Warrnambool

Warrnambool is a large regional city and is well serviced with hotels, motels and resorts. There are a considerable number of self catering and holiday type accommodation such as bed and breakfasts (also known as bnb and b&b), apartments, holiday houses, cottages, cabins, guesthouses as well as tourist or caravan parks, and backpackers or hostels.

Self catering accommodation – Apartments, holiday houses, cottages, cabins, b&b’s and guesthouses in Warrnambool are:

Tourist, Caravan or Holiday Parks in Warrnambool are:

• Big4 Ocean Beach Holiday Village
• Fig Tree Holiday Village
• Hopkins River Caravan Park
• Warrnambool Surfside Holiday Park
• Warrnambool Holiday Park
• Warrnambool Claremont Holiday Village
• Shipwreck Bay Holiday Park

The Motels in Warrnambool are:

• Anchor Belle Motel
• Tudor Motor Inn (Best Western)
• Centrepoint Motor Inn
• Beaches Inn (Comfort Inn)
• Central Court (Comfort Inn)
• Inn on Raglan (Comfort Inn)
• Warrnambool Country Comfort
• Hopkins House Motel (Golden Chain)
• Olde Maritime Motor Inn
• All Star Motor Inn
• All Seasons Motor Inn (Best Western)
• Warrnambool Motel (Best Western)
• City Heart Motel
• Western Motel (Comfort Inn)
• Downtown Motel
• Elm Tree Lodge
• Log Cabin Motel
• Mahogany Motel
• Raglan Motor Inn
• Redwood Manor Motel
• Southern Right Motor Inn
• Norfolk Lodge Motel
• Turn In Motel

The Hotel/Resort in Warrnambool is:

• Mantra Deep Blue

The Backpackers or Hostels in Warrnambool are:

• Warrnambool Beach Backpackers
• The Stuffed Backpacker Inn
• Backpackers Barn
   

Warrnambool Information:

Warrnambool is a regional city with a population over 30,000 people on the south-western coast of Victoria. Warrnambool has been blessed with a beautiful location nestled into the rising contour of the coast amid green dairying countryside. Located on the wide sweep of Lady Bay, Warrnambool has marvellous beaches on its doorstep that attract people all year round. In the summer months for the swimming and surf and in the winter for whale watching and leisurely walks along the shore. Take a stroll around the mouths of the Merri and Hopkins rivers - Pickering Point, Thunder Point and Point Ritchie. There are numerous coastal reserves and walking tracks with secluded beaches and rocky points, penguin colonies, and some good places for fishing, bird watching and whale watching off shore.
 

Warrnambool has a thriving arts scene, excellent restaurants serving the best of the freshest local produce and a relaxed café culture, most evident at the ‘bottom end’ of Liebig Street.

Warrnambool is at the western end of the Great Ocean Road, but is more quickly reached along the Princes Highway, 265 kilometres and 3 hours from Melbourne by road or rail.

Warrnambool's name comes from the language of the Kuurn Kopan Noot people who occupied the area for thousands of years prior to European settlement. It is said to mean 'two swamps' though another interpretation is 'ample water' and yet another interpretation is that it was the aboriginal name for a local volcano cone.
In the winter months, Southern Right whales are regularly seen in the waters near the city at the Logan's Beach nursery, and boats offer whale-watching tours.
The Warrnambool Botanic Gardens feature wide curving paths, rare trees, a lily pond with ducks and a fernery. It was by William Guilfoyle, the long term curator of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens.

Warrnambool is home to the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, one of the most prestigious classic car races in Australia. Drivers from all over Australia and America come to Warrnambool on the Australia Day long weekend to claim the trophy.

The city is also the finishing point of the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic road bicycle race, one of the world’s second oldest bike races, and the longest one day bicycle endurance races in the world, held every October since 1895.

Warrnambool is also the home of the Grand Annual steeplechase, which has more jumps (33) than any other horse race, and is one of the longest steeplechases in the world. It is held on the first Thursday in May each year as part of a 3 day racing festival.

An interesting tourist attraction is the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. It includes a model of  early 19th century port village and collections of material salvaged from some of the shipwrecks in the area, most notably the Loch Ard.

Undercover markets are held every Sunday morning at the showgrounds in Koroit St. The Hillside Market venue is the showgrounds in Koroit St on the second Sunday in the month.

Things to See and Do:  

Tourist Information - The Warrnambool Visitor Information Centre is located in the middle of town, at 600 Raglan Parade (the highway), ph: (03) 5564 7837, or free-call 1800 637 725. Children aged between 5 and 15 can obtain a copy of the Kid's Country Treasure Hunt Guide which follows a trail map to various attractions. There is a simple quiz based on the hunt and a lucky dip prize for correct answers. There are brochures dealing with the attractions of the so-called 'Shipwreck Coast', as well as a Whale Watcher's Guide. Surrounding the centre is Swan Reserve, a recreational area featuring fine native gardens.

Warrnambool Heritage Walk - A Heritage Walk brochure is available from the information centre from whence the walk commences. From Raglan Parade turn into Spence St. To the right is St John's Presbyterian Church, built of local sandstone in 1875. It features a memorial plaque to the shipwreck Enterprise. The 24-metre tower was a marker for ships coming into Lady Bay. Opposite, at the corner of Spence and Kepler Sts, is 'Ierne' - a two-storey residence built in 1883. Continue along Spence St and turn left into Jamieson St. To the right is the primary school, initially built in 1876. Opposite are a series of Victorian villas, some dating back to the 1870s. Continue along Jamieson St, cross Raglan Parade and enter Fairy St - a commercial avenue along which produce once headed en route to the port tramway and, from 1890, to the railway terminus. To the left are a series of two-storey buildings, many dating from the 1880s when they served as lower floor stores with upper storey residences. No.181 across the road was once a cordial factory and 165 was a hotel. At Fairy and Lava Sts is a building with a wheat sheaf motif to indicate it was originally a bakery (1892). Outside no.121 is an old cast-iron hitching post. Turn right into Koroit St. By the Henna St corner walk through the lych gate on the right into the grounds of Christ Church, built 1854-56 with the tower added in 1882. Return along Koroit St. To the right is Ellerslie College - a rare example of a carved limestone building. Cross back over Fairy St. To the left are the offices of the Warrnambool Standard. The oldest section (eastern end) dates from 1872. Turn right into Kepler St. No.95 is classified by the National Trust (note the plaque). On the other side of the road, a little further on, are the Federal Chambers (1897). The nearby Masonic temple, with its Doric pillars, dates from 1870. At the corner of Kepler and Timor Sts are the former Bank of Australasia (1850) which is now a nightclub (note the plaque) and the Western Hotel (1869), once a Cobb and Co staging post. Turn left into Timor St. The buildings on the left, for 100 metres (down to no.234), were rebuilt in the 1880s to replace some buildings from the 1850s. The pair of shops at 220-222, with their Tuscan pilasters, date from c.1860. Turn right into Gilles St which features old civic buildings such as the courthouse (1871), the old police station, stables, lock-up and residence(c.1850), the post office (1870) and the old bluestone customs house which is now an art gallery featuring changing exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, prints, ceramics, glass, jewellery and textiles. At the end of Gilles St is History House which features a range of items pertaining to local history - photographs, documents and other records. It is based in a stone cottage built in 1876 for the caretakers of the Hot Sea Baths which were supplied with sea water pumped from Lady Bay by windmills, then heated. Return to Timor St and continue eastwards. Nos 162-166 date from 1872. The Whalers Inn was built in 1856 as the Commercial Hotel and extended in 1876. It is the city's oldest surviving pub. From the Art Gallery continue north along Liebig St. Many of the two-storey shop-residences in the lower half of the block date from the 1870s though they have been altered over the years. Note the two protective hub stones as you pass the first laneway. Near the top of the hill are buildings dating mostly from the 1880s. At the Koroit St corner is a gas lamp standard which has been restored. Turn left into Koroit St then right into Kepler St. The Warrnambool Club dates from 1875-77. Cross Lava St. To the left is St Joseph's Catholic Church (1872 with an 1886 spire) which is surrounded by a fine bluestone and iron fence. The original Catholic Church still stands at the corner of Kepler St and Raglan Parade.

Warrnambool Regional Art Gallery and Arts Centre - At the corner of Timor and Liebig Sts is the Warrnambool Regional Art Gallery, established in 1886. The north-western corner of the building is the former Steam Navigation Company office (1886). The gallery features a range of 19th and 20th century works: Australian and European, including Arthur Boyd's Portrait of Max Nicholson. It is open daily from noon to 5.00 p.m.
Adjacent is the Performing Arts Centre. It features theatre, ballet, opera and other forms of music and a foyer with a major tapestry and embroidery display, along with changing exhibitions.

Cannon Hill - Walk along Artillery Crescent to Cannon Hill which offers excellent views of Lady Bay and Lake Pertobe. It is named for the World War I howitzers and the anti-aircraft gun. A marble marker commemorates the likelihood of early Portuguese exploration in the area.

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village - On the rise which overlooks Lady Bay is Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village - a recreation of a late 19th century coastal port. At the entrance there is a whaleboat and a film theatre which plays some interesting films and documentaries relating to maritime themes free of charge all day (some date back to the 1920s). Other features are an elaborate local tapestry which depicts historic themes and the Schomberg Diamond. An encrusted lid was brought up from the site of the 1855 Schomberg shipwreck in 1975. Some time later, when it was cleaned up, the diamond ring was found in the moulded top of the lid. The path leads on to the recreated village. Each building portrays an important aspect of 19th century port life. Some are original buildings, including the chart room, two operating lighthouses and the lighthouse keeper's cottage which houses the Shipwreck Museum. The Upper Lighthouse and outbuildings (1859) were moved here from Middle Island in 1871-72, and the Lower Lighthouse was erected on Lady Bay Beach in 1859, dismantled in 1871 and the light placed atop an obelisk at Flagstaff Hill. The hill receives its name from the occasion in 1854 when a flagstaff was placed on the hill as a navigational aid and it too has been preserved here. The fortifications on Flagstaff Hill were completed in 1887. They were installed to defend against a feared Russian attack.

There is also a working blacksmith's, a shipwright's workshop, a leadlighter, a photographic studio, a glassblower and, in the December-January school holidays, there are re-enactments in period costume on a daily basis. The village is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily. A free pass is issued for a second day if visitors feel unable to complete their exploration in one day. It is located by the roundabout at the corner of Merri St and Banyan St.

Lake Pertobe - From the roundabout, Pertobe Rd heads down to the ocean, past Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground - an award-winning 35-ha playground constructed on reclaimed swampland. There is a lake with suspension bridges leading across to islets and there are paddleboats, small family motorboats, a timber maze, a flying fox, swings, a fort, giant slides, walking tracks, bird hides, picnic-barbecue areas and mini-golf.

Lady Bay - Pertobe Rd leads past a carpark adjacent Lady Bay Beach (there is also a pedestrian entrance off Merri St). This is the town's main beach. It offers safe swimming, windsurfing and yachting opportunities. The 3.4km Lady Bay Promenade is an easy walk with great views.

Breakwater Promenade - When Pertobe Rd reaches a T-intersection, turn left into Viaduct Rd. To your right is the mouth of the Merri River and offshore is Middle Island. Viaduct Rd ends at the breakwater - a popular promenade and fishing spot. There are boat ramps and a yacht club nearby.

Stingray Bay and Middle Island - The small bay into which the Merri River empties is known as Stingray Bay. Middle Island lies a very short distance offshore. It is home to a small fairy penguin colony. Access is by wading at low tide. Visitors are asked to keep to the designated tracks and not disturb the penguins.

Thunder Point Coastal Reserve and Shelly Beach - Stingray Bay is at the eastern edge of Thunder Point Coastal Reserve which constitutes the land to the west of the Merri River estuary. It contains an Aboriginal midden deposit consisting of numerous distinct layers dating back some 3000 years. There are also walking tracks, rock pools, native birds, tiny inlets and lovely views over the ocean and rocky shoreline. It is a popular spot for fishing, skindiving and birdwatching. To get there return along Viaduct Rd and turn left into Stanley St which leads across the river. At the T-intersection turn left into McDonald St which leads to a lookout at the reserve. A walking trail leads west to Shelly Beach which is a noted spot for shell collecting.

Levy's Point Coastal Reserve - Further west is Levy's Point Coastal Reserve, a lovely and little-used surf beach off Swinton Street. It offers excellent fishing and surfing opportunities though there are dangerous rips. Access is via the dunes. Swinton St leads on past a carpark to a 4WD track.

Payne Reserve - Payne Reserve is a recreational area on the banks of the Merri River near the West Warrnambool bridge (off Drummond St or The Esplanade). There are amenities.

Hopkins River Estuary - The mouth of the Hopkins River, on the eastern side of the city's beachfront, is a popular fishing spot. There are beautiful cliffs, rock formations and plenty of rock pools. A driving track and a walking trail lead off Hickford Parade to the Hopkins River Lookout at Point Ritchie on the western side of the estuary. Just up from the estuary, on the western bank, there are boat ramps. Boating, waterskiing and swimming are possible. At the end of Simpson St is the Hopkins River Boat House which dates from the late 19th century. Classified by the National Trust this attractive timber structure features scalloped bargeboards and frilled lacework valances on the verandahs and balconies. It is now a restaurant, tavern bar and tea room called Proudfoots on the River and it is open daily, ph: (03) 5561 5055.
Warrnambool River Cruises depart from the Boat House. They explore the Hopkins River and are of 90 minutes duration, ph: (03) 5562 7788.

Whale Watching - If you turn left off Blue Hole Rd into Logans Beach Rd it leads to the whale viewing platform at Logans Beach which is known as Australia's southern right whale nursery owing to the fact that the whales (as they have done for hundreds of years) come to within 100 metres of the shoreline to give birth each year between June and October. The calves are five or six metres in length at birth. The southern right whale is black, has no dorsal fin and features crusty white-grey outgrowths on its body known as callosites. The name reflects the fact that they were considered the 'right' whale to hunt as they swam slowly, close to the shore, floated when killed and yielded much oil and whalebone. By 1935, when they became a protected species, there were thought to be only about a thousand in existence. Their numbers have increased since that time but not dramatically. Prospective visitors should call the information centre first to see if the whales are in the area. Even if they are, they may not be visible at Logans Beach, so prepare for multiple visits. Binoculars are recommended. Visitors should use the facilities provided and keep off the fragile vegetation and dunes. A whale watcher's guide is available from the town's information centre.

Warrnambool Trout Farm - Further along Wollaston Rd is Warrnambool Trout Farm which supplies all necessary equipment for fishing. Fish-feeding, smoked trout, pate, yabby sales (seasonal), barbecue facilities and a function room are available. They are open weekends and public holidays and every day during school holidays from 10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Cheeseworld, Allansford - Head east along the highway for 12 km then turn right onto the Great Ocean Road and it is 2 km to Cheeseworld which features a cheese and wine cellar and restaurant. It is open daily from 8.30 a.m. Allansford was established as a private town by the Allan family who built a Presbyterian church and a pise schoolhouse which is still in use. Dairying developed late in the 19th century and the town's dairy co-op was one of the state's first.

Cudgee Creek Wildlife Park - 16 km east of Warrnambool, via the Princes Highway, is a signposted turnoff on the left to Cudgee. If you take this turnoff, cross the railway line then take the first left (signposted) it leads to Cudgee Creek Wildlife Park, a seven-acre property which is home to deer, wallabies, kangaroos, emus, monkeys, crocodiles and a walk-through bird aviary. It is possible to feed the animals. Cudgee Creek is open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. in December and January and from Tuesday to Sunday for the rest of the year, ph: (03) 5567 6260.

Hopkins Falls - Hopkins Falls, 13 km north-east of town, are particularly splendid after a good rain. To get there head north off the Princes Highway into Jamieson St which eventually heads north-east out of town as the Hopkins Highway. About 2.7 km from the Princes Highway there is a signposted right turn into Wangoom Rd. Simply follow this until you see another brown-and-white sign directing you into Hopkins Falls Rd.

The Cottage Rose Display Garden - En route to the falls is the village of Wangoom (7 km north-east of Warrnambool) where you will find the Cottage Rose Display Garden which features almost a hectare of roses including every David Austin variety of rose in Australia. It is open from Friday to Sunday between November and the end of January. Appointments can be made at other times but it is closed between May and September, ph: (03) 5567 1168.

Sherbourne Rose Maze - In Spring Flat Rd at Wangoom is Sherbourne Rose Maze which features over 1000 roses, including ground cover, floribunda, hybrid tea, standard climbing, pillar and miniature roses. Lunches and teas are available in the Garden Tea Rooms during opening hours. They are open every day but Monday from November to the end of April from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., ph: (03) 5567 1175.

Historic Shipwreck Coast Trail - The Shipwreck Trail covers a 110-km stretch of coastline between Moonlight Head in the east and Port Fairy in the west within which 163 shipwrecks are known to have occurred. The trail is marked along the Great Ocean Road by road signs which lead to information plaques overlooking shipwreck sites. It takes in Loch Ard Gorge where the Loch Ard sank. A brochure is available from the information centre.

The Mahogany Walking Track - The Mahogany Ship was first sited by Europeans in 1836 when two shipwrecked sealers sighted an ancient wreck with dark timbers amidst the sand dunes to the west of the present townsite. Others noted its existence until 1880 and it is now presumed lost under shifting sands. Deliens World Map, published in 1567, delineated the southern coastline of Australia to a point 6 km west of Warrnambool. Historians have speculated that it is the result of a secret 1522 Portuguese voyage, featuring three ships, headed by Christovao Mendonca. This has led to speculation that the Mahogany Ship is a wreck from this voyage. The Mahogany Walking Track is a 22-km trail which extends from Warrnambool to Port Fairy, past the possible site of the ship. This strip of coast was once coastal forest but was cleared for agriculture by early European settlers. The walk starts at Thunder Point Coastal Reserve or may be joined and exited at other points to reduce its length.