Warrnambool

Exploring all that Warrnambool has to offer has convinced us to stay an extra (third) day. So many restaurants, cafes, accommodation places, playgrounds, shopping centres, beaches, sporting grounds,  - this town certainly looks after its residents, and we can see why families choose to live here.
In the middle of Warnie is Lady Bay, a beach with white sand and sheltered from the ocean by a man-made concrete breakwater. Just out of town is Hopkin's Falls, a wide step of natural rock blocks that create an unsual waterfall. Locals have told us that this waterfall completely disappeared beneath the floods earlier this year, as this river was the culmination of a huge water catchment area. Hard to imagine such a huge volume of water.
Just up the road is Port Fairy, yet another coastal town but somewhat different. Much older, if its buildings are any indication, and many of these buildings have been built backing onto the river's edge, providing a unique backyard outlook. Young surfers were enjoying their final days of school holidays by catching some huge waves on the point just outside the town. On the way back to Warnie, we call into Tower Hill Reserve - a natural basin of wetland and bush formed by an extinct volcano crater. Teeming with wildlife, including koala, emu, colourful bush birds and waterbirds, it was a serene haven of Australian flora and fauna.