Princess Margaret Rose Cave: first discovered in NEARBY ATTRACTIONS 1936, the cave is renowned for its stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone decorations. A Mount Eccles National Park: approximately 50km forty minute professionally guided tour is north of Heywood – turn right at Condah on the conducted every day except Christmas Day. Tour Henty Highway. Mount Eccles is a volcanic crater times are 10am, 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, and freshwater lake surrounded by 400 hectare of 3.30pm and 4.30pm (reduced hours in Winter) bushland. Several walking tracks cross the park, Things To Prices: Adults $17.50, Children $11.50, Concession swimming is possible in Lake Surprise and there are $14.50 and Families $40.00. Other facilities at the excellent camping facilities, bookings required. cave include camping, picnic areas, bbq’s, kiosk Port MacDonnell and Coast to Carpenter Rocks: the See & Do and walking trails. Ph 08 8738 4171 Southern Rock Lobster capital of Australia, Port MacDonnell offers a Maritime Museum, Feasts Car Museum and Dingley Dell (Adam Lindsey MEALS / ENTERTAINMENT Nelson and Surrounds Gordon’s Cottage). View interesting rock formations along the Foreshore Drive to the Nelson BP Roadhouse: open daily for sit in or rugged cliffs near Cape Northumberland takeaway meals, groceries, fishing supplies, Lighthouse; wait until dusk for a chance to see fuel/gas supplies, newspapers and magazine Fairy Penguins. A drive further along the coast will Ph 08 8738 4142 take you through fishing villages of Pelican Point, Blackfellows Caves and finally Carpenter Rocks, Nelson Hotel: bistro meals, bottle shop, and live which features Cape Banks Lighthouse, where a entertainment Ph 08 8738 4011 memorial has been erected to the 89 lives lost when the vessel Admella came to grief in 1859. Nelson Kiosk: open daily for sit in or takeaway Nearby is the southern entry into Canunda meals, grocery’s, fishing supplies, gas returns National Park (Beach 4 Wheel Driving) Australia Post Services, Coffee, newspapers/magazines. Catering service offered TOURS / ACTIVITIES Ph 08 8738 4041 For more information on things to do and see in Cobboboonee Horse Riding: horse trail riding and Nelson and Surrounds, contact any of the lessons, with qualified instructors. Beach Rides, Discovery Coast Visitor Information Centres. Camps and Trail Rides, Catering for beginners and Advance, take a trail ride through the Cobboboonee National Park. Located at Gorae 40 minutes from Nelson. Ph 03 5529 2303 Glenelg River Cruises: Nelson Explorer and Nelson Endeavour do a number of cruises up the Glenelg Glenelg River meets the Sea River, including trips to the Princess Margaret Rose Caves; they can cater for large groups or put on Casterton – 3 Racecourse Road. special trips for functions. Cruise fares: Adults T: (03) 5581 2070 $32.50, Children $10.00, Seniors $30.00, Family Nelson – Leake Street. T: (08) 8738 4051 $75.00. Ph 044 887 1225 Portland – Lee Breakwater Road. Nelson Boat Hire: see the Glenelg Rivers limestone T: 1800 035 567 gorge and surrounding National Park at your own Email: [email protected] pace. Catch a fish, have a picnic or just enjoy the tranquillity. Hire a dinghy, half cabin cruiser, Produced by the Nelson VIC pontoon party boat or camper craft. No boat Updated 1 August 2015 licence required. Hire by the hour or day. Check out the Tackle shop with fresh and frozen bait. Open daily except Thursdays. Ph 08 8738 4048 WALKS Snorkelling / Diving: Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Dartmoor: Avenue of Honour, Atlantic Cedars planted Park offers a unique diving or snorkelling in 1918, as a memorial to those who served in the First experience. A permit/time slot system operates World War have now been carved to depict service Lake Monibeong Loop Walk: starts from campsite 5 in bookings through the Dept. of Environment office, men and women in the Army, Navy and Airforce, the Monibeong camp area, this is a 15km loop walk Mt Gambier. Snorkel Ewens Ponds a unique spring along with Childrens Story Tales. Dartmoor has a of medium difficulty, the walk passes the southern fed system, approximately 10 metres deep, no general store, hotel and very good golf course. shore of the lake, heading for Nobles Rocks, return permit is currently required for these ponds. Donovans: a small river hamlet, which offers a quiet along the beach, turning off at Cape Montesquieu – Swimming: the Glenelg River is safe to swim in, and relaxing spot for picnics and fishing. Suttons Rocks. however people who are not strong swimmers Jackass Fern Gully Picnic Area: situated near the Livingstone Island Walk: easy loop walk of about 2.5km, should swim at the Estuary Beach where the water headwaters of the Fitzroy River, about 20km along commencing from the Estuary Beach car park. The is shallower. the T & W Road from the Nelson/Portland Road or walk takes in views of the Glenelg River, unique Tennis: public tennis court is located on Leake Street, 9.2km on the T & W Road from Princess Highway. marsh areas and offers bird watching opportunities. Court Hire is $10.00 per hour, enquiries to the The Jackass Fern Gully, served as both watering Sapling Creek Walk: an easy loop of 4.5km, Nelson Visitor Information Centre. hole and river ford in early settlement times, later it commencing from the Sapling Creek picnic area, saw the established of a sawmill. Vegetation off Glenelg Drive approximately 8km from Nelson. DAY TRAILS / DRIVES includes five different fern types, stringy bark, The Gorge Walk: starts at the car park near the At Casterton: you can visit Warrock Homestead, paperbark, prickly currant bush and tall saw-sedge. intersection of the North Nelson Track and River Baileys Rocks, Bilsons Tree and many cafes and The picnic and camping facilities are fabulous. Road, this is a 10km walk of medium difficulty, taking arty shops. Call into the Casterton Visitor Mount Shank – just a short 20 minute drive, west of in views of the limestone cliffs and wildflowers in Information Centre for further details Nelson, between Port MacDonnell and Mount season. At Coleraine: you can visit Glenelg Chocolate Factory, and the Peter Francis Point Arboretum Gambier, is this extinct volcano, 150 metres above (Eucalyptus Discovery Centre). sea level. Choose from 2 steep walking trails, one to SPORT / ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES Cape Bridgewater: take the Portland – Nelson Road the crater rim 900 metres return or alternatively one for approximately 70km, then turn off to the right that takes in the crater floor at 1.3km return. BBQ, picnic facilities and toilets are provided at the base Canoeing / Kayaking: canoeing on the Glenelg River is onto Amor’s Road, till it intersects with Cashmore of the mountain. possible from Dartmoor (seasonal) to the River Road, then turn right. Follow the road past the Nobles Rocks: a four wheel drive track marked Quarry Mouth. There are special canoe camps along the Bridgwater Lakes, to Bridgewater Beach; from Road leads to Nobles Rocks, a good place for surf River (bookings required). Canoes and Kayaks and there you can drive to the Blowholes, the Springs fishing and gathering pipis when tides are correct. other equipment can be hired through and Petrified Forest. An energetic 2 hour return Nobles Rocks Midens – shells such a pipis, whelks Nelson Boat and Canoe Hire Ph 08 8738 4048 or walk will take you to the Seal Colony Lookout. and mussels accumulated on the rocks, they are Paestan Canoe Hire 0429 381 875 Casterton / Coleraine: located to the North of Nelson, the remains of meals eaten by Indigenous people. Fishing: the Glenelg River is ideal for recreational fishers; the round trip from Nelson to Casterton/Coleraine Penambol Conservation Park: located 22km south east there are a number of landings along the river, or and back to Nelson is approximately 3-4 hours. of Mount Gambier, this park conserves an facilities for launching a boat. Surf fishing is also Swan Lake: can be reached off the Portland- Nelson important area of remnant vegetation. It adjoins possible along Discovery Bay. A Victorian fishing Road. Camping facilities are available (bookings the Warreanga Native Forest Reserve and contains licence is required, except people under 18, over required), there is a walking track across the several geological features, one of which has 70, Senior Card Holders, Pension and Veteran Card dunes to the Ocean Beach and areas of the archaeological significance. The park is one of the Holder. dunes are set aside for Dune Buggy’s. best places to see evidence of wombats. There are Half Basket Ball Court: located close to the children’s NEARBY ATTRACTIONS several walks to do within the park, one of which play equipment in Bridge Park, bring your own Crawford River Regional Park: situated in the provides elevated views of the Caroline Sinkhole. basketball. Crawford River Valley near Hotspur, follow the Nearby is Hells Hole. Power Boating / Water-skiing: two water-skiing zones signs just past Hotspur and near Greenwald on The Inkpot: a natural depression formed either by the are located on the Glenelg River. Simsons Landing the Prices Highway. Drive along the Boulevard action of water dissolving the underlying limestone to Taylors Straight and Sandy Waterholes, boats can which follows the northern bank of the river or by the collapse of a large cave, when full it is 10 be launched at either area. Times permitted for through forests of stringy bark and lush tree lined metres and the colour black is caused by decaying skiing are Dec-Feb 8am-8pm, March/April and Nov gullies, fishing is challenging with species such as vegetable matter. The inkpot is accessed off the 8am-6pm, May and August-October Redfin and Rainbow Trout.