Lorne

Its 8:33pm and I’m sitting up in bed on my laptop, the kids are fast asleep after a day exploring town, playing at the playground and running up and down on the beach with their kites. It was almost warm enough for a swim in the sea this afternoon - almost. 

Outside, loud suspenseful music is blaring as people prance theatrically around a large fire pit. There is a huge dragon and a lady on stilts rehearsing for Sunday nights performance - we have happened upon an Art Festival this weekend in Lorne, what luck!

We’ve already discovered several art installations dotted around this small sweet seaside town. We find them around corners, in the gardens, along the beach and at the end of a tall pier. We even came over a rock wall on the beach to find strange stone figures half buried, their heads in a packing crate broken in the sand. But the girls are more interested in the figures along the promenade and stop to have a conversation with the wooden carvings. A large plane and a large hooded plover wait at the end of the stream by Swing Bridge Cafe, they both have a story. There’s strange and wonderful things everywhich way you look. We stop occasionally to read a sign board introducing the artist and the inspiration for their art.  The girls really enjoyed each discovery - especially the surfer lady with her loyal companion all carved from wood. 

The next day we take a long walk to the pier amongst the rock pools which seem to be stripped of sealife. The surfers are mere metres away on the point, hustling for small waves.  The pier which is visible from town seems so very high above the water which is clear and we spot 4 huge stingrays swooping under the pier chasing sprats through the weeds. There are 10 or more ‘sculptures’ this end of town too.

Later, back at camp, the park is clear of the dress rehearsal so we’ve dragged our picnic rug over there into the sun for a serious game of cards which I can’t seem to win as April and Alila take turns winning.

Lorne has been a wonderful stop, with its cockatoos as common and obnoxious as seagulls, we’ve seen them stealing small ramekins of sauce, waiting for a stray chip and pulling up the rubber sidewalk matting. They screech all day, sounding like ancient pterodactyls swooping for your small child playing dolls outside. But they’re still so cool because they’re unique to us. The site was busy and a little dusty but super close to the beach and to town, couldn’t have asked for more on a long weekend without pre-booking. Thanks Lorne.