamed Orbost in 1883. A Newmerella office opened in 1889 and closed in 1897, then reopened in 1921. The township was proclaimed in 1890 and a bridge constructed across the Snowy River and a telegraph office established. Sawmills were established in the area and the first batch of sawn timber was cut at Orbost in 1882. By the late 1890s produce was regularly being exported to Melbourne via coastal trading vessels sailing up the Snowy River to Orbost. The railway from Melbourne arrived in 1916, allowing further agricultural settlement up the valley, and exploitation of native hardwood forests for timber and railway sleepers.

For most of the 20th century, Orbost was a fairly prosperous local centre for the forestry and agricultural industries and a supply point for smaller towns in the area. In the 1950s and 1960s several new sawmills were opened to exploit the native forests north and east of Orbost. By the 1980s logging of East Gippsland native forests had become an environmental issue. This resulted in the creation or extension of National Parks in the area, and a steady decline in forestry and sawmilling jobs. The general rural decline of the area and its economy saw the railway close in the mid-1980s and the population drop from around 4000 to around 2000 by the start of the 21st century. Logging and forestry continues to be a contentious issue in 2004 and 2005 in the Goolengook Valley, near the Errinundra National Park.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme resulted in the waters of the Snowy River being diverted to the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers and associated irrigation schemes. During the 1990s the low level of water in the Snowy River was a major concern, with a political campaign to increase the flow of water from the dam at Jindabyne. Independent candidate from the Orbost district, Craig Ingram, was elected in 1999, and re-elected in 2002, to the Victorian Legislative Assembly on a platform to increase the flow of water in the Snowy River.

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CURRENT PROFILE The national parks are showcased in events such as The Wilderness

Bike Ride, a community event managed out of Orbost, which won the Best Event 2004

Regional Tourism Award for East Gippsland. The Orbost region has four State primary

schools, one Catholic primary school, and Orbost Secondary College (Government). Orbost

has a regional airport, Orbost Airport YORB (RBS).

Notable people from Orbost

Percival Bazeley, scientist Richard Dalla-Riva, politician Jennifer Hansen, TV presenter Sarah Hanson-Young, politician Nick Heyne, Current Australian rules footballer with the St.Kilda Football Club Craig Ingram, politician Charlie Lynn, politician Molly Meldrum, music critic, journalist, TV presenter Peter Nixon, politician Lindsay Tanner, politician Michael Voss, former Australian rules footballer and current coach of the Brisbane

Lions in the AFL

We might stop off here for a lunch stop as well as a look around before driving on to Lake Tyers.

NOWA NOWA is a small town in East Gippsland, near Lakes Entrance. At the 2006 census, Nowa Nowa and the surrounding area had a population of 144 Nowa Nowa Post Office opened on 11 March 1893, though closed for about five years 1895 to 1900.

Nowa Nowa railway station on the former Orbost railway line opened in April 1916, with the line closing in 1987. Nowa Nowa has been a timber town relying on local mills for income, however this is no longer the case. There is currently only one mill operating. There are two caravan parks, one general store, one hotel/motel, and art galleries. Nowa Nowa is the home of the Nowa Nowa Nudes Art Show held in November each year.

The Nowa Nowa arm of Lake Tyers starts in Nowa Nowa and this is a picturesque part of the town with picnic grounds and good fishing spots. There are many walks signposted in the area with birds and other wildlife in abundance. One of these is the East Gippsland Rail Trail which lies on the route of the old Orbost railway line and passes through Nowa Nowa.

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Lake Tyers Camp & Caravan Park

558 Beach Road

Lake Tyers Beach VIC 3909

Phone: 03 5156 5530

Fax: 03 5156 5702

Mobile: 0407 313 570

Croajingolong National Park

Undoubtedly one of Australia’s most spectacular parks, Croajingolong National Park’s

landscapes and ecosystems are so valuable that the United Nations Educational, Scientific

and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has nominated it a World Biosphere Reserve.

The park encompasses 100 kilometres of coast and hinterland and features an extraordinary

diversity of landscapes from pure white sandy beaches, rocky coastal headlands and granite

peaks to rambling heartland, lush rainforests and towering eucalypts. It also supports an

diverse range of flora and fauna, with more than 1,000 native plants and over 300 bird species

The park is a great spot for hiking and walking, water sports such as surf and freshwater

fishing, swimming, diving, snorkeling and sea kayaking, and touring by 4WD or mountain

bikes. It is also a photographer's paradise with countless opportunities to capture untouched

nature on film.

Tamboon Inlet

This peaceful estuary is known for its bird watching, boating and canoeing, swimming and

camping spots. The local bird population is large because the island and sandbars in

Tamboon Inlet are favorite nesting sites used by coastal and wading birds.

Fish from the jetties and shores of the inlet and from the ocean beach. Visit the mysterious

Clinton Rocks area where giant granite boulders covered in bright orange lichen line the

coast. To access Clinton Rocks, there is a walking track you can follow or if you have your

own boat you can take it up the river and cross the inlet to the beach but there are no vehicle

access points.

The journey to Tamboon Inlet takes 30 minutes from Cann River. Take the Tamboon Road,

continue onto Point Hicks Road, then right onto Fisherman’s Track.

Thurra River and Point Hicks Lighthouse

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Access Thurra and Mueller rivers camping areas from Cann River on the Point Hicks Road.

The inlet is a secluded estuary with a variety of walks and wildlife to see.

The Thurra Rivers dune system is a major attraction for campers and walkers. The huge

expanse of dunes is the second highest in the Southern Hemisphere, rising up to 150 meters

above sea level.

Take a guided tour to the top of the Point Hicks Lighthouse for unrivalled views of the park

and out to the ocean. Nearby the Mt Everard Lookout also offers great views of the coast,

Point Hicks Lighthouse and the peaks of Errinundra and Coopracambra national parks and

beyond to NSW.

Wingan Inlet

You can access Wingan Inlet from the Princes Highway 17 kilometres east of Cann River.

Turn south off the Princes Highway onto the West Wingan Road and continue for 34

kilometres. Some of the park's most beautiful walks including the Lake Elusive Walk are

found here. Lake Elusive is a tranquil spot where orchids and dazzling wildflowers bloom

during spring and summer. The Wingan Rapids Walk winds through silvertop ash and fern

gullies to cascading rapids. The easiest walk is the Wingan Nature Walk, along boardwalks

past changing vegetation and bird life as you approach the sea.

Shipwreck Creek

To access Shipwreck Creek from Mallacoota, follow the Betka Road, then Centre Track.

Travel time is about 45 minutes from Mallacoota. Tracks in this area lead to remote sandy

beaches, heath land made brilliant by wildflowers in spring and early summer, and cool

inland eucalypt forests. To the east are views of Gabo Island and the Howe Range, to the

west the rocky coastline leading to Little Rame Head. Half a dozen walks vary from 10

minutes along the beach to a full-day walk to Benedore River.

Genoa Peak

To access Genoa Peak, travel south off the highway a few kilometres west of Genoa and

travel eight kilometres to the car park and picnic area. The walking track from the car park to

Genoa Peak is moderately steep and narrow in places, and the walk takes about two hours as

a round trip.

Genoa Peak near Genoa is 490 metres above sea level, and certainly worth the walk for the

views back to Mallacoota Inlet, the ocean and surrounding countryside.

Gabo Island

Gabo Island lies in Bass Strait, 13 kilometres from Mallacoota and the wilderness coast of

Croajingolong National Park. Its lighthouse provides visitors with unparalleled views of the

wilderness coast.

From May to October you may see humpback and southern right whales during their

migration, and dolphins and seals as they pass, or watch penguins make their way to the shore

after dark. The island has the worlds largest known colony of little penguins and supports

significant colonies of seabirds.

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SATURDAY 8th OCTOBER

A free day to explore around the Lakes and Lake Entrance District.

Lakes Entrance is a tourist resort and fishing port. It is situated approximately 320 kilometres (200 mi) east of Melbourne, near a managed, man-made channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to the Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Lakes Entrance had a population of 4,094.

The township was originally named Cunninghame, the Post Office of that name opening on 5 February 1870. It was renamed Lakes Entrance on 1 January 1915.

Lakes Entrance, which lies almost at sea level, can be accessed from Melbourne via

Bairnsdale and the town of Kalimna to the north west by a stretch of the Princes Highway,

which snakes down and around a point protruding into the Gippsland Lakes known as

"Jemmy's Point". Spectacular views of The Entrance and of the Lakes can be seen from

various look-outs on Jemmy's Point.

Lakes Entrance is predominantly a fishing and tourism-driven town; the main beach front is a safe harbor for many major commercial fishing and recreational water sport operations. The surf beach is patrolled by the Lakes Entrance Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC)[3] between November and March every summer, with lifeguard patrols from late December to late January. The waterfront is populated by restaurants, shops, caravan parks, a Woolworths, a Target Country store which opened in 2007, a McDonalds restaurant which opened in September 1997. The town's main residential areas lie farther inland.

Lakes Entrance is a very popular spot for camping in caravan parks, and in free camping spots in Colquhoun State Forest

Sports The town has an Australian rules football team competing in the East

Gippsland Football League The town is home to a hockey club in the East Gippsland

Hockey Association, although the club still plays under the name of its original home

town, Swan Reach.

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SUNDAY 9th OCTOBER

Off about 9 am we will leave camp. Our first stop will be at Bairnsdale.

BAIRNSDALE is a small city with a population at the 2006 census of 11,282, it is a major regional centre of eastern Victoria along with Traralgon and Sale.

Bairnsdale is located on the river flats of the Mitchell River, near where the Mitchell River flows into Lake King. Bairnsdale is the commercial centre for the East Gippsland region and the seat of local government for the Shire of East Gippsland.

The origin of the city's name is uncertain, however it is believed to have been derived from the name of the property owned by pioneer settler Archibald Macleod.

i

GEOGRAPHY Bairnsdale is sited on a bend of the Mitchell river, with the river flowing in

along the northern edge of the town, before turning south to flow along the eastern edge,

although suburbs are now found across the river to both north and east. The river floods at

infrequent intervals, affecting town areas close to the banks.

The Mitchell River flows into Lake King at Eagle Point Bluff. Between the town of Bairnsdale and Eagle Point Bluff are found the Mitchell River silt jetties (a type of digitate River Delta), second only in length to those formed at the mouth of the Mississippi River in the United States.

Bairnsdale's commercial centre is laid out along the wide avenue of Main Street which is a continuance of the Princess Highway.

From To Distance

Lake Tyers Lakes Entrance 18 kms 18 kms

Lakes Entrance Bairnsdale 34 kms

Bairnsdale Stratford 51 kms

Stratford Sale 18 kms

Sale Yarram 72 kms

Yarram Port Albert 14 kms

Port Albert Foster 60 kms

Foster Yanakie 21 kms

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HISTORY The Aboriginal name for Bairnsdale was Wy Yung (or Wy-yung), meaning

spoonbill (a type of wading bird). Wy Yung is now the name for a suburb of Bairnsdale,

located north of the town across the Mitchell River.

The current name was taken from the name of the property owned by pioneer settler Archibald Macleod, who took up the run on the west bank of the Mitchell River in 1844. Bairnsdale is probably derived from the name of Macleod‘s family home on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, which had the name ‗Bernisdale‘. An alternative interpretation was that Macleod returned after a long absence to find a number of ‗bairns‘ (a Scottish term for babies) at the station. The name may in fact be a conjunction of these two stories, accounting for the transformation of ‗Bernis‘ to ‗Bairns‘.

The town site was surveyed in 1859, with the first blocks of land sold in 1860. Lucknow on the east bank of the river (named for the Indian city of Lucknow to which horses bred in the Bairnsdale area were sent to aid the British Crown during the Indian uprising), was already a thriving village. The Post Office opened on 2 February 1858 at Lucknow and was relocated to the township and named Bairnsdale on 3 April 1862. Lucknow remains as a suburb of Bairnsdale.

Bairnsdale was proclaimed as a City on 14 July 1990.

Landmarks

The spectacular murals adorning the interior of St Mary's Church

We will stop off and have a look at this

One of the most notable landmarks of Bairnsdale is the St Mary‘s Roman Catholic Church in Main Street known for its distinctively tall tower and murals on its ceiling and walls. These murals were painted by out of work Italian artist Francesco Floreani during the Great Depression and remain a fascination to this day.

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Also of note are the gardens maintained on the median strip of Main Street. This very wide median strip stretches from the Mitchell River to the western edge of town, a distance of about 4 kilometres (2 mi). The main garden section runs for over 500 metres (550 yd) through the central commercial district and features beds of flowering annuals and perennials, numerous mature deciduous and evergreen trees, war memorials and a restored historic band rotunda. The rotunda was constructed in 1910 and restored to its present condition in 1993.

EDUCATION Educational facilities in Bairnsdale include two high schools, Bairnsdale

Secondary College which has approx 1200 students (Government) and Nagle

College which has about 800 students (Catholic Private), a number of primary

schools and kindergartens, and limited tertiary education facilities mainly consisting

of the East Gippsland Institute of TAFE.

Bairnsdale's main form of transport is the automobile. The city is near the junction of the Princes Highway and the Great Alpine Road. Bairnsdale is 285 kilometres (177 mi), or approximately three hours drive, east of the state capital Melbourne.

Rail transport is facilitated by the major railway station in Bairnsdale railway station which is the terminus of the Bairnsdale railway line. V/Line provides rail services.

Bairnsdale Cabs provides a local taxi service around the city.

The East Gippsland Rail Trail begins in Bairnsdale. Almost 100 kilometres (60 mi) in length, the multi-use trail permits walking, cycling and horse riding as it follows the alignment of the former railway line to Orbost.

Bairnsdale also has a small regional airport.

Bairnsdale's local newspapers are the Bairnsdale Advertiser for sale on Mondays and Fridays and East Gippsland news delivered free on Wednesday every week. Both publications along with several others are owned and published by East Gippsland Newspapers

Commercial television networks Prime7, WIN and Southern Cross Ten all broadcast into Bairnsdale from the Latrobe Valley transmitter at Mt Tassie as well as local relay transmitters located at Mount Taylor approximately 12-13km NNW from Bairnsdale. All the commercial stations are based in Traralgon and have local commercials placed on their broadcasts. WIN TV also broadcasts a local news bulletin from Monday to Friday at 6.30pm. Both national public broadcasters, ABC (ABC1) and SBS (SBS ONE) are broadcast into Bairnsdale as well, relayed from Melbourne via Mount Tassie.

New channels broadcast by all the networks in addition to the ones listed above are available on the digital service called Freeview (Australia) to viewers in Bairnsdale and the Gippsland \ Latrobe Valley region. These channels include ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS Two, One HD, Eleven, 7Two, 7mate, GEM and GO!.

Local commercial radio services TRFM 99.9 and Gold 1242 are operated by Ace Radio and broadcast to Bairnsdale and most listeners in the Gippsland as far west as the town of

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Orbost. The Gold 1242 AM 1242 kHz transmitter is located in Myrtlebank between Maffra and Sale. ABC stations Triple J and ABC Classic FM are broadcast from Mount Tassie. ABC Radio National and ABC News Radio are rebroadcast locally from Mount Taylor. ABC Gippsland radio station 3GI broadcasts into Bairnsdale on 828 AM from Longford, near Sale.

The town has three Australian rules football clubs, with Bairnsdale Football Club (the Redlegs) competing in the Gippsland Football League and Lucknow and Wy Yung competing in the local East Gippsland Football League. Bairnsdale has a horse racing club, the Bairnsdale Racing Club, which schedules around eight race meetings a year including the Bairnsdale Cup meeting usually held on the first Sunday in January.

The town has two field hockey clubs in the East Gippsland Hockey Association. The Bairnsdale Hockey Club is based at the WORLD fields, while the Nagle Hockey Club is based at Nagle College, just out of town to the west.

Golfers play at the Bairnsdale Golf Club on Paynesville Road, Eagle Point or at the course of the Goose Gully Golf Greens on Balfours Road.

With its close proximity to the Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach, along with easy access to the Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo Rivers; Bairnsdale proves to be a popular distinction for recreational anglers and good catches are reported regularly. Bait and tackle supplies, along with the required angling licenses are readily available in Bairnsdale.

STRATFORD is a town on the Avon River 232 kilometres (144 mi) east of Melbourne on the Princes Highway in Shire of Wellington. At the 2006 census, Stratford had a population of 1950. The town services the local regional community and travelers on the Princes Highway. Stratford's principal industries are dairying, sheep, cattle and horse breeding and vegetable crops. The town has numerous coffee shops and cafes, a cellar door for a local winery, Design Gallery, model railway shop, a pub, parks and playgrounds for car travelers to break their journey.

The origin of the town's name is unclear. Many believe it derives from Stratford-on-Avon from England, William Shakespeare's home town, a view which is lent credence by the fact that it is located by the river Avon. Locals have embraced the connection with Shakespeare and a Shakespeare on the River Festival has been a successful annual event since 1989, incorporating works of Shakespeare and modern Australian plays. In 1998 the town formally became a member of the Stratford Sister Cities program to promote friendship and cultural exchange between participating countries. Participation is restricted to towns called "Stratford" that have a Shakespeare Theatre or Festival.

The River Avon has a local reputation as a source for river polished gemstones, particularly agate, and for rapidly rising during increased rainfall upstream.

Three kilometres south-east of Stratford is a 56-hectare (140-acre) park called Knob Reserve (formerly known as the "Forest of Arden"), part of the Gunai/Kurnai Bataluk Cultural Trail, which winds its way through East Gippsland, highlighting the places of cultural significance to the first inhabitants. There are picnic facilities and an annual country music festival is held at Knob Reserve.

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Stratford has a railway station on the Bairnsdale railway line, which was reopened for passenger use in 2004. The Howitt Bicycle Trail passes through Stratford.

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the North Gippsland Football League.

The town has a cricket team competing in the Sale/Maffra Cricket Association. They have won 4 A Grade premierships since reforming in 1978

HISTORY The land around the Avon River was occupied by the Brayakuloong

people of the Gunai/Kurnai indigenous nation for thousands of years prior to

European settlement.

Angus McMillan named the Avon River after the river of the same name in his native Scotland. In 1840 he established a pastoral run at Bushy Park, north-west of the township. William Odell Raymond established a run in the area in 1842, and built his house, Strathfieldsaye, during 1848–54. European settlement did not take place without resistance, and in return, massacres were inflicted by Angus McMillan and others on Gunai people, especially between the years of 1840 and 1850.

The township was established in the late 1850s and the Post Office opened on 1 May 1858 With the 1860s gold rush to the Omeo and Dargo goldfields, the town of Stratford prospered. Historic buildings include the RSL Hall (1866), the Church of Holy Trinity (1868), the Methodist Church (1873), and the Post Office (1884).

In 1863 Reverend Friedrich Hagenauer established Ramahyuck Mission on the banks of the Avon River near Lake Wellington to house the Ganai survivors from west and central Gippsland. The name combines "Ramah", the home of Samuel in the First Book of Kings, with "yuck", an Aboriginal term reputedly meaning "our place". The mission sought to discourage all tribal ritual and culture, and replace it with Christian values and European customs. The Mission closed in 1908 and the few remaining residents were moved to Lake Tyers.

SALE is a city. It is the seat of the Shire of Wellington as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sale and the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. It has a population (2006) of around 13,336, and is expected to reach a population of 14,000 soon. Sale has seen much redevelopment and development in the past decade one example being the multi-million dollar redevelopment of the city's Port of Sale.

HISTORY Two famous Gippsland explorers, Paul Strzelecki and Angus McMillan,

passed through the immediate area around 1840. The first white settler was

Archibald McIntosh who arrived in 1844 and established his 'Flooding Creek'

property on the flood plain country which was duly inundated soon after his arrival.

In the 1840s, drovers heading south to Port Albert crossed Flooding Creek and were confronted with the difficult marsh country around the Thomson and Latrobe rivers. A punt operated across the Latrobe River until a toll bridge was erected. A Post Office named Flooding Creek opened here on 30 September 1848 being renamed, somewhat belatedly, as Sale on 1 January 1854. The first town plots went on sale in 1850. When the new settlement was gazette in 1851 it was named 'Sale' — a tribute to General Sir Robert Sale,

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a British army officer who won fame in the first Afghan war before being killed in battle in India in 1845.

The town greatly benefitted from the 1851 gold rush at Omeo as it was situated on the Port Albert to Omeo route and was an important base for the goldfields, until the arrival of the railways. It was also an important service centre for East Gippsland and the Monaro Plains of New South Wales. A building boom took place c. 1855–65.

In 1863 the population of Sale reached 1800 and it became a borough. The courthouse opened the following year. Shops, hotels and offices spilled over into Raymond Street and the first Anglican Church was erected on the site now occupied by St Anne's and Gippsland Grammar School. The Gippsland Times newspaper was established in 1861 while the first Star Hotel and the Criterion Hotel were built in 1865.

Cobb & Co. Stables in Sale (2008)

In terms of access, the first reasonable road from Melbourne arrived in 1865 and Cobb and Co established a rough-and-ready 24-hour coach service linking Melbourne and Sale. The Latrobe Wharf was built in the 1870s and two hotels emerged to exploit the new centre of activity. It was located near the present swing bridge although little is left.

Anthony Trollope visited Sale in 1872. Writing of the experience in Australia and New Zealand (1873) he spoke of the town's 'innumerable hotels' and concluded from his impressions that the Aborigines had little chance of surviving as a race. The children's author Mary Grant Bruce was born in the town in 1878.

A two-storey post office, with clock tower, was built in 1884 (it was demolished in 1963). HM Prison Sale was completed in 1887 and it operated for 110 years until it was replaced by a private Fulham Correctional Centre. The building has since been demolished, with only part of the large brick fencing still remaining.

Other landmarks in the town include Our Lady of Sion Convent and the Criterion Hotel. The former was designed by architects Reed, Smart and Tappin and built 1892-1901. Assembly halls and dormitory rear wing were added in 1938; the residential wing was added in 1953. The building is listed on the Register of the National Estate.[5] The Criterion Hotel was built in 1865. It originally had a two-storey timber verandah, but this was replaced by a cast iron verandah between 1880 and 1900. It is considered "one of the most impressive hostelries in Victoria" and is listed on the Register of the National Estate.[6]

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With the growth of shipping on the local waterways and the Gippsland Lakes (and the establishment of a railhead at Sale in 1879) schemes emerged to develop Sale as a port. The construction of the Sale Canal (complete with turning circle) duly commenced in the 1880s, thereby linking the town via the Thomson River and the Gippsland Lakes to the open sea. It was completed in 1890. Other elements were the Sale Swing Bridge, completed in 1883, a high wharf, and a launching ramp which still exists in the heart of the city. However, neither the bridge nor the canal created the desired surge of trade and the depression of the 1890s soon engulfed the town. Sale became a town in 1924 and a city in 1950.

In WW2, the West Sale RAAF base was the landing site of 2 Japanese Mitsubishi Zeros

Climate Sale has a temperate climate made up of warm summers, mild autumns and

springs and cool winters. Sale records 595.9 mm (23.4 in) of measurable precipitation per

year, making it drier than the nearby state capital, Melbourne. The wettest month is

November whilst the driest is July.

Oil and gas

In the town centre

After oil was discovered offshore in 1965 the town experienced a boom period when it became the service and residential base of the Esso-BHP oil and gas exploration and development program. The unprocessed oil and gas is pumped through 700 kilometres (430 mi) of undersea pipes to Longford, 19 kilometres (12 mi) south of Sale. There the hydrocarbons are removed and used to produce LPG and ethane. The gas is piped to Melbourne and the oil to Westernport Bay and thence to Geelong and Altona from where it is shipped interstate and overseas.

An oil and gas display centre in Sale outlines the formation, exploration and drilling processes. Esso's Longford gas plant was the site of a major explosion on 25 September 1998 which killed two employees and crippled the state's gas supplies for a period of two weeks. Previously, Sale was significant as an office centre for the Esso corporation but these operations were relocated around 1990, leaving only a gas processing facility in nearby Longford.

SPORTS Australian rules football, basketball and cricket are the most popular sports in Sale. The OA Ruff Sports Stadium hosts many other sports including basketball, Association rules football, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, indoor soccer, aerobics, group fitness and gym.

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The city has two Australian rules football teams, Sale, competing in the Gippsland Football League and Sale City, who compete in the North Gippsland Football League.

It is home to the Sale Sonics, a representative basketball team that competes in the Country Basketball League and is renowned for developing many elite Australian rules football and National Basketball League sporting stars including Jason Gram, Scott Pendlebury, Dylan McLaren and Rhys Carter.

Sale United Football Club (formerly Sale City Soccer Club) represents the City in the Gippsland Soccer League (GSL). Sale United FC was formed as the Sale City Soccer Club in 1974. It has remained in the Gippsland competition each year since the Club's first season and has had a number of promotions and relegations during the term. Sale United is the only recognised soccer club in the Shire, but this was always the case. Representative clubs from Yarram, Bundalaguah, and the RAAF East Sale base also competed in the GSL.

The city is the home to two field hockey clubs in the East Gippsland Hockey Association. The Sale Hockey Club fields teams in juniors mixed under 13's, under 15's and under 18's along with two women's teams, the Sale Cygnets and the Sale Swans, along with one open team. The under 18's and open teams were champions in the 2008 season. The Wurruk Greyhounds are the Sale district's second hockey team, located in the satellite town Wurruk.

Sale has a horse racing club, the Sale Turf Club, which schedules around 21 race meetings a year including the Sale Cup meeting in October.[8]

The Sale Greyhound Racing Club, operating since 1936, holds regular meetings

Golfers play at the course of the Sale Golf Club on Longford-Rosedale Road in neighboring Longford. Sale is also home to a baseball club who's baseball diamonds are located at Stephenson Park. There are both junior and senior teams competing in the Latrobe Valley Baseball Association.

Shopping Sale's main shopping precincts are Gippsland Centre and adjacent Raymond St

Mall.

Transport Sale is linked by rail to Melbourne and Bairnsdale by the Bairnsdale V/Line

rail service that stops at the local railway station. Until 1983 the station was situated in

the centre of town, on what is now the Gippsland Centre shopping centre.

The city is located at the junction of the Princes Highway and the northeastern end of the South Gippsland Highway.

FACILITIES Fulham Correctional Centre, a medium security prison, is in the locality of

Fulham to the west of Sale.

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A Sale attraction is Lake Guthridge, a low lying retention basin, which features a park for children, barbecues, and a walking trail around the lake and car parking facilities. Prior to refurbishment in the mid 1990s Lake Guthridge suffered a blue-green algae problem that resulted in widespread fish mortality until local joggers and nearby residents complained of the associated stench causing council to act. Lake Guthridge has never been used as a food source.

A significantly natural waterway of historical significance is the aforementioned Port of Sale (previously Sale Canal), the original inspiration for the early town's original name - Flooding Creek. The Canal connects to other local rivers and lakes, leading eventually to Lakes Entrance, an ocean side tourist resort situated near a managed, naturally occurring channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to Bass Strait. Once steam boats and ocean-going craft were able to journey from Lakes Entrance to Sale, arriving at the docks at Sale to ferry passengers and goods from Eastern Victoria, although its success in such a role was short lived.

In recent years, a grassroots effort helped to persuade the local council to invest in restoration of the foreshore and to protect against erosion. Prior to the rise of Common Carp as the predominant fish species due to nutrient overload from agricultural runoff, Sale Canal featured pristine waters and native fish stocks. The Sale Regatta is run yearly on a long straight section of the canal headed towards Longford. Visitors to Sale are usually unaware of the Canal, including its restoration, due to roadside views of it being blocked by the largely disused former Esso corporation headquarters.

Sale is home to the Gippsland Art Gallery, a major Victorian public gallery. The gallery presents a diverse exhibition program of contemporary, modern and historical exhibitions, with a focus on the landscape of South Eastern Australia. The gallery holds a collection of nearly 1,000 artworks, with a small selection on permanent view.

A fishing contest is held at Lake Guthridge every Easter and the Sale Music Festival at Gippsland Grammar School in June. The Sale Art Exhibition is held over August and September, while the Sale show falls in October.

As a tribute to the late King George V, an elm-lined section of the Princes Highway is named King George V Avenue.

On 30 May 2009, Sale hosted Triple J's One Night Stand at the Sale Football Ground. Sale also has a strong underground music scene; events are held every few months and attract scores of young people.

Sale Swing Bridge is the only one left in the world that can swing around 360o and featured

in the Australia film noir movie "The Tender Hook".

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Yarram is an Aboriginal word for ‗plenty of water‘. Wander around the many interesting old

buildings in town, including the old Court House, an architectural gem now serving as an

information centre.

The oldest settlements in Victoria, Alberton and Tarraville, are a short drive from Bairnsdale, as is Tarra Bulga National Park, a cool climate rainforest with scenic walks and picnic facilities.

Discover the well-kept secret that is Port Albert, Victoria‘s first established port and home to more than 40 Georgian and Victorian buildings. Ships from Europe and America carrying thousands of hopeful Chinese people on their way to the goldfields berthed here.

Follow the coastline to Wilsons Promontory National Park, located at the Australian mainland‘s southernmost point and famous for its flora and fauna, wild ocean beaches and mountain views. Set up camp or book into accommodation. Choose from the many walks, including the trail to Squeaky Beach with its pure white quartz sand or the walk up Mt Oberon for a great panoramic view. Set out on an overnight hike with all your gear and walk into one of the 11 campsites around the park, or hike the 20 kilometres along Telegraph Saddle to the light station, where you can stay in the original lighthouse keeper‘s cottage. As you move around the park look out for kangaroos, birds, echidnas, wombats and other wildlife.

YANAKIE pop about 270 Gateway to Wilsons Promontory National Park. Yanakie is a Koori word for ‗between waters‘. 6,500 years prior to the arrival of George Bass in 1798 the Koori people spent part of their year on the Yanakie Peninsula, formed when water levels dropped creating a series of Islands about 12,000 years ago.

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Foley Road Yanakie 3960

Tel: (61) 3 5687 1295 Email: yanakiecaravanpark2@bigpond.com

Yanakie Caravan Park is situated on the foreshore at Yanakie Beach. The large grounds and modern facilities are kept in tip top condition by your resident hosts, Tony and Mary. There is plenty of room to stroll and play in the open spaces of the caravan park. Children will enjoy the playground or exploring the safe beach.

Yanakie Caravan Park is right on the water's edge. Anglers, birdwatchers and those who enjoy a stroll on the beach will be enchanted by all that is on offer.

CAMPING FEES

Site Type Peak Season Off Peak Season

Powered Sites

$35.00 2-Person Rate Per Night Extra Adult $10.00 Per Night Extra Child $6.00 Per Night

$25.00 2-Person Rate Per Night Extra Adult $10.00 Per Night Extra Child $6.00 Per Night

Unpowered Tent Sites

$25.00 2-Person Rate Per Night Extra Adult $10.00 Per Night Extra Child $6.00 Per Night

$20.00 2-Person Rate Per Night Extra Adult $10.00 Per Night Extra Child $6.00 Per Night