On 27th, August 2010, I stayed over at Lake Bolac again, this time on the foreshore. It was very nice to see the lake getting back to its former glory, with now around 1 metre of water covering its 3600+ area. The main foreshore, just near the caravan park is a pretty good spot to prop, very quite with little to no road noise, you will have the odd local drive through, but they won’t cause you any problems.

As with most country reserves and parks, once patronage declines so does maintennance work, it seems to be a common trend in the country regions. The camping area past the caravan park is not in real top shape, and is really only suited for tents as it is anyway. I didn’t get to check the South Beach camp area, but I may take a quick look at this when I head that way next.

The ranger (Reg) is a top bloke and more than happy to help out and assist with local information. Also I have to thank Reg, and the local supermarket owner for helping me out with a situation I got myself into, neither knew me from a bar of soap, and were more then happy to assist me – thanks guys!

The supermarket’s prices at Lake Bolac, for a small country town, is very reasonable, so definately support them if you are driving through, even if its just something small for lunch!

So with some more rains on the way, it shouldn’t be long before the lake is again at capacity, it is suitable for boating if you launch from the main beach area, although I wouldn’t be putting any yachts in with a draught anywhere near the 1 metre mark (including keel), as you will most likely find yourself picking mud in the rice fields

So it was planned that Simon (VK3XEM) and myself were to head out into the wilds for the weekend and participate in the VK Shires amatuer radio field day contest. After a last minute rush on required equipment on both sides of the fence we finally declared we had what was needed for the weekend, at least radio wise anyway!

I set off from Geelong, and stopped over in Trawalla, just outside of Ballarat to await Simon’s arrival, several hours had passed and still no arrival. A quick phone call later revealed Simon was stuck in roadworks on the Western Ring road, and had being for sometime prior to my call. Back to sleep for me…

Simon eventually made it down, and we then headed for our choosen location, with a stop-over in Beaufort to grab some supplies of the food variety. We then headed bush for Ben Nevis, I had only being to Ben Nevis once before (in Summer) and as it was now dark, things were quite different. To cut a long story short, we had a fair bit of drama finding the right track(s), only to eventually end up on the wrong track anyway, which resulted in Simon getting bogged in his car, and me giving him heaps over the radio for his slack driving capabilities, only seconds later I to was also bogged in the bus – complete with a fully loaded trailer.

After getting out of this mess, Simon pulled rank – as what I’m not sure, but he pulled rank anyway and we headed back into Ararat, with the plan of going to the Roadhouse and getting something to eat, since we were both pretty hungry and cold by this stage.

On the way to the roadhouse Simon spotted Greenhill Lake Reserve (see other post re this), and we left the bus and trailer at the roadhouse and did a recon of the reserve, which ended up to be our operating location. The viewing tower made a great position to string my long-wire and Simon’s broad-band dipole from. Although my long-wire, at 60 metres long, or near on 200 foot in the old scale, was errected sloping downwards, and away from the lake. So any of the ‘so-called’ takeoff effect was going to be minimal. In hindsight we would have being better setting up on the edge of the carpark and running the antennas up onto the tower, rather than off the tower as it was.

Was it cold?
Bloody oath, cold enough to knock the nuts off an eskimo!
So we spent several of the night hours wrapped up in blankets and multiple jumpers and daks just to stop from becoming uncomfortably numb. All in all, despite our trials and dramas with our original location we still had a good weekend and both made some good contacts.
By the way, I thrashed the full-call

I think if we participate in another winter or winter’ish field day we will more carefully select our location, I wouldn’t work from Greenhill Lake again, its not a real good spot radio wise. And I don’t think even in Summer months we would have got the bus and trailer up to the top of Ben Nevis anyway, its pretty tough going.

The Spring VHF/UHF field days are not far around the corner, in November, so maybe I can rope Simon into venturing out for that one. Although I think we may have to do some scouting for a better location of which to operate from, as height is king with VHF/UHF, we need to find an accomodating anthill.

I’ve spent the last month or so at Greenhill Lake, when I first arrived the water level of the lake was very low, that has now changed, with the level increasing by around one metre in depth. All islands in the lake are now surrounded by water, it certainly looks a lot better.

Greenhill Lake Reserve is located 4 Kilometres to the East of Ararat City, currently camping fee’s are $5.00 per night, per site. Located near the main carpark is a large amenities block, which has toilets and free hot showers.

There are also power outlets in the toilet blocks, although there is some differences of opinion as to the use of these. Basically the fair bet would be don’t use or view them as a permanant source of power, if you need to use them for grooming, and maybe even topping up your batteries or giving the freezer and extra jolt this shouldn’t be a big issue, although as I said – there is differing views on how and for what they can be used for. So just use your head and don’t do anything silly like running extension leads everywhere.

At time of writing, the swans had recently hatched several numbers of Cygnets, due to the increase of water level they are now mostly found at the Eastern end of the lake where the water is shallower. The variety of wildlife is growing, lots of varied species of bird life, along with various species of ducks. Fishing may not be so good right now, as in recent years the drought seen the lake completely dry, which ultimately depleted any fish stocks in the lake – With the new rains and increased inflow from creeks this may see fish coming downstream into the lake, along with the ever present eels.

In the winter months, the tracks around the lake are pretty average to say the least, they are very rough, especially to the east of the main amenities block, hopefully this will be fixed in due course.

Aside from the above the lake is very well located, only 4 minutes drive from Ararat, and only few minutes from the Caltex Roadhouse, which by the way has the cheapest fuel in Ararat – so fill up there!

The roadhouse also has high-flow diesel pumps for larger users such as busses and trucks, along with petrol and LPG. There is a 24 hour restaurant as well, and they make a pretty good burger with the lot! EFTPOS and ATM facilities are also available.

The aerodrome is also only minutes away, and can cater for light planes, and has a strongly supported Gliding club as well.

Back to the lake…

There is a rather high viewing tower, which is located at the main carpark, and this gives you good views across the whole of the reserve, along with the surrounding areas. There are two boat ramps, one located at the main carpark also, and the other at the far eastern end, the carpark ramp is the most popular.

Wind is a bit of a problem here, when its coming off the lake (Northerly) it can be rather strong, and the Southern winds can be even stronger, be careful of pulling up beside trees, as during high winds branches are very prone to snapping off, and some trees even falling over completely due to the half-hearted way in which they were planted originally (very shallow).

All in all, the reserve is not a bad place to stay over, you do get good value for money, especially considering the free hot showers, and the park Ranger (Max) is a really nice bloke and always ready for a chat.

Shell middens along the coast have provided evidence of the ancient presence, the diverse diet and the lifestyle of the Kirrae-Wurong people.

The coast became famous for its shipwrecks. In the period from the 1840s until the 1920s there were over 80 shipwrecks on the coast between Cape Otway and Port Fairy. Nearly all of these were due to the ferocious conditions which can affect this section of coastline which is vulnerable to the Roaring Forties and the bitter winds which blow up from the Antarctic. None was more dramatic, nor more romantic, than the wreck of the Loch Ard at what is now Loch Ard Gorge in 1878.

For those interested in Port Campbell’s past history, there is a small historic
cemetary on the Warrnambool approach to the town, with many of the areas forfathers, and mothers, buried there.

Port Campbell is heavily geared for the tourist trade, with numerous shops. Cafés, surf shops, souvenir shops, supermarket/post office, along with a large number of accommodation venues from backpacker style, caravan park through to self-contained apartments, and for the families there is even holiday houses available for rental.

There are also helicopter flights which take you along the coastline. With the rate I seen them flying past I think I should have become a helicopter pilot, as they would have been making a decent dollar each day, a local told me they cost around $100 per person for a flight, based on that they would have been making in excess of $5000 a day while I was there, not bad eh?

I parked at the main (and only) beach, just near the surf life saving club just before the disabled parking, I parallel parked. Whilst I had no problems with doing this, I wouldn’t suggest it during school holidays or the summer season where parking is at a premium. Not only would you attract some upset potential parkers, you would more then likely attract the attention of the local police and be told to move on. Having said this, during my stay in Port Campbell I had no such problems, although keep in mind I was staying during what is termed as the (very) ‘off-peak’ season.

The only café/eatery that I visited whilst in Port Campbell was the 12 Apostles café/bar. They appeared to have a good selection available on their menu, and prices ranged from around $10.00 through to $30.00 for main dinner meals. Menus were available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Unfortunately when I visited the 12 Apostles, it was between their ‘allotted’ times for breakfast and lunch, which meant I wasn’t even able to get something as simple as a salad wrap! I settled for a coffee and a few pots of draught instead.

Honestly for a town that depends heavily on the tourist trade, I thought it was pretty rough that you couldn’t get anything to eat (at the 12 Apostles) simply because I came in at a time which wasn’t in their designated times for making food! I guess the other eateries wouldn’t be complaining about this, as I witnessed quite a of people walking away and going to other establishments.

One aspect travelers will love no doubt is the ability to use the showers at the caravan park (next to the surf life saving club). For the small fee of $4.00 people who are not staying at the caravan park can utilize the shower facilities there.

All up Port Campbell was a nice little spot to stopover in. As with all towns that rely heavily on tourism prices can be higher then in larger towns that don’t rely on tourism for its economy. Petrol was rather expensive during my stay, at $1.39 per litre.

The beach was very nice, with a nice sandy bottom and a very gentle decline, which makes it great for kids. Also making it perfect for letting the kids to learn snorkeling. There’s also plenty to see and explore. If you are down this way its well worth checking out the ‘Otway Fly’ at Beachforrest.

For the photographer, this is a paradise, and it would be very easy to spend up to a month in the area photographing all the various aspects the coastline has to offer.

If you are wishing to explore the Great Ocean Road extensively, Port Campbell is probably the best place to stop at the Western end of the road, even though the Great Ocean Road runs right through to Warrnambool, after you leave Peterborough (which neighbours Port Campbell) you start to head inland. The other logical place for extended an stopover would be either Apollo Bay or Lorne, bear in mind Lorne can be on the expensive side, and accomodation is at a premium there.

Nice little coastal town. Plenty of spots to stop and camp overnight for those with self-contained motor homes.

Near the river there are toilets and showers (although not sure if there is hot water). There is also a BBQ area, and the BBQ’s are free, just push the button!

Can get pretty windy at times, and the wind is pretty constant throughout the day/night.

There are two general stores, one combining a PO. Both of these seemed to be very friendly people during my visit. Beware, they do close early, as expected in a small town. This may be different during tourist season.

The pub has full facilities and seems to be a nice place for a meal, not that I did so. I arrived late into the town due to a road closure as a result of some industrial incident at a factory, and I did buy some long life milk from the pub, although she did this under sufferance and probably only because I also purchased a couple of cans of bourbon and coke. I wouldn’t say she was the most hospitable person I’ve struck on the road to date. From locals I talked to very few locals frequent the pub, preferring to go to the nearby ‘Boggy Creek’ pub in Curdievale. Sad really, as it looked a nice little pub and very well designed and laid out.

Other then this, Peterborough was a nice little place, particularly if you’re looking for a quite place to kick back and relax. The river also offers excellent fishing opportunites, I caught several Salmon within the space of thirty minutes.

Lake Bolac was a one-night stopover on the way to my parents place in South West Western Victoria.

There’s not a real lot to be had in the way of sightseeing in Lake Bolac, especially now that the lake is almost bone dry, the lake was virtually the towns highlight with many water sporting events being held on it throughout the year.

The people at the caravan park were top people and very welcoming and helpful. The main shop (opposite the pub) had a good range of items, and the young lady who served me on the day I arrived was quite helpful with a nice personality.

I stayed at the caravan park beside the lake, so here goes…

Good Points:
• Helpful and pleasant hosts.
• Nice layout of park, plenty of shade and green grass.
• Full laundry facilities, washing machines and driers.
• Large amenities block.
• Small BBQ area.

Bad Points:
• Shower heads have water restrictors fitted, resulting in a limited width spray pattern. Other then this the showers have good pressure and good hot water supply. To be fair here, almost all caravan parks these days have these fitted as water restrictions are in force throughout the country.
• Mosquitoes – Due to the lake been dry, bar some moisture a few inches under the surface the mozzies are pretty deadly and very persistent. Definately bring some Aeroguard!

If the lake had water and was back to its former self, then I would have given Lake Bolac an overall rating of 10. I stayed in Lake Bolac for a weekend some years back on two occassions, when the lake was at its capacity, and it was a very pretty area and was well worth stopping at for a weekend or more.

Hopefully we will see some decent rainfalls and the lake will return to its former pristine self, rather then the mozzie swamp it is today. Its a bit of a shame really that the local shire can’t put in some effort and maybe clean up the bottom of the lake and deepen it a bit whilst its in the dry it presently is. Although I guess there wouldn’t be a huge economical benefit to do so.

Despite the lake been dry, a drive around the lake can still be a worthwhile experience. Especially if you are a photographer or nature lover, still plenty to see – you just have look a bit harder.