Port Fairy

ANZAC Day.  Lest we forget

We had a lovely Anzac Day weekend in Port Fairy.  We went down on Saturday afternoon from Ballarat with Lindsey and got there about three hours ahead of Ian, Ant, Jess and Emily who were coming from Melbourne in Ian's car.  So, of course, we went for an amble around to see what was where.

Both Lindsey and I have been to Port Fairy before, but not for many years, so it was pretty much as new an experience for us as it was for The Builder, who had never been before.

We wandered around the town centre and then headed for Griffiths Island, which is a shearwater and mutton bird sanctuary.  We got a bit mislaid on the way, but eventually found it.  It has a 2.5 km round walk, loads of gulls and ibises, many dead shearwater fledglings (which are attacked by something that clearly doesn't like them very much but which also doesn't eat them - birds, not foxes), wallabies which show no fear at all, and a lighthouse at one end.  It's a lovely walk - though I think we nearly killed The Builder who is not really used to walking quite so fast.  And he and I have walked very little over the past few months.  We really must get back into it.  I'm sure it's good for us.

He required vodka when we got back to the motel!

The rest got there about 20 minutes after we got back.  We had pre-dinner drinks in The Builder and my room, looking out over the courtyard.  Then we all went for a truly sumptuous meal in the hotel restaurant.  You will find an account of that here

Sunday was Anzac Day.

Wedding guests looking dapper and elegant

And the day of the wedding.  Lindsey and I went for a post-breakfast walk (the breakfast as very tasty but nowhere near the quality of the dinner the night before.  I don't think the owners were expecting anyone to ask for a cooked breakfast!!) then they all tarted up for the wedding.

After they left, The Builder and I went for a walk, along the marina, across the river, along the beach, out along the breakwater, then back along the river.  We had a lovely seafood risotto in Rebecca of Port Fairy's cafe for lunch.  The others came back from the wedding and we joined them in the courtyard for wine in the sunshine and a nibble of their chips.  Then they went to the reception and we went out for dinner.

Stella had recommended a fish and chip place by the jetty.  We had called in at lunchtime and made a table reservation - just in case.  It was quite busy at lunchtime and it was, after all, a holiday weekend.

It was not busy at dinner time.  The place was completely deserted!  Stella had said that when she and Tony were there they had ordered a seafood platter that was so huge that they had been unable to finish it.  Yes - but they didn't have The Builder with them.  We ordered the seafood platter.  And got: 8 fresh oysters, 8 king prawns, a skewer with 6 honeyed shrimps, calamari rings, scallops, flake, whiting and flathead.  Oh - and chips and salad but we didn't eat them!  It was HUGE.  Humungous.  Easily enough for three and probably even four.  Much, much too much for two.  But very delicious.

Monday was a holiday.  So The Builder, Lindsey and I went for another walk around the island, then joined the rest for a much better breakfast than we had had on Sunday.  I think the usual chef must have had the day off on Sunday.  Then The Builder and I stole Lindsey's car, kidnapped Ant, Jess and Emily and brought them down to Melbourne.  Lindsey and Ian went to Ballarat.

Lindsey's car has cruise control.  I MUST HAVE cruise control installed in The Vixen.  It's fabulous.  Although it would have been useful to know that Lindsey's speedo under-reads at the higher speeds.  I wondered why so many people were overtaking me on the highway.  Australians are usually quite observant of the speed limits (they are rigorously enforced here) and it would be highly reckless to be speeding on a long weekend.  It was only after we passed under a speed advisory bridge on the Geelong Freeway that I realised that while everyone else was sitting on 100 km (the speed limit on open roads unless otherwise indicated), I was reading 90 km.  I sped up a bit!

Simon came round for the Monday Steak Night - although we didn't have steak.  We've moved Steak Night this week to Friday, which is our last night here.  We had spag bog instead. Everything was sourced at the little grocery downstairs.  It didn't do a bad job in providing our dinner.

I would never expect to find coconut and pistachio nuts in a chocolate gelato.  Rebecca of Port Fairy in her ice cream parlour adds them to her chocolate gelati !