Paynesville trip was amazing! Made even more exciting because I have never been that far East before.
Started off a bit shakey, blown trailer tyre on the highway from Geelong to Melbourne then second blown tyre just passed Warragul. Not just flats but properly exploded! Apparently 2 factors, old American tyres never been changed and storing the boat on a gravel driveway allows the tyres to absorb moisture when it rains and then they dry out in the sun and this constant change weakens them. Recommended to keep your tyres on something off soft soils if you can I was told. Oh well, all part of boating!
The trip itself however was one of the best things I have done! Trip was 5 hours from Geelong to Paynesville and a very easy stress free drive (apart from tyre problems). Plan was to camp during the week and the spoil ourselves at an apartment on the weekend. Paynesville is set-up for boating, you can fuel on the water, you can get coffees and lunches, everything is so easy and lots of public moorings. Packed the boat with esky, fishing gear and swags. Waterskiing to start the day, lunch at Metung Pub and then over to Lakes Entrance for the afternoon. Tried our luck at fishing off 90 mile beach for salmon and caught a few flathead. Some more fishing for King George Whiting off around the islands and then camped at Barriers Landing. Lots of dolphins also to see and lots of seals and birdlife.
Next day went to Lakes Entrance for a coffee, around to Ocean Grange for a swim off the beach and then over to Loch Sport for lunch at the pub there. Bit of fishing and water skiing on the way home. Weather became a bit cool that evening and we decided to call up Captains Cove and request an early booking. Could not recommend them more highly. Lovely staff, very accommodating, facilities are great and worth the money for the convenience of having your boat in the water outside your lounge room. There is a caravan park next door which also looked good, Allawah Caravan Park.
From our new fancy apartment we then spent the next 4 days doing multiple trips up the rivers and exploring the lakes. Ducks Arm is a lovely afternoon/evening spot. Packed a picnic and a few wines, you can tie up on a swing mooring and then swim off your swim deck in the evening sun. Had such a great time I'm thinking of making the same trip again in a few weeks just to make the most of my time off. Highly recommend it. Top tips are, you can get everything in Paynesville so don't worry too much about stockpiling the car, they have a big supermarket etc... Get a good water proof map at the newsagency and stick within the channel markers, some shallow sandy sections but easily avoidable. Can get a little bit choppy at times so keep your bow cover on the boat. If anyone has any questions more than happy to answer them or someone else on the thread may who has been there more than me.
Photos by this link. They are too big to post or something I can't manage.
http://s1053.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... ng%20lakes
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