Day 5 Saturday 17/12/2022 Portland, Sunny 12 – 18

Just outside the eastern corner of our caravan park there’s a red-capped lighthouse. This is Whaler’s Bluff light (1859) and although not very high the light is still operational. The antenna man arrives, checks VeeWee’s aerial problem and she’ll need to fit a new one when she gets home.

After lunch, we take a drive. There’s a good fish co-op at the wharf and we buy some flathead. From the fishermen’s wharf, we have a good view of the logs and enormous piles of wood chips that are destined for Japan. Trucks bringing in the wood chips are raised high in the air and upended over the pile. It’s quite a sight.

High above the port is Battery Point where 3 old cannons look like, if they could be fired, they would take out the wheat silo! They were installed here in 1889 to protect against a possible Russian attack. Further on at Point Danger in the shadow of the aluminium smelter we curiously follow signs to Blacknose and Crumpets which turn out to be a bluff and a rocky surf beach. Beyond Crumpets is the gannet rookery, right below the rifle range. If you thought Masked Lapwing Plovers nested in ridiculous places then these guys have gone one better and yes, the rifle range was there before they moved in. Driving past the smelter we see stacks of aluminium ingots awaiting transportation.

Back in town, we take a walk along the fine white sand of Nuns Beach. The aqua-coloured water is inviting and along the shore hundreds of tiny ‘By the Wind Sailor’ jellyfish have washed up.

We have happy hour in the sun while Val runs about trying to identify which key opens which locker. Why, oh why, does the RV industry insist on each locker having a different key? Mother and joey koala have moved to the tree above the toilet block. Now we must tiptoe through the koala poo on each visit.

Remember the fish? Well, we pan fry the flathead for dinner and it is delicious. We’re ever watchful of the wind forecast, it’s done nothing but blow since we arrived and by 11:00pm we race out and bring the awning in to ensure a blissful sleep.