I awoke at around 9 am, anticipating my arrival in Lakes Entrance on Australia’s southern coast. Having spent the night in a rest area amidst McKenzie Forest, I noticed that all the other cars had departed. Deciding to drive up to a parking spot within the forest, I discovered an entrance road. The water vapor inside the car had condensed, causing all the windows to be covered in water and blur my vision.
I couldn’t hit the highway until my car’s windshield was clear again. To achieve this, I had to drive a bit to warm up the engine, and then I turned on the heater. Before parking, I circled the lot a few times to ensure the engine was sufficiently warmed up. It would take a few minutes for the moisture to dissipate. While waiting, I prepared some sandwiches in the trunk of the car.
McKenzie River Rainforest Walk
As I enjoyed my meal, I surveyed the surroundings and spotted a sign for a brief forest hike called McKenzie River Rainforest Walk. Holding my sandwich, I approached the sign to read the details. Learning that it was a 30-minute walk, I made the spontaneous decision to embark on the hike. After locking the car, I set off for a leisurely stroll.
As I strolled along, I became aware of the delightful sounds of birds, and soon after, I spotted them in the distance. It was truly an awesome experience!
The stroll was likely the sole activity on my agenda for the day as I found this area rather dull. Despite having information about this part of Victoria, none of the options appealed to me. Activities such as cycling, short hikes, and various luxuries for the affluent like dining, visiting wineries, and sailing seemed to dominate. I had initially considered a brief sailing tour for the day, but the unpredictable and constantly changing weather made it seem less feasible.
Wandering through the cool-temperature rainforest, I marveled at its beauty, relishing the solitude. However, a twinge of paranoia crept in as I entertained thoughts of encountering a snake after two months and getting bitten in this remote forest, miles away from the nearest hospital. Though the likelihood was low, I couldn’t shake off the concern. As a precaution, I retraced my steps to the car to retrieve my phone, just in case.
The day kicked off on a positive note with a leisurely stroll through the enchanting forest. The atmosphere was delightful, featuring a comfortably cool temperature that prompted me to don my winter coat. The chilly weather, particularly in the mornings, required some adjustment from my body. As I walked, I enjoyed my sandwiches and sipped on a refreshing coke.
The Entrance to the Ninety Mile Beach
I got back to the car and put away my trash and left the McKenzie forest. I had to drive 100 kilometers to the next destination, Lakes Entrance. Along the way I wanted to get some fuel at Orbost, but the tank station was not manned, it was one of those credit card gas stations. I decided to drive along, I would make it anyway with the amount of fuel I currently had.
Indeed, after covering 80 kilometers, I reached Lakes Entrance—a charming small town equipped with all the amenities I required. The town boasted a supermarket, gas stations, McDonald’s, Target, and a picturesque lake. To my delight, I discovered a hostel in the area: the Riviera Backpackers hostel, a rare find in this part of Australia. Even better, it turned out to be a rather commendable hostel.
Lakes Entrance stands as an appealing tourist destination, particularly popular among camping enthusiasts. My visit here was a prelude to tomorrow’s journey to Ninety Mile Beach, and the anticipation was building—I couldn’t wait!
Finding Wi-Fi
Following my lunch at McDonald’s (no judgment, please), I aimed to upload my recent blog entries to my website. Unfortunately, the library, situated in the city hall, was closed for the weekend. McDonald’s Wi-Fi proved to be unreliable. Determined, I explored the local supermarket and mall, scanning for available Wi-Fi networks. Fortunately, the Target store had a functional network, and my phone connected seamlessly. After completing my grocery shopping, I returned to my car parked in front of the mall, retrieved my laptop, and enjoyed uninterrupted access to this network.
Taking a seat outside the Target store, I attempted to open Filezilla. The next challenge would be dealing with their firewall—I was crossing my fingers that it would permit FTP uploads. Many public networks often block such connections to prevent misuse, exactly what I was attempting, albeit in good humor. Seated by the store, I couldn’t help but feel a bit like a script kiddie engaging in something that almost seemed illicit.
Launching Filezilla, I observed the program attempting to establish a connection with the server for my website. After a minute, the connection was successfully established, and I initiated the upload. To my delight, it worked seamlessly! As I witnessed the files being uploaded, I was amazed by the incredible speed of the network—it was beyond fast, almost unbelievable. I settled in for a 45-minute wait until the upload completed. Throughout that time, I sat outside in front of the display window, casually observing Australian locals bustling around, engaging in shopping. It struck me how vibrant the mall was; considering the town had only 4000 residents, it felt as if the entire population was out and about, making this mall the hub of activity.
Riviera Backpackers Hostel
Upon the completion of the update, I made the decision to visit the Riviera Backpackers hostel. Admittedly, I wasn’t particularly keen on going, but the mounting pile of laundry left me with no choice but to spend some money. I arrived at the hostel in just 10 minutes, checked in, and the staff informed me that there might be one more person in the dorm, although they were unsure if he would still show up. Unfazed, I reassured them that it didn’t matter, and I would be perfectly fine even if the dorm was fully booked.
As it happened, I had the 6-bed dorm entirely to myself for the entire night. The hostel comprised various units with dorms of varying sizes. Noticing the empty parking lot in front of my unit, I parked there and retrieved a few things from the car trunk. Having my car within 20 meters of my living area proved convenient—I could grab a cold coke at any time from here.
After a refreshing shower, I loaded all my laundry into the washing machine. Opting to take a nap, I dozed off for a few hours. Upon waking, I transferred my clothes to the drying machine. The hostel proved to be a welcomed haven—it was clean, and the limited number of people around added to the comfort of the stay.
Given that it was late afternoon, I chose to take a stroll to the lake. Although I had initially planned to embark on a tour that day, the unexpected rains prompted me to refrain from contacting any tour companies in the morning.
The Cunninghame Arm Footbridge
In the morning, I spotted the Cunninghame Arm Footbridge spanning Lakes Entrance and connecting to the opposite side of the lake. Intrigued, I decided to explore it, and now was the perfect time. After a brief 5-minute drive, I parked my car and strolled towards the bridge. The views were delightful, though there was a looming possibility of rain later. Despite the weather, I wandered around, savoring the picturesque surroundings. There were only a few individuals present, including a newlywed couple engaged in a photoshoot, some hikers, and a few people fishing on the bridge. The place felt special, but I couldn’t help but think I had chosen the wrong time of the year to visit, considering it was currently autumn, evident in the weather.
After spending 30 minutes exploring, I returned to the car and opted to make another trip to the supermarket. I picked up some chips and snacks, then drove back to the hostel. That evening, I indulged in watching series and working on some reports. Around 11 pm, I called it a night, mindful of the fact that I needed to check out before 10 am the next day. The plan was to head to Sale, a larger town compared to Lakes Entrance, offering more facilities, and likely a good library. However, being Sunday tomorrow, the library plan seemed improbable. Fortunately, there was something near Sale that piqued my interest.
