Warrnambool Accommodation Apollo Bay Accommodation Robe Accommodation Ocean Road Accommodation
Warrnambool Motels Grampians Accommodation Mt Gambier Accommodation Luxury Accommodation
Port Campbell Accommodation Port Fairy Accommodation Ballarat Accommodation Warrnambool Whale Watching



South West Victoria On Line
A travelogue of South West Victoria - independent and impartial travel advice for the Southwest of Victoria and the Southeast of South Australia featuring the towns of Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Port Campbell, Apollo Bay, Robe, Halls Gap, Lorne, Torquay, Robe and Mt Gambier

Weather Gods smile for Warrnambool May Races
Despite some heavy overnight rain and a few showers during the morning, the weather for the second day of the Warrnambool May Races has remained rain free for the afternoon, with even a few patches of sunshine throughout the day.

Attendances at this years meeting have been above average, thanks in part to the attendance of racing celebrity trainer Gai Waterhouse. Her visit has also attracted national press coverage, due to her recent controversial fall out with high-profile horse owner John Singleton.

Gai Waterhouse, was also the celebrity guest speaker at the Ladies day luncheon, and said she was very impressed with the racing and promised to return next year with a "few" horses.

This years event has also been free from protests regarding the banning of jumping races and although there is still ongoing actions by groups who wish to ban jumping races, this year has had very little adverse publicity

The May racing carnival injects millions of dollars into the local community with accommodation and hospitality being the main recipients, and the added benifit to the local ecomomy is that a vast proportion of this money stays in the local community and to the credit of the Warrnambool Racing Club, they have invested their share back into improving the facilities, which has been a factor in making this event as popular as it is.

(above - some of the crowd in the public and members grandstands)

Good Start To The Tuna Season
The Warrnambool Breakwater has been busy during the past month as the local Blue Fin Tuna season gets underway. The boat ramp at the Warrnambool Breakwater has been packed with huge trailers and big boys toys as their owners chase the excitement of landing fish which can be up to 150 kilograms in weight.

Some of the tuna landed over the weekend


Early Start to the Whale Season
The whale watching season seems to be off to an early start with the sighting of a humpback whale in Lady Bay on Sunday (31st March) and the first reported sighting of a Southern Right whale occurring in Portland last Tuesday (2nd April) and the whale watching centre in Victor Harbour(South Australia ) has also reported an early sightings of a Southern Right whale close to Boomer beach near Port Elliot.
Locally there hasn't been much to see at the Logan's beach whale lookout but that hasn't detered visitor from spending time at this popular lookout.


Photo above - Sunny conditions at the Logan's beach whale lookout over the weekend


Apollo Bay
The township of Apollo Bay is built around a single main street which runs parallel to the beach with shops and restaurants on one side and a grassed park on the opposite side and the beach just behind a row on sand dunes. Apollo Bay has a number of Motels, B&B’s and backpacker style accommodation but the main accommodation in the town is two and three bedroom holiday rentals houses. This has been the result of the buoyant economic conditions of the last 20 years and the overcrowding in places like Lorne and Torquay. Large numbers of Melbourne investors were enticed into building holiday homes in the less crowded town of Apollo Bay. This has created something of an investment boom in the town and also revived the rest of the accommodation industry in the region. It has also created something of a set of different circumstances for accommodation bookings. Because of the large number of absentee landlords and the task of servicing accommodation for a short stay being difficult, and it is not unusual to see 7 night minimum bookings for houses in and around Apollo Bay. For more information on Apollo Bay click here

Photo above- The main beach at Apollo Bay is protected by a breakwater / marina and provides safe swimming on the western end of the beach


Port Fairy
Port Fairy is one of the oldest towns in the region with its history dating back to 1835 and the first settlement of Victoria. It also has a personality of its own and possibly best described as a very Arts and Crafts feel. There are numerous antique stores around the town and the town holds a number of related functions during the year including book fairs, antique exhibitions with the most famous being the Port Fairy Folk Festival which is staged on the Labour day weekend in March each year. The main town shopping centre is located about 2 kilometres away from the beach and like many other towns in the region there is virtually accommodation “right on the beach” ( apart from a handful of tightly held private properties with very old titles)
The main beach (East Beach) is a wide strip of sand that runs almost to Warrnambool and one of Port Fairies main summertime attractions
For more information on Port Fairy click here

Photo above- The Moyne river provides safe mooring for a number of boat owners across the region as well as a small fleet of fishing boats. This is a popular picnic spot at virtually any time of year


Robe
Robe is often ( and appropriately) described as a historic seaside holiday village with a wonderful holiday feel to it, but its one drawback is is is just a bit far away from the major population centres. In recent times when the economy was a little more upbeat then everything in Robe was fine but recently Robe ( like everyone else) is feeling the pinch. Robe's history dates back to the establishment of South Australia itself, and with over 80 buildings listed on the state historic buildings register ( all carefully preserved) the town is a veritable treasure trove of fascinating places to explore.
Robe’s beaches are excellent and offer a variety of swimming and surfing conditions plus at present accommodation prices in Robe are quite competitive For more information on Robe click here

Photo above- Robe town beach which is located direct across the road from the Post Office and one of the more popular family beaches in the town


Grampians
For those who don’t care for seaside holidays, there are a number of holiday and accommodation options within the Grampians National Park. The wine regions around Moyston on the Eastern side of the Grampians are quite popular , along with historic gold mining towns of Ararat and Stawell. The good seasonal rains in the last 12 months have managed to resupply Lake Bellfield and after almost a decade, boating has now returned to the lake. The traditional accommodation centres of Halls Gap and Dunkeld are favoured destinations of those who enjoy the Aussie bush in the middle in summer.
Despite its inland location and summer temperatures, the Grampians is actually quite a popular summer holiday destination, so don’t expect any bargains as there is still enough visitor numbers to keep prices to levels similar to some of the coastal resorts, in addition the practice of demanding two and three night minimum stays over the holiday periods is widespread so a bit of pre planning is worthwhile if you intend to visit the Grampians. All this notwithstanding, the Grampians is still a very pleasant place to visit and has a similar appeal to places like the Lakes District in England where hiking and bush walking are the most popular pursuits. The Grampians is also filled with most of Australia’s native flora and fauna and popular with overseas visitors looking to see Australia’s wild life in one location. Not to mention the Grampians is one of better wine growing regions and so attracts many wine and food buffs..For more information on the Gramopians click here

Photo above- main street Halls Gap - to the left is the car park and on the right, is the Supermarket, Post Office and set back rom the road are the "Stoney Creek" group of souvenir and take away food shops

 

 


Getaways Whales Fish and Chips

if your 'e looking for a secluded rural getaway close to the Otway's rain forest then our latest property listing might be just what your 'e looking for.
To find out more about Kookaburra's Rest click the photo below kookaburras rest

The whales are on their way and although it will be about 6 to 8 weeks before they arrive in Warrnambool, we have already started to prepare for their arrival. The Whale page has been updated and we will keep the page updated with news and sightings as they come to hand

The South West coast is also famous for the quality of its fish and chips and there are dozens of restaurants and take away's that serve good fish and chips. We've listed six of our favourites fish and chip shops - Click the photo to see our choices


 

Port Campbell
This small village has a resident population of about 450, but attracts a huge number of visitors, due in no small part to its proximity to the coastal scenery at the 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. The town has one pub and a couple of restaurants and several takeaway food vendors who cater to the passing parade of tourists and quite a few accommodation options ranging from backpackers through to motels and self contained apartments. The township is situated at the edge of a small square bay with most of the townships businesses located along a 200 metre section of the main street. The accommodation properties are spread arcoss the whole township with some having views across the bay ( these are generally the most expensive ) and the rest basically priced accoring to the view and quality of accomodation. The main tourist attraction - 12 Apostles and Loch Ard etc. are located about 7 − 12 kilometres away, so it is worth keeping in mind, that despite the fact that every accommodation property has pictures of the 12 Apostles in their advertising brochures, you won’t see them from your room.
Port Campbell is quite small so just about everything is within walking distance and the beach at Port Campbell is quite sheltered and offers a safe swimming location
For more information on Port Campbell Click Here


Photo above- The small bay at Port Campbell taken during November - In the next few weeks the beach will be quite crowded as the number of visitors to Port Campbell increases.

 

 

 

In This Issue
Early Start to Whale Season
Local residentds are concerned that the closure of the towns main motel may have flow on effects . More.......
Warrnambool
The largest town in the South West but is it too big?. and has it lost its personal touch? - we look at these questions and
- More....
Port Campbell.
The best known destination but does Port Campbell live up to the hype? More.....
Apollo Bay
Bustling and busy and full of Melbourne visitors wanting to escape the rush of the city - can you have a quiet holiday in Apollo Bay? More.....
Summer Holidays
December to March is the busy holiday season along the South West Coast with many seaside towns increasing the population by as much as 600%.

 

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May Accommodation Specials


11 Smith Avenue - $200 per night (4 guests)
Phone bookings only - 0488 624 472
2 Bedroom Townhouse close to the centre of Warrnambool - 100 metres to rresaurants and shop.
For more information please visit their web site
Click Here


Sarah's Studio - $200 per night (4 guests)
Phone bookings only 0408 521 725

modern split level 3 bedroom townhouse located close the beach and Lake Pertobe adventure playground and within walking distance of the city
For more information please visit their web site
Click Here

351 Timor St -
Phone bookings only 0417 786 481

Fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher. Two showers, two toilets. Private courtyard with BBQ. Separate lounge and dining room. Towels and Linen supplied. Off street parking


Fun 4 Kids Festival - Warrnambool


30th June to 7th July 2013
X-Factor pop group, "The Collective" will headline this years Fun4Kids festival, along with dozens of other acts including perenial Fun4Kids favourites, "The Wiggles". This year is the 15th running of the festival and promises to be just as good, if not better than previous years. The Fun4Kids festivsal is held  in  a  sprawling  2.5  acre  indoor  village in the heart of the Warrnambool’s CB. It offers a feast of arts, hands on activities, interactive workshops  and the very best in family entertainment.
Accommodation Bookings and tickets are now on sale - you can check accommodation availability from properties listed on this page


Koroit Irish Festival

April 26- 28th 2013

Koroit comes alive when the Irish Festival comes to town with entertainment and activities for the wee people and the old. Join the friendly folk of Koroit for some traditional and not-so-traditional Irish games, music, dancing, a fabulous street parade and the now infamous “Danny Boy” competition
Headline acts include Shane Howard, Sandi Thom and acclaimed singer songwriter Maria Forde


Grampians Grape Escape

May 4th - 6th - 2013
The Grampians Grape Escape highlights Western Victoria’s finest food and wine artisans.
This year special guest will be
inspirational TV celebrity chef Poh Ling Yeow.
Cooking demonstrations, wine and food tasting plus live music and family fun
in the heart of the Grampians National Park.


Stawell Easter Gift


30th March - 1st April 2013
The Stawell Gift - Australia’s richest footrace and one of the worlds most prestigious events.
This year, world and olympic champion Asafa Powell will be compeing in the 132nd running of the gift.
The Stawell Gift is run on a grass track over 120m with a slight uphill gradient, and the final is held on Easter Monday.


 


Great Ocean Road
International Marathon Festival

18th - 19th May 2013
The Great Ocean Road Marathon & Festival of Distance running is held in a beautiful and unique area of Victoria, Australia on the Southern Ocean.
The event continues to attracted many athletes from around the world, all eager to participate in this challenging and pristine environment. Events include a full distance marathon, half marathon, 14km rum and 14km wheelchair event as well as a children's 1.5 km race


 

The History Page This week on our history page we feature the Warrnambool Post Office which dates back to 1857. Recent decisions by Australia Post to relocate have caused some local controversy - this week we look the Post Office and some of the other historical buildings in Timor St More...

 

IKR Consulting - Specialist consulting tailored to helping small businesses achieve their goals

www.ikrconsulting.com.au


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