After leaving behind the diverse range of attractions on Phillip Island (You can read my Phillip Island Part One here) and waving goodbye to the sleepy Koalas at the Koala Conservation Centre, I set out on my solo road trip part of my #melbournetouring trip towards Venus Bay.
Passing over the bridge back onto the mainland from Phillip Island I felt like I needed a little more time, I’d packed so much into just over a day and there seems to be much more to discover there. I was also excited about the unknown and driving off down the Bass Highway on my own. There’s something about a solo road trip that gives you a real sense of freedom, for me it brought back memories from traveling around the world solo.
Road Tripping Victoria
When you travel to faraway lands on your own you get a sense of freedom that you just don’t get by traveling with a someone else. Although in some situations people find it strange that you’re dining or propping up a bar alone, it really is a great chance to relax and be alone with your own thoughts.
Heading out down the Bass highway gave me that sense of freedom, driving through quaint quiet towns and down long stretches of road without a traffic jam in sight. It’s not the kind of driving I’m used to back in the UK.
Venus Bay Beach No 1
After driving for some time with some beautiful coastal views out to my right hand side I finally got the chance to get some sand between my toes as I arrived at the very generically named Venus Bay Beach No 1. The wind-swept beach is surrounded by sand dunes and views down the coastline stretch as far as the eye can see. I sat on the beach taking a break from the driving and people watching as families and groups of friends explored the beach.
Beach No 1 is pretty much an unspoilt rugged beach with decent sized waves and a nice spot to spend the day with a picnic. In the summer the beach is patrolled by surf lifesavers but there are some strong currents and rips along this coastline so surfers and swimmers need to be careful.
Walkerville South Lime Kilns & Cape Liptrap Lighthouse
Just a brief uphill walk from the beach at Walkerville you’ll find the remains of brickwork stemming from the cliffs below. It’s the first sign of the remains of the Walkerville lime Kilns where as many as eighty men worked in the 1890’s mining limestone. The Kilns were closed down in 1926 as demand waned but there used to be a jetty stretching out 350 metres into the bay for ships transporting quicklime.
Due to extreme weather in the weeks before the walking path was closed, I was left to stare out over the cliffs to imagine what this once bustling industrial spot was once like.
I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get the chance to explore the remains of Walkerville South Lime Kilns, after reading all about them and their history the brickwork remains on the cliff face gave a glimpse of what to expect. The limestone cliffs and the remains of the Kilns are likely to become ever more eroded over the years as the coastline is battered by bad stormy weather.
Wanting to explore the area I decided to take the turning off to see Cape Liptrap Lighthouse, I drove down a rough gravel road that turned out to take much longer than I expected out to Cape Liptrap Lighthouse. The lighthouse sits on top of a rocky clifftop on the South Gippsland coastline and warns ships of the dangerous rocks in the Bass Strait. There has been a lighthouse situated here since 1913 but the current one was built back in 1951 neither of these have ever been home to a lighthouse keeper.
It’s a peaceful but solitary place on top of the cliff face and around the lighthouse there are beautiful views out across the coast where the calm sea stretches out onto the horizon.
After admiring the views from Cape Liptrap Light I got back in the car to head for my overnight stay at Venus Bay Eco Retreat, you can read more about my experience there in my next post.
In contrast to Phillip Island the drive out to Venus Bay was peaceful with quiet roads and beautiful countryside. It was a chance to get away from it all and unwind a little and adapt to a slightly slower pace of life than that of Melbourne.
This post was brought to you as part of the #TourMelbourne blog trip, created and managed byiambassador and in partnership with Tourism Victoria, Royal Brunei Airlines and 4BGB. TravMonkey.com maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site.
