Another short day , or long morning planned for today. An hours drive to Cape Paterson. We had a good breakfast to sustain us, in any event...
It's important to me to spend a bit of time there and look around. It was the first place where we came for a family holiday. I guess I was 7 or 8 when we first holidayed several times over several summers - School holidays = no school buses = less busy for Bridges Bus Services... 
On the way we pass through Wonthaggi and the famous Desalination Plant. Must look! As a building and a plant it is impressive, but can't see much from ground level outside. There is a collection of wind generators next door, maybe associated, who knows?  |
| Williamsons Beach |
The Plant is on the way to Williamsons Beach so another detour. Fishing, surfing and swatting the many, many sandflies seems to be the main action.
Next stop the Wonthaggi State Coal Mine and museum. Sixty years ago when I holidayed down this way I remember mining was still big business. The mines down this way were black coal but really dirty, as in, with sand. Sand in the furnace turns to glass and can block grates and
hence airflow so not popular for commercial use.
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| Some non-claustrophobic people ack from the underground |
There was a mine at Cape Paterson, from which bagged coal was taken in small lighters out to ships for transit to Melbourne! Then came a railway in 1910. Long gone now of course, just a 'Rail Trail' remains...
Of course, not so far away, the Latrobe Valley has brown coal. Not as good calorifically but easy to light. It was said you could crush the coal in your hands, throw it in the air on a hot day and it would ignite. It could not be taken by truck or it would burst into flame not halfway to Melbourne - so it was turned into briquettes!!!
Very interesting looking around but we stayed above ground, skipping the underground tour. Good coffee in the cafe too.
Anyway the rock pool I enjoyed a a kid is a lot smaller than I remember, but the water is just as cold. The beautiful little enclosed beach is the kid friendliest anywhere. The reefs around look much tamer then when I was washed of fishing. That resulted in some curtailing of my movement, I can tell you!