Lake Tyers

On another day we went to Lake Tyers, just a short drive from Lakes Entrance. This was another of my sister's favourite places and she has often stayed there with her family. We took a nostalgic - for her - walk around the place where she had stayed several times. The picture below is what she saw from her accommodation then. Well, that's not quite correct as on one occasion the lake had naturally opened to the sea, its sand bar succumbing to high lake water levels and pressure from the Tasman sea. The last time it did that was in 2009  and the time before that was in 1998. On both these occasions it remained open for about six months during which time the ecosystem gained a beneficial flush and it also enabled fish to move in and out of the lake to spawn.

Lake Tyers, Victoria

The lone bird in my photo below actually had many companions of different kinds however my camera's zoom was totally inadequate.

Lake Tyers and Sand bar, Victoria

My sister's husband has fished many times in this lake and knows it well. It is a small snaky lake, about 16 square kilometres and is bordered by lovely forests. After visiting the Lake Tyers township we then went to the Toorloo Arm 
which is one of the two places where boats can be launched. 

It was a still day with a vibrant blue sky. Not too hot but our feet did enjoy a paddle in the soft water. I was talking when this shot was taken!

Toorloo Arm, Lake Tyers

After a while at the Toorloo Arm we then went back onto the Princes Highway to the Nowa Nowa Arm, the end of the lake. Morning tea was due so we found a delightful cafe by the highway, after which we went in search of Stony Creek several kilomentres towards Lakes Entrance. Again, the sign was hard to pick up however with four pairs of eyes on the lookout for it we found it and drove down a windy dirt road. My brother in law was driving and without warning the car lurched suddenly and stopped. A big goanna had been sitting on the middle of the road and only quick reflexes on the part of the driver had avoided hitting it. We hurriedly exited the car, grabbing cameras. Too late to click a shot! He was scrabbling up a gum tree in a flash of yellow and brown, disappearing across high branches transferring to a tree on the other side of the road.

Goanna

Goanna

The photo above is the closest I could find to the one we saw. Goannas are monitor lizards and 25 of the 30 species live in Australia. Their colourings and diet vary according to where they live but they are all carnivorous. During my teaching career I taught at a school near a lot of bush on the edge of the Greater Brisbane. We had goannas in the playground frequently and when I was on playground duty I had to be on the lookout for them - and also snakes - as they can be aggressive when children get too close swinging their tails which, being weighty can do a lot of damage to a small child. When surrounded, they can mistake a person for a tree and try to make their escape by climbing. Not a good experience for a colleague who had one attempt just that and one that I took careful note of.

After this exciting sighting we continued to the end of the road, arriving at Trestle Bridge. This was built entirely of materials in the area- primarily red ironbark and grey box timber. It is 247 metres long and 20 metres high and was built in 1916 when the train line from Melbourne to Bairnsdale was extended another 97 kilometres to Orbost. Steam trains were used until 1957 after which diesel was used. In 1968 there was a derailment on the bridge with only the engine and guard's van remaining on the track. Damaged by bushfire in 1980 and repaired, the last train crossed it in 1988. So, it has seen some action!

Trestle Bridge, Stony Creek, near Nowa Nowa

After we had eaten our lunch and donated some to the ants that always come to an Australian party, my sister and I left the men chatting and went to explore. 

 The platform of the bridge is becoming overgrown with vegetation, raising memories of ancient ruins I've seen in Cambodia and Sri Lanka that have had this happen. I also wondered how long the red ironbark could hold up and if whoever has some sort of responsibility for it would decide to let the bush take over or maintain it as part of the history of the area.

Trestle Bridge, Stony Creek

That night we had a meal at the famous Waterwheel Tavern in the Lake Tyers town. The Brazillion Steak was enthusiastically eaten while the rest of us enjoyed some white, juicy fish. After that we took a walk on the Ninety Mile beach to watch the sun go down.

These two found a lot to talk about it and talk they did! I had to wait a looong time before they turned around and I could get a picture.

Since returning home I have learned that Lake Tyers, because of its then isolation, was run as an Aboriginal settlement in 1863 by an Anglican missionary John Bulmer. By 1919 it had become Government run and then had Aboriginals from other places shipped in.

Furthermore, the Reserve was then carved up and block of land given to returned servicemen but NOT to Aboriginal returned service men who had their applications denied. Even though most of this this happened well before I was born and these actions would have been considered right with society then, I find it disturbing. The Aboriginal people today still wear this injustice and abuse. Yes. Abuse.

Sunset, Ninety Mile Beach, Lake Tyers

I will, however, finish this post with the lovely scene as the sun goes down on Ninety Mile Beach, Lake Tyers. It's a great memory of an excellent day.