Melbourne Trip part 1

 This covers our drive from Mallacoota to Sale.

We paused in Cann River to get fuel.  The Shell servo there had closed: presumably their recent bout of low prices was simply selling off exiting stock before they switched off the pumps.  No biggie, we just went to the United station up the road: still about 10c/l cheaper than Mallacoota.  

As we had plenty of time we swung into a Reserve at Nowa Nowa.  The Boggy Creek Walk was certainly boggy, but more of a swim than a walk.

On, on to Bruthen where we had heard good things about the bakery.  

Indeed it appeared to be good with a pie rating about 8.5 on the official scale.  The main issue - losing a point - was that the crust was a little underdone.

We called in to the very adequate Visitors Centre where a display of teapots caught my eye.

A memorial to an explorer.  He seems to have been an unpleasant person: I am surprised the memorial is still standing!

Although I am no longer seeking out war memorials for an "every town" project I will still photograph them when we meet them.  Here is the Bruthen example.

I will also photograph breweries when I meet them.  And usually make a purchase there, as I did in this case.  I am saving the product until we are back in Mallacoota. I have now tried the product and it is very good: the strongest (6.8% ABV) brew - Hells Gate Pale Ale - was excellent as was the Bark Sheds Wheat Beer (5.0%).  I also tested the Gold Rush mid-strength (3.6%) and it was very drinkable without being so  much of a health hazard.  I couldn't quite remember what I had purchased (it was a week ago)  and was a little surprised to find a bottle of Summer Kolsch (4.7%) lurking in the 6 pack.  A little lighter, and more bitter, than the Pale Ale but very drinkable.

We rumbled on down the road to Bairnsdale where a large church tower dominated the skyline.  The commercial area of the  town seemed to stretch forever down the road: rather like Nowra.

We had decided to do a bird walk at Bairnsdale with MacLeods Morass seeming to be the main attraction.  Signs at the Parking area indicated it was a game reserve and will thus be largely unavailable for a month while the duck shooters blast away.  Here is our walk.

There was no information about this model ship perched on a sluice on the first side branch..

A general view of the morass.  Hard to spot any ducks in there!

From a hide at the end of the second side-branch.  The hide wasn't needed.  

Some maintenance had been done on the Boardwalk but the reeds needed a good clean out- but how?

Finally a patch of open water - devoid of fowl.

Finally some ducks beside the side track on the way back.

A fair walk, but I doubt if we will be going back there.  Heading off towards Sale we went on a back road  to see what was there, ending up at Wattle Point - a pleasant outlook on Lake Victoria.  

On, on to Sale.  I was looking for signs to Longford, where we were staying with a friend (or at least to the South Gippsland Highway).  No such signs were available - an indicator of things to come!  So we went about 5km towards Melbourne before deciding to go and try again using the phone map app.  By this time it was dark which made life more difficult, but eventually we got there (probably losing 30 minutes due to the missing signs)!

A pleasant evening chatting with our friends.