Drawcard ... Warrnambool is known for conventional beach pursuits,such as surfing,but it's said that buried treasure lies beneath those dunes.
Lee Atkinson goes in search of whales,treasure and some very tasty cheese along the Great Ocean Road.
Why go?
The largest town on the Victorian south-west coast,Warrnambool is a port with a colourful seafaring heritage at the western end of the Great Ocean Road.
What it's known for
Between June and September female southern right whales take up residence in the waters off Logans beach to give birth and it's one of the best shore-based places to see whales and their calves during the winter months. The whales stay in the bay for about two or three months,so frequent visitors to the whale watching platform in the dunes can watch the calves,which are about five to six metres long when they are born,grow — by the time they head back to the southern ocean they are almost double that size. They come close to shore,but you'll get a much better look if you have binoculars.
What you didn't know ...
There's buried treasure hidden in the sand dunes west of Warrnambool,or so the legend goes. In the 1830s some shipwrecked sealers found a decaying wreck in the sand in the Armstrong Bay area and a story grew that it was the remains of a 16th-century Spanish or Portuguese galleon full of treasure. Sometime in the 1880s the wreck seems to have disappeared,possibly covered by shifting sands,and ever since the story of the Mahogany Ship has become more mysterious with each retelling. If you fancy a bit of treasure hunting,follow the Mahogany Ship Walking Track,which follows the coast between Warrnambool and Port Fairy and passes possible sites where the mythical ship may rest. The trail is 22 kilometres long and is mostly on the beach,but if you want to concentrate your search efforts,head to the area east of Gormans Road and west of Levy's Point.
What's new
If you're not keen on the idea of walking all the way to Port Fairy,the new Warrnambool to Port Fairy Rail Trail is a 37-kilometre cycleway that follows the route of a disused railway line. The best thing about rail trails is they are traffic free and because those old trains couldn't haul uphill very well,you don't have to — uphill grades are gentle and suitable for all levels of fitness and riding abilities.portfairytowarrnamboolrailtrail.com.