Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Gippsland glee - part II

We woke on the second day of our Gippsland getaway to blue skies and sunshine.  We had a quick breakfast at the Venus Foodtrap (which proved better at word play than food and customer service), then hit the road to Walkerville. 

Walkerville North and South are two tiny neighbouring villages on the picturesque Waratah Bay, accessible only by gravel road. They had their heyday in the early 20th century when lime was mined from the cliffs, bagged and shipped to Melbourne for use in the construction industry. Remnants of the lime kilns remain. 



I don't know what this rock is called, but it looks like a piratey shoe.
 (That's Wilson's  Promontory in the background)

There's a tiny cemetery in the bush between Walkerville North and South. About 15 people were buried there. As I stood there in the sun, listening to the wind in the she-oaks, it struck me as a very peaceful final resting place, but also a lonely, melancholy one. 



There was an information display at Walkerville South which included excerpts of the diary of a man employed in the lime works. I found the entries for 25-27 December amusing (click to enlarge).

(Bonus reflection of Luke and me)

Next we headed to Cape Liptrap. 

On the way - Wilson's Prom in the background again



 Cape Liptrap's old, but still functioning, lighthouse




We stopped for lunch in Sandy Point.

 




And then to nearby Shallow Inlet where we nearly drove into the water. We were following a road that led off the car parking area, but we came to an abrupt halt when we saw that it led into the water. At first we thought it was a boat launching ramp, but when saw this sign a bit later...


No parking

...we realised the road and surrounding area were submerged at high tide. There was kitesurfer on the inlet and when he stood in the water it didn't reach his waist.

And then we hit the road for home, driving inland via Leongatha which was really pretty with lots of lush green hills and valleys dotted with cows.  

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