Since the Melbourne-area lockdown restrictions were lifted recently, we were anxious to get out of the city and explore beyond the 10km radius we had been confined to for several months. So, we took a day trip to Mornington Peninsula and the Point Nepean National Park. It is the most narrow piece of land separating Port Phillip Bay from the Bass Strait (the Southern Ocean between Victoria and Tasmania). In the picture above, you can see the crashing waves of the Bass Strait on the right and the calmer waters of Port Phillip Bay on the left.
The history of Point Nepean spans back thousands of years to the Bunurong people. Since then, the area has been used to quarantine people arriving in Victoria, siting of defense forts, and military training. Point Nepean was a critical part of Victoria's defenses from 1878 until 1948. It was the largest and most heavily armed installation in the network of fortifications around the entrance to Port Phillip. After World War II, soldiers were removed, and the buildings and fortifications were declared redundant.
We also stopped by the Quarantine Station. A visit to the Quarantine Station offers a unique opportunity to see how a large number of new Australians spent their first few weeks in their new country.
This community of hospitals, disinfecting complex, morgue, cemetery, and other buildings comprised an infectious disease facility that processed newly arrived humans and livestock alike.
Once again, Rob and I feel fortunate to have stayed in a luxury hotel for our 2-week quarantine after arriving in Australia.
Finally, we had dinner at a restaurant in Sorrento. It happened to be not far from the car ferry that takes cars over to Queenscliff on the NW side of the fairly small inlet to Port Phillip Bay.
We decided to make that another trip. We headed back to Melbourne along the same route we drove down on the east side.
A view of (part of) the Melbourne skyline as we headed back home that evening.
