Two sides of the bay

After leaving Phillip Island we made our way to the Mornington Peninsula on the eastern side of Port Phillip Bay in Boon Wurrung/Bunurong country. We were planning long strolls along scenic esplanades, cheese tasting and perhaps a spot of fishing. But the weather gods didn't get the memo and instead we spent much of our time squelching through the mud surrounding out campsite and trying to stop Loretta's roof from blowing off.

But it wasn't all gloomy and we managed to get a couple of short brisk walks in between downpours. The highlight of our stay was definitely our day trip to Melbourne to visit Stanley's most favourite Uncle Rob, Auntie Helen and cousin Bailey.

Then "we" packed up in the rain, gritted our teeth and put our faith in Siri to guide us safely through Melbourne's confusing and slightly terrifying network of motorways. A bit over an hour and a half later we emerged unscathed on the other side of Port Phillip Bay in Werribee South, also Boon Wurrung/Bunurong country.

Juddy and I have been to Werribee once before, for a work thing which afforded us the luxury of staying in the Werribee Park Mansion, a bit more opulent than our current digs. We enjoyed strolls through the gardens in between meetings but didn't get to experience anything of Werribee itself.

The first Europeans here were Hume and Hovell, who'd set out from Sydney to explore what's now known as Port Phillip Bay in 1824. Matthew Flinders had sailed past in 1802, but didn't stop for some reason. Hume and Hovell advised the Governor of NSW that the area would be good for sheep grazing but he wasn't interested. He must have had some kind of inside information because now it's all cows and crops, nary a sheep to be seen.

It wasn't until the late 1840s that the area was settled by Europeans. Scotsman Thomas Chirnside, who already owned great chunks of land in western Victoria, started taking up land in the Werribee area with his brother Andrew, eventually owning around 93000 acres. The Chrinside brothers built a bluestone homestead at Point Cook in the 1870s and this is now Werribee Park Mansion. It's considered one of the finest colonial dwellings in Victoria and is now a swanky conference centre/hotel/spa with a big "Dogs Prohibited!" sign on its gates. So we have no photos of it. Here are some photos of other parts of Werribee taken on this beautiful warm sunny day, and a few of the blustery (but picturesque) Mornington Peninsula.