Around the bend

View of the Otways from the Great Ocean Road
near Apollo Bay

And boy did we go round some bends! After saying goodbye to this part of the Barwon for now, we headed to Apollo Bay for the night, winding our way through the Otways down to sea level. In a post not too long ago, I looked at the effect of the Otways on local weather patterns along the river. As we made it to the top of the Otways the effects of the Otway rain shadow hit us head-on.
As I mentioned in my last post, the weather was mild and overcast with an occasional shower along both branches of the river. I was a little surprised then, as we topped the rise, to be confronted by a wall of fog so thick that I could barely see 20m in front of me. The rain shadow was was suddenly very real. All that moist sea air rolling in from the west was hitting the slopes of the Otways and condensing into a thick fog whilst the relatively warm, dry air moving over the top of the ranges was keeping things mild along the Barwon. And the fog really was only at these higher altitudes. By the time we completed our descent, we had left the fog behind and the weather was once again cool and mild.

Koala at Cape Otway

The following day we were headed back into the Otways, but not before we first skirted around them and headed down to have a look at the Cape Otway Light Station which is located at the tip of Cape Otway in the National Park.
It is probably worth noting that the Cape was named for Captain Albany Otway, a friend of the English naval officer who discovered it in 1801 in his vessel the Lady Nelson.
As we wound our way once again through towering eucalypt bushland towards the Cape, we rounded a bend to find a number of stationary cars pulled mostly onto the shoulders of the rather narrow road with their occupants wandering around and in some cases, standing on the roadway.

Coastline at Cape Otway

No, it was not the scene of some horrendous traffic accident, but rather, a koala colony. Having been given the word earlier by a helpful local, we drove a little ahead and pulled into a safer clearing before joining the throngs looking up. Every second tree had its own koala, so there were plenty to go round. As English-speaking tourists we found ourselves rather in the minority here and the same was true at the light station which was our next stop.
Cape Otway is the second most southerly point on mainland Australia and was the first land sighting for incoming immigrant ships during the 19th century. The coastline along this part of the country is rather dramatic and perhaps best described as rugged, so it is easy to see why so many ships came to grief here.

Cape Otway Lighthouse

In response to a public outcry at the number of these shipwrecks in Bass Straight, the government was forced to build lighthouses at various points along the coast. Between 1847 and 1848 therefore, a lighthouse was erected at Cape Otway and then, in 1859 a telegraph station was added to service a subterranian cable running between Tasmania and the mainland. However, the cable foundered after only 6 months and the telegraph station became a signalling station which passed shipping news to Melbourne.

Cape Otway Telegraph Station

Today, the restored building houses a museum whilst the lighthouse - which still serves its original purpose - is also open to visitors. We viewed the museum, climbed the 78 steps of the lighthouse, learnt a little of the indiginous heritage of the area and also took a look at 40 recently acquired paintings of ships significant to the history of Australia.
And then, having seen what there was to see, we departed, heading upwards once again into the mountains for a walk amongst the treetops.

The lady of the lake - part 2

Fungi

...and so to our adventure...
The weather was overcast but mild and an earlier shower had cleared, making conditions perfect for a trek up the track and around the lake - something we had failed to achieve on our previous visit. So off we headed.
The walk was not too difficult despite being rather damp underfoot at this time of year. In fact, it was rather damp everywhere. You got the distinct impression that anything which stood still for more than five minutes was likely to end up covered in moss, lichen or some other odd fungus. Just to make sure, we kept up a reasonable pace with me stopping here and there to snap a few photos.

Mossy rocks

The forest through which we were walking seemed to consist mainly of eucalypts and fern, unlike other parts of the Otways where Myrtle Beech trees predominate - but I am no expert on the topic. With three kids in tow I could hear but not see the birds which inhabit the trees so when we reached the foot of the lake, I let them go on ahead and was soon rewarded with some sightings of birds I'd not seen elsewhere on the river: the Eastern Yellow Robin and a single Rose Robin (which have duly been added to my Barwon Birds page).
On the lake itself I also spotted Eurasian Coots and a pair of Chestnut Teal Ducks who had certainly chosen a more spectacular part of the Barwon River system to inhabit than many of their compatriots.

Fungi and moss everywhere

By far however, the most populous birds seemed to be the Grey Fantails. They particularly liked a secluded section - almost a billabong - right at the bottom of the lake. I've never seen birds do somersaults before, but these little guys seemed to be doing just that and were happy to pose for the camera if I was quick enough, as was the Eastern Yellow Robin I spotted a little further up the track.
Of course, in addition to the bird life, there is all manner of other wildlife. I could hear - but not see - a pair of Koalas calling from opposite sides of the lake. Wallabies are reputed to live here too as of course are perhaps the lake's most famous inhabitants - a colony of platypuses. To see them and probably the wallabies too, you need to be around either at dawn or dusk and as it was neither when we were there, no photo-opportunities were to be had on this occasion. Perhaps a late afternoon paddle on the lake in one of the two canoes tied up at the little dock might be in order at some point in the future.

Eastern Yellow Robin

And so after a tangle with some rather nasty stinging nettles, the discomfort of which was relieved by some conveniently located bracken, we made our way up and around the top of the lake. From here we made our way along the conveniently placed boardwalk which presumably crosses the river at some point, although it was impossible to tell exactly where, with all the swampy growth covering the bottom of the valley floor.
From there it was back in amongst the ferns and the gum trees for the walk back to the bottom of the lake where I once again hung back to photograph the locals.

Grey Fantail

On the trek back to the car I could hear and even occasionally see the bird life in the canopy above, however with the exception of a solitary kookaburra, I didn't have much success with the camera. Aside from the foliage providing excellent cover for small birds to hide, it also reduced the light levels to such an extent that it was hard to take crisp, clear shots of anything much. Perhaps I should try for a sunnier day next time.
And so, just as a search party was issuing forth to ascertain my whereabouts, I made it back to the beginning of the track, ready for the next leg of the journey.