Australia travel advice: 5 days down under
A trek to find a duck-billed platypuswas the undoubted highlight of my whirlwind Australian adventure. When English naturalists first received specimens of this strange creature, with the body of an otter and the beak of a duck, they suspected some Australian taxidermist was having a little joke at their expense.
Butour guide, Bruce (what else?), told us the platypus was definitely no joke and to keep a very careful lookout as we glided almost noiselessly across the surface of the lake. 'It's venomous,' he told us. 'It produces a poison that can kill a dog.' Crikey, I thought: sweet but deadly (the platypus, that is, not Bruce - he was lovely).
My great Australian platypus hunt began near Port Fairy. Sitting at one end of the Great Ocean road in thestate of Victoria, Port Fairy - which sounds like the setting of an Enid Blyton book - is actually a charming fishing village with wide streets lined by 19th Century cottages, towering Norfolk Island pines, old stone churches, boarding houses and inns.
Acouple of hours' drive away is Lake Elizabeth, where we went to hunt the platypus. Reaching the lake from the road was quite a hike. We had to plod through rainforest just as the sun was going down. It seemed we would never get there and we had some steep climbs carrying quite a bit of gear. But suddenly the forest opened up and revealed this most amazing view: a sight that looked like something straight out of Jurassic Park: a massive lake with ancient trees emerging from the mistywater, trunks as straight and clean as temple columns. It was quite spooky, but awe-inspiring and totally unforgettable.
WithBruce leading our little flotilla, we paddled across the! eerie w ater. the platypus is a small, very shy creature - not at all easy to find. Soour hunt took quite some time. As we paddled, we were accompanied by a gorgeous sound of rippling water. When I listened a little harder, I could make out the noises of birds and koalas. But what I really wanted to hear was the splash made by the platypus.
Natural wonders: Fiona Phillips was mesmerised by the Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park
When we at last caught sight of one in the flesh, it was extraordinary. You see pictures of them in books asa child but you don't imagine that you'll ever see one for real. But here I was, up close to the real deal. You think they'll look slightly ridiculous, but in the flesh they're absolutely thrilling.
Thefirst glimpse you get is of his little bill when he comes to the surface before plunging down again. You get only a five-second glimpse each time, but each is extraordinary. You feel privileged to have seen such a creature.
More...
My stay Down Under was unusually short. I arrived in Oz at 1am on Monday morningand flew back to London the following Friday, so you can imagine I was suffering a little bit from jet-lag the whole ! time. Bu t it didn't spoil the trip one iota. In fact, in some way it added to the experience - everything I saw seemed even more extraordinary in my state of wooziness.
Rushed it may have been, but if you've got five days to spare I couldn't honestly think of a better way to spend them this was my first visit to Australia(although I had an Australian boyfriend for about four years, we never set foot there together) and I was bowled over by the south-west coast of Victoria.
The platypus hunt provided a memorable finale to the jaunt, but my first stop was the lovely city of Melbourne.
Havingso little time there - just one day - I decided to avoid the usual touristy things, such as a trip to the Neighbours set, and anyway, the locals are surprisingly sniffy about the whole Neighbours thing.
Head for heights: Koalas can be spotted everywhere if you check out the eucalyptus trees that line the road
Thereare plenty of other things to explore: Melbourne has sea, a fine art centre, several stadiums and - a real claim to fame - it is the birthplace of comedian Barry Humphries' character Dame Edna Everage.
Itreally is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and I began to understand why the Minogue sisters find it so difficult to drag themselves away.
Ihad great coffee there, better than I've had in Italy, and the food wassensational. I went to some great restaurants - Ezard, where the cuisine is a fusion of European and Asian influences, was especially good. After a zucchini flowers starter, I had a gorgeous eggplant yellowcurry with tofu - good, simple cooking bursting with delicate flavours.
Alltoo soon I'd left the city behind and was heading southwest down the coast along the Great Ocean Road. this highway, 150 miles long and hugging a beautiful coastline of white bea! ches and blue sea, is actuallya huge war memorial - the world's largest. It was built by soldiers whoneeded work when they returned from the Great War and is dedicated to those killed in the fighting. Even though I was there during the holidayseason, it was absolutely deserted. I felt I could have just lingered and lost myself there for ever.
What'sso amazing about this spectacular road is that it dips in and out of rainforest - everything is so lush. there are also huge great pastures along the way, chock full of cows and sheep. It's a real green and pleasant land.
Simple charm: The attractive 19th Century fishing village of Port Fairy
If you want to do this journey in a more environmentally friendly way, you should try the Great Ocean Walk, which covers the 60 miles from Apollo Bay to the twelve Apostles, a collection of limestone rock stacks protruding from the sea in the Port Campbell National Park.
I broke my journey at Werribee Open Range Zoo, an African-themed zoo about20 miles south west of Melbourne. there are no animals in cages here - you take a 'safari' on which you can spot animals such as hippo, zebra, waterbuck, giraffe, ostrich, and rhinoceros roaming freely.
Myfirst overnight stop was at the Great Ocean Ecolodge, probably the ultimate in 'green' accommodation. It was set up and is operated by the Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology, and all profits are reinvested into wildlife conservation. the Ecolodge is entirely solar-powered and 'ecologically responsible'.
Situatedslap in the middle of the rainforest, it's run by ecologist Shayne Nealand his zoologist wife Lizzy Corke. the building is made almost wholly of wood and so has a very modest carbon footprint. It's beautiful in itssimplicity. And from the moment you are woken by the dawn cho! rus and see the wild kangaroos peacefully grazing outside your bedroom window, you know that you are staying somewhere very special. Among the main attractions are the evening walks in the rainforest.
Platypus pond: Fiona shares a canoe ride with Bruce, who helped her spot the elusive duck-billed platypus
You can hike to a place where, just as the sun is about to go down, all the kangaroos come leaping out of the bush: it's the most amazing sight. As a child, I used to watch skippy The Bush Kangaroo on television, so this was hugely exciting for me!
There were enormous great joeys leading out the pack and tiny little joeys following. They all looked so comical bounding along, as if they were in a cartoon.
Youalso see koalas everywhere if you check out the eucalyptus trees that line the road and give off that wonderful aroma. Cheeky-faced baby koalas hang sloth-like on the branches, sleeping for up to 20 hours a day. Their doziness could explain why there's a clinic for injured animals at the centre. Most of the koalas they treat are suffering from injuries caused by car accidents.
Here I was able to get really close to a little wallaby and feed him, and cuddle a few koalas. An amazing thrill.
Mealsat the ecolodge were very healthy: they have their own organic vegetable garden and most of what we ate came from there. I had another gorgeous vegetable curry on my first night.
Thenext stop was Apollo Bay, which also has an ecology centre, a couple ofhotels and places that offer surf lessons. And, again, lots of wonderfully deserted beaches.
Itwas here that I had the best Vegemite a! nd chees e toastie I've ever tasted, at a new deli set up by a husband and wife. They did all the cooking themselves, and I was in heaven.
Sweet but deadly: The bizarre-looking duck-billed platypus is not at all easy to spot
Then it was off to a walking centre appropriately named Both Feet lodge. Again it was completely eco-friendly - being made entirely of wood and stone, with water heated by solar panels - and right in the middle of the rainforest. It claims to combine luxury with 'world-class walking' and caters for a maximum often hikers at a time, so it never seems crowded.
I went on a wonderful hike to Johanna Beach, which was deserted apart from a small group of surfers. It was magical.
The weather was perfect for walking: warm but not as baking hot as I expected, thanks to the cooling sea breeze.
AtBoth Feet lodge I enjoyed the most marvellous foot spa, which I really needed after all the trekking. I also had a massage from a very stern-looking Finnish lady, drifting off to sleep as the combination of being heavily jetlagged and stuffed full of good food and pinot noir finally took its toll.
TheAustralians I met along the way were fantastically laid-back and friendly - I lost count of the times I was told 'No worries' after asking for something. And the lovely thing was they genuinely meant it.
Myshort but very sweet trip ended with a spectacular helicopter flight over the Twelve Apostles in the Port Campbell National Park, which lies on the Great Ocean Road between Princetown and Peterborough. since they were named, four of the stacks have disappeared due to sea erosion, leaving just eight standing.
Afterso many amazing experiences I did fear this might not live up to expectations. But I needn't have worried as Australia worked its magic all over ag! ain.
I realisedthat I had seen just a small part of what this country has to offer. I still haven't been to Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef or Ayers Rock and I'm really keen to visit the wine country as well.
NowI'm desperate to return - and next time it will be for two weeks at least, and with all the family. I'll go in February, which is the perfect time to visit: the weather isn't too hot and it's coming to the end of the holiday season, so it's a little quieter.
I'm looking forward to it already. . .
Getting there
Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com/uk) offers return flights from Heathrow to Melbourne from 992.73 per person economy and 4,040.73 business class.
AtBoth Feet Lodge, a self-guided Walk and Stay package for two days and two nights starts from 420 per person. A guided Walk and Stay package starts from 640 per person. Both include half-board, tea and non-alcoholic drinks. Visit www.bothfeet.com.au.
One night at Great Ocean Ecolodge costs from 103 per person. To book, visit www.greatoceanecolodge.com.
For further information on what to see and do in Melbourne, go to www.visitmelbourne.com/uk.
For more detailed ideas for tours and experiences, visit The Great Ocean Road guide at www.responsibletravel.com/great-ocean-road.
Avis (www.avis.co.uk) offers car hire in Australia from 25 per day for five days plus taxes.
Comments