VO Tour - The Lakes NP

 14th-16th January

The weather provided our only hiccup, with light rain falling in the hours before we were due to pack up but we soldiered on regardless. We changed the routine, allowing the children to have the morning off and Sue and I doing most of the work The kids still helped with the tent pack up but otherwise, they just played. During the pack up, I was labelled a mouse killer, when a marsupial mouse ran into the tent and would not come out. Despite my assurances that it would be okay, but re-located after our move, the children displayed great doubt.

Our drive to The Lakes NP was interrupted at Sale for a cup of tea in a park by the creek. Nice park but water was hard to come by for the billy. Like most suburban parks, the tap heads had been removed, owing to distrust of vandals.

The Lakes NP is located at the extreme eastern end of the long, narrow peninsula that makes up the ninety mile beach formation in the Gippsland Lakes area of Victoria. It commences at Loch Sport and continues to Sperm Whale Head, at Point Wilson. The area was originally part of a shallow lake but the water has gradually drained owing to a number of reasons. The salt water of Lake Victortia - the main lake in the park - is very shallow for the expanse of water that exists. This fact has led to the drying up of other shallow lakes in the area and even within the park

On the way into the camping area, we observed an echidna, by the side of the road. It was only young, but not at all shy.

There is only one camping area in the park and the facilities are basic for self-sujftcient campers i.e. pit toilet and water supplied. This suited us just fine, after being in caravan parks for the previous week.  The camping area is 30 seconds walk from beautiful sandy beaches on the southern shore of Lake Victoria and the shallowness of the water makes this a very safe water venue for children They can be 100 m off-shore and still be able to stand safely in water that is only just beginning to reach their upper body. Extensive weed beds detract somewhat from the enjoyment but the sajety element overcomes this negative factor.

The weather continued to be indifferent to us, with overcast conditions and occasional showers for the first two nights of our visit. However, the temperatures were mid twenties or better and the humidity high, so indulging in water submersion activities was easy to take.

By the way, the children's doubt at my ability to predict the life chances of marsupial mice was confirmed when the tent was opened. Instead of being re-located, we found Mr Mouse dislocated. It happens.

On our first full day, we took in Ninety Mile Beach and oriented ourselves to our environment. This included discovertng the best bakery Sue and I had ever found and naturally, we indulged.

In the afternoon, we travelled to Point Wllson and were immediately accosted by over zealous kangaroos. There are many warnings about feeding the roos and their behaviour indicated that many people obviously ignored the warnings. Sue had the senior male grab her by the shirt at the boot of the car, trying to get food from her. However, with persistent ignorance of their presence and intimidation, they turned away and went back to feeding on their normal diet.

We fished from the pier and came up with our usual tally of fish but again, enjoyed the expertence. There is something aesthetically pleasing about casting and watching the line, even if it never gives the tell-tale tugging of an interested fish.

During the evening, Sue and I watched a sugar glider frolic in the over head trees and listened to implied threats of a nearby possum.

The next day became increasingly clear and the birds frolicked about us with no fear. In particular, the noisy minors were most game and hopped under our chairs and over our feet in search of left overs.

Our morning activity was a guided walk on Ninety Mile Beach with Pam, a Ranger on staff at the park. We rambled with a group of 15 others and collected items from the beach in a 500m walk. The activity reached it's limax with us sitting in a circle and sharing what we had found. Pam explained what each of the items were and then showed us some other interesting items that could be found on the beach. Sam and Chris both came up with things that were described as "great finds" by Pam and Sarah continued to answer most of the questions posed to the group. Even we were impressed by our children's general knowledge. Who could have guessed they had been listening for all of these years!

In the aftemoon, we returned to the camp and enjoyed individual pursuits, including tapestry, reading and cricket on paper.

We finished the afternoon with a long, relaxed swim and showers (courtesy of the solar shower). A great day.

The most surprising thing about this place is the lack of people. For such a delightful spot, which is so safe for young kids, we found it hard to understand why there were not more people? Apparently, the lack of fish in these waters now - owing to trawlers that are very unpopular - and bad weather for the previous four years, have led to people deserting the place in great numbers. Bad luck for them, but good luck for us. For peace and quiet, this could not be matched on our trip.