The following article was contributed following a reminiscences session held at Watsonia library June 2008, on the topic “Holidays”.
In earlier days my parents purchased a block of land in Apollo Bay (quite a time before Apollo Bay became a well known tourist destination) and my father decided to have a tiny place built on this land, so the three of us went there for holidays.
Fishing
Apollo Bay suited my parents because they both liked quietness, pleasant scenery, and ”fishing” which they both enjoyed. Choices being fishing from the very long pier, the rocks or the surf (my dad only), and both spent many happy hours roaming up and down the river bank finding lovely places to fish. My mother being a ‘better fisherman’ than my father! He would become very frustrated at times when my mother would catch a nice size fish and he hadn’t been successful! I don’t know about now, but when we went there the fish were quite plentiful.
It is hard to believe that we were able to buy a lovely couta from the fishermen on the pier for 2/- (20¢) and a beautiful crayfish for a few shillings more. The fisherman would travel out to sea in their old style couta boats. This was the time before the present break-water was built to stop the heavy winter seas causing shore damage. As time progressed dad’s brothers would pay a visit, pitching their tents near to our little place, and they would stay doing fishing, swimming playing golf etc., and we would have a lovely time.
Shelly Beach
My mother and I together with dad and his brothers would visit a place called Shelly Beach and whilst the men were fishing from the rocks, the two of us would have a great time collecting the lovely sea shells which would be on the shore. We would walk quite a distance in lovely, sunny weather and come back happy with what we had found.
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road we travelled on many times and it was not the wonderful made road it is today. During World War II my father, mother and myself had to make a hasty trip to Apollo Bay and my father driving a Triumph motor cycle outfit (motor bike & side car) had to be guided by the light coming from the moon to see where he was going, because lights were not allowed to be seen from the coast line out at sea. That particular trip was rather long and scary for each time the moon went behind a cloud we had to stop and wait for it to come out again to show us our way.
Bushfires
On another couple of occasions when bushfires were raging to little towns along the Ocean Road and surrounding areas were being threatened. We were holidaying in our little place and my father had to come back to Melbourne for his work so he called into the local Police Station and obtained the latest information on the fires and decided to come home bringing my mother and myself too. The local and semi local fire fighters did a tremendous job, keeping The Great Ocean Road plus other main roads open and they did not have the communication and equipment for fire fighting that we have now. Lorne & Anglesea not forgetting Skenes Creek, Wye River and other small places suffered during those bush fire days.
Since those days I have been fortunate enough to see a lot more of Australia, however, Apollo Bay and The Great Ocean Road have given me and my family many treasured memories.
Betty Tillacia
June 2008
