WEEKEND
DRIVE... Cape
Liptrap
WHY GO: dramatic Bass Strait coastline, little-travelled
backroads through scenic hamlets and farmlands.
DISTANCE FROM MELBOURNE: the most direct route is about 200km
one-way; the alternate scenic route adds approx 80km.
TIME: if travelling the scenic route, 3½ hours drive time
plus sightseeing stops. The shorter return route is 2½ hours to the city. Allow a full day for leisurely travel.
ROUTE: Princes/South Gippsland Hwy through Cranbourne, continue
on Bass Hwy towards Wonthaggi. From here turn right onto Cape
Paterson Road, and left at the end of the road to Inverloch. Venus
Bay Road leads through Tarwin Lower, turn left to Waratah and
the signposted Cape Liptrap Road – this is partly unsealed
so take it easy. On the return Walkerville South and Waratah North
are signposted, then head through Fish Creek to rejoin South Gippsland
Hwy at Meeniyan. Take a good map – you’ll need it.
ON THE WAY: the railway trestle bridge at Kilcunda is much photographed,
and carparks nearby allow access to a wild surf beach. Wonthaggi
is home to the old state black coal mine. The Bunurong Coastal
Drive is worth the detour - make a point of stopping at sheltered
bays along the way. A major dinosaur fossil site was discovered
near Inverloch by geologist W H Ferguson in the early 1900s; however,
Inverloch has been discovered by the café latte set so
now there are some good places for morning tea – make a
point of it. Tarwin Lower has a general store and petrol, plus
what’s reputed to be the world’s longest picnic table.
WHAT TO DO: the coastal drive to Inverloch is touted as Gippsland’s
version of the Great Ocean Road; it’s not as good, but the
rugged coast has its own scenic appeal without long hours of driving.
If you haven’t packed a picnic, Inverloch is the place to
do it. The next three hours have few opportunities for a cuppa,
but the scenery makes up for this. Nearby Tarwin River is home
to the legend of Wiberg’s gold: does a fortune in stolen
sovereigns await a lucky finder?
Cape Liptrap is marked by a ten metre high concrete lighthouse,
built in 1951 to replace the steel one placed there in 1913 to
improve the safety of coastal shipping. This is a wild part of
the Bass Strait coast with fantastic views towards Wilson’s
Promontory; even in stormy weather it’s worth the trip just
to see how wild the Strait gets.
This corner of the world seems overlooked by tourism, but not
by the property boom – some houses in Walkerville sell for
prices nearing a million dollars. A tiny hamlet with no shops
has a tiny beach at one end and a rocky shore at the other, but
the views over Waratah Bay to Wilson’s Prom are mesmerising
when the grey storm clouds lift. Remains of lime kilns hark back
to 1875; shell middens, stone flints and charcoal hint at a far
longer occupation by the Gunai/Kurnai and Booerwrung people.
Cape Liptrap Coastal Park has walking tracks through heath of
many varieties, sugar glider possums, emu wrens, oyster catchers
and rosellas. The return journey through green rolling hills to
Fish Creek provides glimpses of Wilson’s Prom and Bass Strait.
EATING AND DRINKING: All the main towns along the way have cafés,
hotels and general stores with food available on weekends. Kildinda
pub has a good restaurant attached to it. Otherwise, Inverloch
has bakeries and shops for picnic supplies; besides take-aways
at Tarwin Lower there’s not much until Fish Creek, hours
away.
©Peter Robinson 2007ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
see my images at www.australianplaces.net
For the past
25 years Peter Robinson has travelled far and wide but Australia,
being home, is his first love. As an experienced travel writer
and professional photographer, his wealth of knowledge is revealed
in travel and accommodation reviews that have freelance integrity
and honesty. The main focus of this site is to present brief reviews
of a select group of places to stay for the weekend. Each place
has been visited at least once and evaluated for high standards
before inclusion - and after reviewing over 600 places Peter has
done the hard work so you can enjoy Great
Weekends Away.
