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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
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Robe
4th May 2009 - Of all the towns and cities along the
South West coast the township of Robe holds one important
distinction - It faces North, (see map below) and
although it does not alter the climate is helps shelter
the town from the prevailing cold southerly winter winds
and makes Robe one of the most pleasant coastal towns to
visit during winter.
In fact it also makes Robe a very pleasant spot to visit
all year round and this unique feature has been attracting
visitors for over 150 years. As far back as the 1850's the
posh folks of South Australia have been holidaying in Robe
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Photo
Index
Top Photo - Long Beach - a 17 km strip of white sand
with 4WD access and a popular surf fishing spot
Upper photo - Town beach (Main beach) is in the centre
of Robe and about 50 metres from the Post Office
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Robe's other attraction is (its history and its current preservation
) is related to the towns misfortune - The township of Robe
was established in the 1850's and grew very quickly to become
one of South Australia's busiest ports. Robe supplied horses
for the Indian Army and wool, tallow and sheepskins for Europe.
During the ten years from 1856 more than $2 million of wool
was shipped from Robe.
However when Robe failed to secure a rail link to Adelaide
in the 1880's the township virtually stopped growing and today
we are left with picturesque fishing village frozen in time
and with its history still intact
Robe has over 80 heritage listed building, most of which
are easily seen on foot, including the Customs House in the
centre of town which is now a museum and also Karratta House
which was built in 1858 and used by South Australian Governor,
Sir James Ferguson as a summer retreat - both of these buildings
are now open to the public
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Although the port at Robe closed to commercial
shipping in the 1870's there is still a thriving fishing and
pleasure fleet operating from the harbour, which is located
in the centre of the town. Even during winter, it is still
very busy with boats coming in and out of the harbour.
It is also a popular tourist spot as most people can't resist
the universal attraction of the sea and ships - While on the
topic of sea and ships - while you are visiting Robe you must
try the local fish and chips - direct from the southern ocean
Robe is renown for the quality of it seafood
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The one universal comment made by visitors to Robe is how
clean and tidy the town is and even though there are quite
a lot of old buildings in the town they all seem to be well
preserved and help give you the impression you have stepped
back 100 years in time.
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Robes other attraction
are the local wineries in particular the Mt Benson region which
is gaining recognition as one of the states quality wine regions,
the red south Australian soils combined with the temperate climate
produces some excellent red and white wines. Located close to
the Coonawarra, Wrattonbully and Padthaway wine regions there
are about 20 vineyards in the area with several operating cellar
door sales.
For information on Robe Accommodation Click
Here |
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Fun 4 Kids Festival
- 8 days of " In Tents" fun
Australia's largest
Children's festival
is now underway and the city is bustling with mums and dads
and their children. The botom end of Liebig st (Warrnambool's
main street) is literally humming with the sound eminating
from the huge tent city.
The Fun4Kids Festival will run
until the 5th of July and organisers are expect somewhere
between 30,000 and 35,000
visitors to attend the festival over the eight days. Attendances
this year have been good but there are still tickets available
so anyone who would like to attend this years festival should
think about rounding up the kids, getting in the car and coming
to Warrnambool for a day of high quality childrens entertainment.
For those who would like to spend a day or two in Warrnambool,
there is also a good range of accommodation available and
many of the cities motels and accommodation houses still have
some vacancies. For more information on the Fun 4 Kids festival
please Click
here
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This photo taken earlier this morning as
everyone prepares for the onrush of several thousand kids
and their parents
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The Festival is a not-for- profit
event assisted by local sponsors, an army of volunteers and
the generous support of the Warrnambool community and is staged
in a .
2.5 acre purpose-built, indoor village located in the centre
of the city, close to accommodation, restaurants and entertainment
venues. This years festival will be held during the first week
of winter school holidays (28th June to 5th July)
For more information on the Fun 4 Kids
Festival Click Here |
Beggars can be Choosers
"What do you expect for
the money" is a common attitude among many owners
of accommodation properties in the budget end of the motel
market, but there are also quite a few motels who have clean
and comfortable rooms, affordable tariffs, good facilities
and do give courteous service.
So this week we have gone in search of the best value motels
across the region and we have picked the top six who we believe
represent the best value in the $75 to $80 a night tariff
range More....
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The
Whales are Coming
Despite an early sighting on
the 15th of May, the last few weeks have proved to be
quite uneventful with no further sightings since. The
first sighting from Logans beach lookout was of an adult Southern
Right whale which was heading in a westerly direction and
was most likely that the whale was migrating to breeding grounds
elsewhere. At this stage in the whale season there is bound
to be a number of sightings as the whales migrate to their
chosen breeding areas and it will probably be a few weeks
before we see any permanent residents in the bay. From now
on we will be updating the whale page on a daily basis, so
if you would like to keep in touch with what is happening
in Warrnambool then check our whale page frequently
More....
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Warrnambool Information
Page
If you are planning to come to Warrnambool to see the whales
this season or just a quiet winter getaway in Warrnambool
then this page contains some basic information on planning
your winter escape to Warrnambool
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Warrnambool
Fun 4 Kids Festival
28th June - 5th July
Tickets on sale now -
for more informatiion Click
here
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Fletcher
Jones Story
David Fletcher Jones left school before his 13th birthday
and worked in a small market garden before enlisting in the
army and serving in France during WW1. A shell burst just metres
away, left him severely |
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was told by army doctors that he would never work again. In
spite of his injuries, a scant education and a profound stammer,
went on to become the worlds largest clothing manufacturer.
Now some 40 years after his passing, the Warrnambool manufacturing
facility has gone and factory he built has been sold to a developer
- To find out more about this inspirational man then click the
photo or the link above |
Interesting &
out of the way places to visit
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Local
Pub Guide
The local country pub has been the
heart and soul of Australian rural communities for nearly
two centuries, but now they are closing in unprecedented
numbers. If you would like to know more about the Pubs of
the Western district and some of the history
then visit our Pub guide .
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Restaurant
Guide
Eating
in unknown restaurants is one of life's little adventures
but an adventure most people would like to avoid. So if
you are looking for the best places to throw on the nose
bag then you should take a quick look at our
restaurant guide
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Now
and Then
A nostalgic
look back on some of the regions fine old buildings and
how they have survived the transition into the 21st century
- this week we take a look at at some of the century old
buildings in Kepler and Timor streets in Warrnambool
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