I’ve been on quite a few little adventures exploring different spots around town. We went out to Woody Lake and went for a short walk. Once you’ve walked away from your car it’s quite magical with leaves rustling on either side of the walk track and birds flying overhead. I’d like to go back there to go for a longer walk and paddle when the weather warms up a bit.
We went for a long ride along the foreshore one afternoon and stopped for icecream as a half way point before turning back with a new bit of energy. It got a bit dark and started to rain, but we made it back in one piece and it was such a lovely ride.
I went exploring at Pink Lake (or Spencer Lake) which is a salt lake that is not really pink anymore. The colour was caused by algae which has not been present for about ten years. It was still cool walking out on the muddy flats where I had to take my shoes off to squish my feet in the fine grey mud! In summer, it is much drier and you can walk much further out. There is a lake nearby that is very pink - Lake Hillier. It is located on Middle Island of the Recherche Archipelago and is best seen from the sky, so it’s definitely on my list to check out!
I have now been to every beach along Great Ocean Drive. On one nice Sunday, I walked from West Beach to Salmon Beach and back which was a good solid walk. It was sunny, but cool enough for a long walk. I enjoy watching the waves smash against the rocks from the car at a few different spots when the weather is cold and wet.
Another great spot along Great Ocean Drive is the Ten Mile Lagoon Windfarm. From here you have a fantastic view of the windmills in the grassy plain as they meet the turquoise waters. There is a nice place to sit and watch the turbines rotate or look out into the ocean.
There are these rock pools at 9 Mile Beach that I love walking along to see if I can spot any sea creatures. On one occasion, we spotted a whole lot of crabs scampering out from under a rock which could only mean they were being chased! On closer inspection, we found a large octopus trying to catch a crab lunch. We stayed probably an hour or so just watching him squeeze under rocks or zoom across the rock pool and it really made our day!
On the note of sea life, we went on the hunt to spot some whales. At this time of year whales will cruise up along the coast to warmer waters. We did spot one up at Observatory Lookout before it went back under the water and a cyclone decided to come through (not quite, but it was very wet and windy!) I would have liked to stay and watch for a bit longer so I’ll have to go out looking for whales again.
While I have ticked off quite a few places, there are still plenty more to go!
