Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Churchill Island Heritage Farm really drops into the narrative nicely. The first time I strolled down Samuel Amess Drive and crossed over to the island, I felt like I’d stepped out of Phillip Island and into a different time altogether. As someone who’s spent who-knows-how-long roaming the Gippsland region and beyond with nothing but a […]
Coastal San Remo
Most seaside towns look peaceful enough from a distance, but San Remo, sitting pretty beside the San Remo Bridge, is the real deal – a place where the salty air, the sight of fishing boats chugging along and the morning pelican feeding routine just gives you a sense that you’ve walked into somewhere with heaps […]
Bass Strait
Bass Strait – the kind of place you only really start to appreciate the moment a low-pressure system comes rolling in from the Southern Ocean and turns what was supposed to be a pleasant sail into a white-knuckle ride. I’m Oleksandr Honcharenko, and I’ve had my fair share of Bass Strait crossings – some smooth […]
Maru Koala and Animal Park
The first time I cruised into Maru Koala and Animal Park, I was chugging along the Bass Highway, heading towards Phillip Island. As Oleksandr Honcharenko, I stepped out of the ute and was hit with that unmistakable fresh eucalyptus scent – the real deal aroma you get where koalas and gum trees thrive. You come here for the wildlife presentations, the keeper talks, and to get up close […]
Seal Rocks, Phillip Island
I put this Seal Rocks, Phillip Island guide together after another afternoon battling the wind and squinting at rocky outcrops offshore. For the umpteenth time, I was struck by the fact that the Australian fur seals are the ones giving the orders around here. I’m Oleksandr Honcharenko, and after years of roaming some of Australia’s […]
Seaside Cowes
I’ve found that the best way to get a feel for a place is by wandering its streets with no real plan in mind, and Cowes has slipped into that same sense of aimlessness for me – dusty boots, coffee in one hand, and a gull trying to steal my chips. As someone who’s made […]