We woke to another blue sky, with white caps on the lake as there was a bit of a breeze. I’d like to say we sprang out of bed and got started early – but that’d be a complete fabrication.  We spent most of the morning lazing about, and finally departed for our day out some time after 11.

After a brief stop in Bairnsdale, we turned off the Princes Highway and headed towards Paynesville.  Our first destination was Eagle Point and the Silt Jetties – long narrow strips of naturally built up silt, clay and sand, which protrude 8 km into the lake; they are the second longest in the world (after those in the Mississippi River) and are also called finger deltas.  We had never seen anything quite like them, and I kept expecting to see alligators and those flat boats with huge fans that are a feature of the Florida Everglades.  Driving along them is quite an unusual experience, as you are so close to the water. There are a few houses, boats, small private jetties, and campers throwing in a line here and there.  We drove right to the end, and ate lunch there.

We headed into Paynesville itself, following signs for the Raymond Island Ferry. This “floating bridge” transports cars, pedestrians and cyclists on a 5 minute trip across McMillan Strait.  Free if on foot – making it the cheapest, and shortest “cruise” we’ve ever been on.  Being public transport, we had to mask up whilst on board.

Once on the island, the main attraction is the Koala Trail.  You follow signs from the ferry disembarkation point, around part of the island. There are 300 koalas, so they are relatively easy to spot; we saw half a dozen without trying too hard, during our hour-long walk.  Dial up the cuteness to max!

A quick return ferry trip had us back on the “mainland”. We drove around the “posh” part of Paynesville, ie the canals, with some very impressive waterfront houses and private jetties. Very Surfers Paradise. We also spotted the World’s Longest Bicycle (Guinness Book of Records official ratification pending), and an interesting juxtaposition of real estate.

It was late afternoon by the time we returned to Tambo Bluff, for a quick break.  We rounded out a lovely day with an evening stroll along the Metung boardwalk, up to Chinamans Creek.  We detoured up a short steep track to a lookout, then retraced our leisurely steps.  We were surprised at how many boats there are all over the place – just how many boat owners are there in Victoria, we wondered.  An hour’s walk was enough; we drove back across the surprisingly steep hills and gullies between Metung and Tambo Bluff, just in time to watch another sunset.