South Gippsland

Maree, Nicki, Katrina, Ed, Wendy, Patsy, John, Gayle and Shane.

Day 1. Baldry’s Crossing to Cape Schanck. 16 kms

The first part of our walk went Path open sclerophyll forest with lots of tree ferns and grass trees; we continued through Greens Bush and then followed along the side of the hill down a gully toward the beach at Bushrangers Bay.

 Being Friday and low season, we encountered very few walkers we continued to Bushrangers Bay where we stopped at a camp site in Greens Bush for a break.

 Another lovely spot to stop for lunch is on beach at Bushrangers Bay. knees. The track then follows along the cliff top to Cape Schanck. Unfortunately, it was getting a little late, and the sore knee brigade had had enough, so we didn’t do the section out from the lighthouse, even though it looked interesting! Next time.

Locals at a lookout said they had been watching whales that day, there were no sign of any Peregian Falcons nesting on the Cape but lots of Echidnas. We saw little yellow Robins. The weather was perfect, no wind and the sea was a brilliant colour. We counted ourselves very lucky people.

Maree

Day 2 Maree’s Magical Mornington Tour – Point Nepean National Park 17 kms

A party of seven walkers met at 10am at the front entrance to Point Nepean National Park, on Bunurong Country. We had said farewell to Patsy and John yesterday, but today we welcomed Gayle to the group. It was a cool and crisp morning, with clear blue sky and bright sunshine.

Our adventure started with a short stroll from the car park to the historic Quarantine Station. We explored the many heritage buildings, including hospitals, disinfection complex, and administration block (AKA toilets). There was also time to enjoy refreshments from the coffee caravan and watch the gigantic ocean container ships pass by at impressive speed!

A few  facts about the Quarantine Station:
- It was established in 1852 to quarantine new arrivals to Victoria until 1979.
- The Australian Army used the site during World War II and had a continued presence until the late 1990s.
- In 1999, there were 400 Kosovar Refugees housed at the station.
- It became part of the National Park in 2009 and today it has almost 50 heritage-listed buildings.

We continued onward to Fort Nepean, taking care to avoid any encounters with unexploded artillery. We passed by the Discovery Tents, Observatory Point and Fort Pearce, stopping along the way to admire the views and (bravely) step inside military gun emplacements. Lunch was at Eagles Nest, the site of Australia’s largest disappearing gun. After refuelling, we descended the steep steps down to Fort Nepean, located at the very end of the peninsula.

Another interesting fact… Port Phillip was one of the most heavily defended harbours in Australia during both World Wars.

Our return was on foot via Cheviot Hill, which was worth the additional climb to enjoy the spectacular views of the coast and Moonah trees. Further down the trail, we paused to reflect at the Harold Holt Memorial, which commemorates the site where the former Prime Minister disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach on 17 December 1967. We then attempted a dash back to the coffee caravan for an afternoon tea break, but alas, it was closing… so we picked through our remaining rations before walking to the Medical Superintendent’s Quarters and finally back to the car park.

One last activity: London Bridge Lookout. A short drive took us to the dramatic rock arch, glowing in the late afternoon sun. A perfect end to the day!

With thanks to Maree for leading the walk, Wendy for emergency chocolate supplies, and Ed, group photographer and co-navigator (“in cahoots”).

Quick Stats
• Distance: 17km
• Duration: 6 hours
• Walkers: 7 (start to finish)
• Misadventures: 3 (all resolved without issues)

Katrina

Day 3 Sorrento- Portsea Artist Trails and Millionaires Walk 14 kms

Another sunny day greeted us on our third day of walking and exploring. We set off from Police Point in Point Nepean National Park, Portsea, to complete the Artist trail and Millionaires walk.
With the help of a guide book and a few locals, Maree was a wonderful leader guiding us on our trail.
The Artists trails interpretive panels of renowned artists align with the original views.
The Millionaires walk was a scenic clifftop walk past the million dollar homes between Sorrento and Portsea. We walked right along the back yards of luxury homes with private jetties and pools!
After a snack and drink at Sorrento, we met up with Wendy and Ed and walked back to Police Point.
It was a wonderful day.

Nikki