Sat 25 Feb - Robe
Another mild night; 15 Deg with steady rain falling from 0300, easing in the morning and reaching a very moderate 18 Deg throughout the day. It was nice laying in bed listening to the rain falling on the roof, and thankfully it cleared early by 0800. I headed out for my morning walk, around the headland and back to the van past two very stale and smelly lakes - Lake Charra and Lake Fellmongery. Lake Charra is also known by locals as the smelly lake and looks like a dirty cesspit. There is conjecture about what causes the smell - some suggest its from acid sulphate soil in the lake when it dries and is exposed to the air, giving off the smell. Others believe it's a plant or weed giving off the smell, but I'm just glad we're not staying in the caravan park that backs onto it. We are however staying in the park that backs on to the larger albeit less smelly Fellmongery Lake. This lake has an interesting history in that a fellmongering business (the process of removing wool from sheep skins, washing and then drying), was established at the lake. According to local history, the Duilius, a ship carrying wool from Guichen Bay to London sank nearby in 1853. The bales of wool were retrieved and washed in the then freshwater lake to remove the salt, dried and then transported to London where the wool fetched much higher prices than normal. It was then decided to start a fellmongery business at the lake, and it continued until the late 1890s. An interested story I thought. Also on my walk, I stopped and paid a bit more notice to the Koening Willem II monument that I saw yesterday. I didn't realise that the odd piece of timber protruding from the top of the monument was the figurehead of the ship. For many years it was tied to a fence post along a nearby road until it was destroyed by fire, so maybe this one is a replica. Another interesting dit (engraved on the plaque), is that for days after the ship capsized, wreckage and bodies were washed ashore, and cargo, fittings, personal belongings were pillaged by the locals, with some timber and cabin doors also taken and used in the now very popular Caledonian Hotel in Robe where they remain today. There endeth today's history lesson.
After breakfast, we both went into town where I spent more time exploring and reading about the town's historical buildings. We had a late morning coffee at a fabulous place aptly called the Espresso Bar, before returning for lunch. In the afternoon we drove to the Robe Lighthouse and both walked a 3km section of the coastal walking trail. The wind was quite strong, but it was still an enjoyable walk along the rugged coastline with amazing views. Back to the van for a relaxing afternoon and evening. I was thinking two days may have been enough here, but we are enjoying the slower pace and we are confident that we will manage to fill our last day in Robe tomorrow without getting bored.
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| Frothy substance blowing up onto the shore of Lake Fellmongery |
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Frothy substance blowing from Lake Fellmongery into the trees
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| Very happy with the Park - nice and clean, well managed, secluded from the strong winds, large sites, plenty of space, large ensuite shower/toilets, and very quiet. More secluded (bush camp style) sites available in the far corners of the park |
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