On the way back from Robe, we stopped to go for a walk at Port Fairy, Victoria's most liveable town. It's the perfect town to retire to, if you had the money. Right by the sea, lots of walking tracks, a good community - what a dream.

On this stopover, we chose to walk to the lighthouse, doing the three kilometre walk around Griffiths Island, which is also a nesting place for shearwaters. At the beginning, there is a sculpture in their honour. Puffinus tenuirostris is commonly known as a mutton bird - early settlers used to eat their flesh and use their oil.

The Shearwaters are a spectacular example of the natural life cycle that Port Fairy is lucky to share with the wider community. Their arrival is a really fascinating – they generally return to the breeding area on the same day each year usually September 22nd (however they can arrive anytime between 19th to 25th) and they occupy the same nest as the previous year, with the same breeding partner. The birds nest in burrows in the sand, incubating their eggs through to hatching in January. By April the adult birds set off on their annual 15,000 kilometre migration, leaving the chicks behind. Eventually hunger will force the chicks to follow their parents on the two-month voyage, which passes Japan and skirts the coast of North America.

We didn't stay to dusk, where it's common to watch the shearwaters come into their burrows, but we did see a burrow, which was kinda cool if you dig wildlife.

The beginning of the walk goes along the marina which ends at sea (of course) and a surfbreak. There were lots of people enjoying walking, fishing and eating fish and chips. Very seaside!

I did like the big carved walrus near the toilets and playground. Even better were the actual life black swans. In a world where wild life is shoved out and half extinct, any living creature is pretty cool.

Had to note that guys like this were the original assholes dispossessing the First Nations from their land - no mention of them, however.

There were some wallabies checking us out. They seemed quite used to the walkers and joggers running around the island. In fact, one jumped across the path, and of course I said: 'OOOOH, Hive people will love this!'.

It does look picture postcard perfect, but it WAS pretty cold. Can you see the lighthouse in the distance? Everyone loves a lighthouse. Why, I'm not sure.

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We did stop for a while in a little private, quiet cove. It was so sheltered and full of shells. We were so tired from no sleep the day before, and I wanted to stretch my back. I was so comfortable I didn't reallly want to move, but after fifteen minutes of half sleeping, Jamie made us get up for the hour and a half left before we were home. Damn.

With Love,

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