Mantra Deep Blue

War Memorial I

by Kate-Me

This is Warrnambool's memorial to those who served in the world wars, erected in 1925.
It's made from red granite.
You can find it at the far top end of Liebig Street, beside the Returned Serviceman's Building, and directly overlooking the ocean. It's a very nice position for it indeed.

Middle Island

by iandsmith

Depending on where you park, at first glance, or even second or third, this may not appear to be an island. In fact it isn't, it is two islands (Merri is the other one). The one of main interest though is a wildlife sanctuary with wooden paths to walk on so the area isn't damaged.
Best accessed during the low tides, escpecially in winter, so you don't get your feet wet, it gives you a different perspective of Warrnambool as a bonus.
It is also a haven for the enchanting fairy penguins though you should know, if this is your first experience with them, that they are very shy creatures and, under no circumstances should you try and handle them. Just watch and enjoy.

Flagstaff Hill - quirky quotes

by iandsmith

While wandering around Flagstaff I was highly entertained by some of the quotes from olden days and how out-of-synch they are with today's thinking.
From the school there were 10 covenants for teachers to adhere to. I present two of them here:
6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.
8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls or gets shaved in a barbers shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty.
Can't get much more draconian than that!
From the wall on the bar:
"Ladies of the Night
Available as desired at the warehouse of Mr. William Radcliffe adjoining his house dwelling in the hills.
Between the hours of 12 midnight and 3 in the morning nightly."
Overriding them all in my mind was the poignant wisdom: "If it is to be man against the ocean, then surely the oceans will prevail."

End of the road (for us)

by Steve-H

"Last stop Warrnambool"

After leaving the Cumberland River site it took us a lot longer than expected to reach Warrnambool, the reason? a small matter of the great ocean road. The road continues all the way to Adelaide and beyond but we had to stop here and turn back towards Melbourne. We made so many stops to see the 12 Apostles and other sights that we had to put the pedal down to make our evening check-in at the Ocean Beach Holiday Village, we needn`t have bothered as the site was almost empty, low season. We found the laundry and washed all our smelly travelling clothes then headed into town to find a bar and some food, can`t remember the name of the pub we visited but it was large, on a corner at the far end of the main street and it had some big comfy leather sofas and a great menu, there was even a jazz band playing. After a few cold ones we headed back to the site and bedded down for our last night on the road. This was all i saw in the morning. After an early start we headed inland along the Princes Highway ( A1 ) through Camperdown, Colac and Winchelsea to Geelong and the freeway into Melbourne a distance of 265 miles, a days driving, it took 2 days and 353 miles to get from Melbourne to Warrnambool via the Great Ocean Road.
WG Grace once came here to play cricket, the wicket was mud and the ball didn't bounce, he passed the time shooting parrots from his hotel window. The journey to Warrnambool took him 19 hours using a horse and cart in a storm, this was nothing to the 52 days it took him to get to Australia, his ship was dogged by a hurricane. It is said that he loved Warrnambool because he was taken kangaroo hunting, something he obviously couldn't do in England. He said "They are extraordinarily clever creatures, galloping across scrub & bracken reaching up to their girth and though fallen trees may be laying about they pick their course with perfect certainty - unless you shoot them through the head" For the record he also hunted quail.
Ocean Beach Holiday Village, Pertobe Road Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia 3280 (03) 5561 4222 oceanbeach@ansonic.com.au

"After a night out, a comfy bed."

Warrnambool looked great in the morning and i regret not having spent more time there, the sea looked great and the facilities were plentiful, there was even a skatepark.

"Somewhere on the road to Warrnambool."

On the road to Warrnambool we passed through the Otway National Park, again we stopped a lot to look at the scenery, we even saw some wild Koala bears.