Club Trips

Otway Trip

Probus Combined Traralgon Travellers trip 16^th to the 24^th March 2010

The trip was organised by Dan Smith to stay at the Gellibrand Caravan park 25 kms south of Colac. Gellibrand a very small town consisting of a caravan park, hotel and a general store with a population approximately 300 people{this being I think including surrounding district as the town did not have many houses}but was in a handy position to explore the Otways.

Twelve members travelled to Gellibrand which included 3 caravans, I motor home and 2 couples staying in units in the park.

Day 1

Travelled south deep into the Otway forest to the Otway fly a tree top walkway about 700 meters long and 25 meters above the valley floor .It included a 1 kilometre walk into the attraction through pristine mountain ash forest. We had lunch after the walk then procedured to the tripplett falls 4 kilometres away from the Otway fly were most of the group completed a difficult walk through the forest to the falls and back to the cars .This completed we stopped for coffee at a craft shop the home for happy hour and a well deserved barbeque

Day 2

We travelled to Colac then through a small town Forrest, over the Otway range to Apollo bay for lunch and walk through the town. Continued on to Lavers Hill stopping off to the Otway lighthouse were we saw some local wildlife koalas in their natural state on the way out back to the grand ocean road. Completed the loop back through Lavers Hill to home for happy hour and another barbeque

Day 3

Rest day with couples doing what they felt like. Most went into Colac as they had a 3 hour discount sale through out the town in the morning, lunch in Colac and then back to the park where we all completed the day with dinner at the Gellibrand hotel

Day 4  

Drove to Winchelsea for a tour of Barwon Park. This is a mansion built in the 1870,s by the Austin family, Mr Austin famous for importing the rabbits to Australia and his wife after her husband died became a donor to charity most famous for starting the Austin hospital which has her family name. The mansion has 42 rooms and has been built with bluestone blocks, the last owners left the building to the National Trust so will be in good hands for the future. After lunch continued to a Dahlia farm which was having a charity day, so we were lucky to have not only flowers to admire but other attractions such as stalls and old machinery. We then continued home for happy hour and barbeque.

Day 5

Free day

 Some of us travelled to red rock north of Colac to admire the views of the surrounding country side before all meeting for lunch at the Colac RSL .A few of us then went to the movies before a early night for all.

Day 6

Day drive through Lavers Hill to the twelve apostles travelling on the great ocean road before coffee at Port Campbell. Then to Timboon for lunch, craft shops and picked strawberries on a farm just outside Timboon. We continued to Camperdown and through Colac to home for the final happy hour and a very enjoyable barbeque on our last night. A group discussion taken on next autumn trip, the general feeling was that the Daylesford /Bendigo/ area could be a good spot as there are a lot of sites to explore

Day 7

We all left at varying times some going straight home, others visiting relatives or continuing holidaying. 


Rob Hamilton  President