TUESDAY 19 – WEDNESDAY 20 JULY     PORT FAIRY

The weather over the two days was cold and occasionally showery, which limited our activities.

I did the early morning dog walking and discovered a rail trail that followed the old railway line alignment, from just back across the Moyne River bridge,  towards  the north-east. Ideal for dog walking.

We drove around exploring the township. Spent some time wandering along the river front boat mooring area – interesting.

This part of the coast may have seen sailing vessels exploring rivers like the Moyne, seeking fresh water supplies, in the very early 1800’s. Port Fairy was named for one such vessel “The Fairy”, probably in the 1820’s.

Settlement in Port Fairy pre-dated that of Melbourne, starting as a base for seal and whale hunting. A whaling station was set up on Griffiths Island, just offshore. The Moyne provided a sheltered boat anchorage and general fishing became important. By the gold rush period of the 1850’s, Belfast as the town was known for a while,  was a significant fishing and trading port.

Given its age, and the availability of local  stone, there are some wonderful historic buildings in Port Fairy. As well as substantial public buildings and former inns, there are a number of quaint cottages close to the river.

I’d have liked to walk across onto Griffiths Island, once the site of the whaling station, but due to it also being a muttonbird breeding area, it was a no-go area for dog.

Much of today’s exploring was in Truck, just driving around the streets, because the weather was showery and cold.

Tuesday’s tea was chicken curry and rice, using a bottled curry sauce. Wednesday we bought fish and chips from a nearby shop. They were far too fatty, and also too expensive.