Checkout from Bairnsdale today and what an experience it has been. I have to admit that being carless I would have had a more limited experience if it had not been for Janet and Peter Burton, Rightrack tours, who were exceptionally hospitable.
Any Australian reading this should consider coming here. Plenty for the older ones to see and do, and the little ones will love the beaches. Go to Tyers Lake beach and the small ones can learn water activities in complete safety in front of a pretty good cafe/restaurant, the Watermill..
The hotel, the Riversleigh, has been good though one eccentricity is that whatever time of day and wherever I am in the main part of the hotel has been Robin. She seems to do everything, desk clerk, bar tender, housekeeping and even gardener.
As for Bairnsdale the council needs a kick up the backside for not encouraging visitors to stay rather than motor through to the Alps or Sydney. I have been lucky enough to meet a whole raft of entrepreneurs who are trying to make a tourist ( and in many case local customer) based businesses.
They aren't helped though by the restaurants. According to Trip Advisor there are 55 restaurants here. They really mean 55 places to eat which is not the same. There are lots of places that, during the day, you can get excellent coffee and cakes but all the restaurants I've looked at bar one seem to put quantity over quality and this must be the beer batter capital of Australia. And most of those close on Mondays! My advice if you are coming here - book each evening in the River Grill though they keep the same menu for weeks bar the fish of the day.
And strangely the big supermarket only stocks 1 Victoria wine and that comes from the other side of Melbourne.
If I came again and the tour company hadn't grown, I'd hire a car from somewhere near a suburban rail station or even Bairnsdale.
Right 12.35 train for the almost 4 hour trip to Melbourne and then Geelong train.
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