So, time to update from last year while I think about what to do for the rest of the day. It’s sunny so I need to get out. I did the houseworky stuff this morning and put together an ‘overbed table’ on wheels which will come in handy.
I hadn’t been to Phillip Island for decades, when my aunt took my father and me for a jaunt. I decided to take a day trip there, braving the highways. Phillip Island was much bigger than I remembered it and it took longer to get to Cowes than I thought with a lot of traffic on the narrow road. It wouldn’t have been so populated decades ago, I’m sure. I remembered it being a lovely, quiet place by the sea.
I found a car park and wandered the beach. I couldn’t find the spot that I remembered (and if I’d kept walking I would have). I had a brief wander down the main shopping street, then tried to find a cafe without luck. There didn’t appear to be one, unbelievably. I had brought lunch so decided to find a different seaside spot for some reason.
According to the map, Red Rock beach looked accessible from the coastal reserve but I could find no such access. So I ended up following a sign to a cafe. I realised pretty quickly that this cafe was quite a few kilometers away and I didn’t want to go that far so I turned off and visited Grossard Point.
I couldn’t find access to the beach there either, so gave up and headed for Rhyll on the eastern side. This was a little fishing village. It was breezy but pleasant enough and I sat and watched the seagulls after eating my lunch.
Unfortunately for me, a lot of the usual atractions on Phillip Island were closed – no pelican feeding, no wineries open. I wasn’t sure what else to do. My daughter had text me about a beach (Kilcunda) further down the coast that they had seen. I decided to go there. It wasn’t too far away. It was a proper ocean beach that reminded me of beaches in the North Island, New Zealand.
I had a wander and there were some lovely rock formations.
It was now mid afternoon so I decided to head back. I was going in the right direction. The traffic coming in the opposite direction was horrendous and had been brought to a standstill for miles because of a traffic accident. They were all heading to Phillip Island for New Year’s eve.
So not the most successful of trips. The trouble with travelling alone is that you have no-one to bounce ideas off about what to do. Perhaps not the best planned of trips but I did not expect everything to still be closed (opening the day after, of course!). Something for next time, I guess.
Reflections 