The main business today was visiting Cape Bridgewater, the other corner (from Cape Nelson) of the Portland Peninsula. Our particular objective was the Petrified Forest. It was interesting that Google Maps seemed to place the Cape several kilometres up the coast from its actual location but we solved this by using the 'forest' as the destination and took the lower of the two routes.
Unlike Cape Nelson there is a small settlement at a pleasant beach near the Cape. However we ignored that and went on a few kilometres to the 'forest'. It acquired the name through a theory that the columns of sandstone were tree trunks that had be inundated by sand dunes. The official view now is that the columns are simply a result of water erosion.
Of course a wind turbine gets in the image.
Some mini-trunks.
As with most places in this situation the area on the clifftop is well sand (and salt) blasted so the vegetation is minimal.
We came back by the 'upper' route to check out the lakes in the area. When we drove out, we were surprised to see a group of caves on the opposite side of the road. We read somewhere that they were formed by people digging out the limestone: however
that seems to be BS and they were naturally formed - but used by indigenous folk for shelter etc,
This is a view from inside the biggest cave.
After a game of croquet - very enjoyable - we returned to Cape Nelson, to look for an alleged colony of breeding Kelp Gulls. En route we visited the Picnic Hill Lookout. This was the end point of a surveying expedition led by
Major Mitchell in 1836. This Cairn marks the spot,
The view East from the lookout.
The view South to Cape Nelson.
Turbines and smelter.
We failed to find the Gull colony. Getting back to the Harbour I found these lights on a boat - presumably set up for squid fishing as well as pigeon roosting!
This public art overlooked the harbour,
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