Twofold Bay on my birthday!
Back in Spain, I listened to a remarkable podcast of Conversations with Richard Fidler where he interviewed Danielle Clode. It was a story about a pod of killer whales who worked with men to hunt Humpback Whales. Apparently orcas all specialise in a type of hunting, based on where they live and what they eat, and they teach their young and pass the techniques on. This particular pod, that hung out near the entrance of Twofold Bay in southern NSW developed a hankering for humpback whales tongues and lips. A hankering that might have been encouraged by the local Aboriginal population, who were some of the best hunters on the white men's whaling ships and had a relationship with the killer whales long before white fellas showed up.
I almost wet myself when I realised that our roadtrip could actually take us through Twofold Bay. What was even more exciting was that it would be on the day of my 32nd birthday. I think the excitement is basically written on my face in the photo below.
Eden is not far from Merimbula, so we had a slow start, a long coffee at Sprout cafe (5 stars!) and a beach trip to play with my birthday beachball before we went to see and learn more of the story at the Eden Killer Whale Museum which doesn't open until 11.15 on a Sunday. The museum shares a lot about whaling and the good ol' times when Old Tom and his pod worked together with human whalers, but also does a bit to remind us how much damage humans have done to worldwide whale populations. The museum continues downstairs with much more of Eden's history, besides fishing at whaling, Certainly worth a visit on anyone's itinerary.
The last stop of this amazing trip before heading home was relaxed Metung. Just a smidge closer to home than Lake's Entrance, we took it easy here. We had to take it easy as one of us is getting on in years. We had a lovely (birthday) dinner at the local bistro with a view over the lake and were treated to a remarkable sunset visible on our way home.
While we were tempted to get out on the water either in a kayak or on a local cruise, in the end we opted to cycle about, enjoying the sun with our feet on dry land. With all the driving, it was great to have a day to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and location of our remarkable AirBNB accommodation.
On our route home, we made an early stop at Bairnsdale which plays home to a little museum called Krowathunkooloong - The Keeping Place. Their exhibition allows visitors to learn about the ancient Gunai people of the Gippsland Lakes through stories, articles, weapons, arts and crafts. I recommend visiting if you are in the area, although it is often not recognised nearly as much as it should be, Australia's history is a lot older than just what happened after white settlement.
We punctuated the drive with a chilly visit to Golden Beach, just one spot along the amazing 90 Mile Beach stretch. But the wind was cold and the water uninviting so we quickfooted along to Moe for a break to sit and reflect on what an incredible year this has been. What we have done, what has happened, what we have learned and who we have met. An opportunity that cannot be beaten.
Back in Spain, I listened to a remarkable podcast of Conversations with Richard Fidler where he interviewed Danielle Clode. It was a story about a pod of killer whales who worked with men to hunt Humpback Whales. Apparently orcas all specialise in a type of hunting, based on where they live and what they eat, and they teach their young and pass the techniques on. This particular pod, that hung out near the entrance of Twofold Bay in southern NSW developed a hankering for humpback whales tongues and lips. A hankering that might have been encouraged by the local Aboriginal population, who were some of the best hunters on the white men's whaling ships and had a relationship with the killer whales long before white fellas showed up.
I almost wet myself when I realised that our roadtrip could actually take us through Twofold Bay. What was even more exciting was that it would be on the day of my 32nd birthday. I think the excitement is basically written on my face in the photo below.
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| Birthday boy at Twofold Bay |
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| Beach balls and wind are not friends |
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| Bushranger rating = getting there |
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| Old Tom - A killer whale who died of old age in 1930 |
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| A great poem on display at the Eden Killer Whale Museum |
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| Eden Killer Whale Museum |
The last stop of this amazing trip before heading home was relaxed Metung. Just a smidge closer to home than Lake's Entrance, we took it easy here. We had to take it easy as one of us is getting on in years. We had a lovely (birthday) dinner at the local bistro with a view over the lake and were treated to a remarkable sunset visible on our way home.
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| Birthday sunset from Metung - photo does not capture its vibrancy |
While we were tempted to get out on the water either in a kayak or on a local cruise, in the end we opted to cycle about, enjoying the sun with our feet on dry land. With all the driving, it was great to have a day to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and location of our remarkable AirBNB accommodation.
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| Ingrid's AirBNB view |
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| A beautiful last day of Spring |
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| Just one of the boats around Metung |
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| Pelicans everywhere |
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| Grumblepot |
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| Lifeguards |
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| We were treated to a second sunset to start Summer |
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| Sunset by the jetty |
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| Sunset by the jetty 2 |
We punctuated the drive with a chilly visit to Golden Beach, just one spot along the amazing 90 Mile Beach stretch. But the wind was cold and the water uninviting so we quickfooted along to Moe for a break to sit and reflect on what an incredible year this has been. What we have done, what has happened, what we have learned and who we have met. An opportunity that cannot be beaten.
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| World travellers come home |
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| Which way from Golden Beach? |
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| Australia |
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| Reflections - we're home! |
