While I sit waiting while the washing go round and round in the dryer, I want to tell you about something a little different - an island in the beautiful Gippsland lakes. Raymond Island which lies just off the coast across from Paynesville (another pretty place).
It was a little bit of a drive to get there (200km) but the morning was so pretty. We drove through early morning fog watching the landscape slowly creep out from under the sky. Spiders’ webs strung along fences and in the long grass sparkled with droplets of dew in the emerging sunlight. Quite lovely - could make a girl wax lyrical!
The island is only accessible by car ferry (chain operated) so on we drove. The service started in the 1880s. It normally takes both motor vehicles and walk-on passengers but at the moment walk-on passengers are a restricted to a couple of times each day.
The island is rather an enclave and kept that way because there is no bridge access and little development - other than a growing number of enormous beach houses it seems! We headed for the southern side of the island away from the main settlement. We were facing a large body of water (Lake King) which is protected from the sea by the long stretch of the Lakes National Park. So peaceful and tranquil but for the distant faint roar of surf on 90 Mile beach not so far off, as the crow or cormorant flies, and the call of birds - cormorants, crested terns, swallows.
The lake was a millpond edged away off by the rest of the world - we turned our backs on the houses nestled in the scrub. Far out in the water we saw dolphins porpoising, such a joy to see. These turned out to be part of a small population of the rare and endangered Burrunan dolphins, a new species recently identified which live in the mix of salt and fresh water of the Gippsland lakes. Very special.
We wandered along a beach littered with empty pippy and mussel shells - and lots of other littoral goodies. The island is known for its large population of koalas but we saw none but here and there we came across wallabies.
What would a post from me be without a plant or flower? I was drawn to this ‘flower’ covered in pollen which dusted the needles and spiders webs within puff range.
My favourite bird!
A boardwalk took us across tidal flats where all sorts of fascinating things lurked.
Would we return? Perhaps not but it was interesting and the dolphins sighting rather special.
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