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Port Fairy
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PORT FAIRY
was once an early port and whaling centre but is now a quaint crayfishing town with a busy jetty, a harbour full of yachts, and over fifty National Trust-listed buildings. Heavy southern breakers roll into the surrounding beaches, and on
Griffiths Island
, poised between the ocean and Port Fairy Bay, there's a
muttonbird
rookery with a specially constructed lookout where between September and April you can watch them roost at dusk. For a historic town, it's also quite a happening place, hosting numerous events: in summer the six-week-long
Moyneyana Festival
focuses on outdoor activities with events such as a raft race on the Moyne River, reaching its climax with the Moyneyana New Year's Eve procession; and at Easter the annual Queenscliff to Port Fairy
yacht race
ends here, with a huge party. The biggest event, however, takes place over the Labour Day long weekend in March, when the huge
Port Fairy Folk Festival
takes over the town, with Australian and overseas acts playing world, roots and acoustic music. Tickets are sold in early November, and usually sell out in less than a day. Up to twenty thousand people pour into town for the festival, and even a tent site is hard to get. For more information and festival bookings call the
visitor information centre
, on Bank Street (daily 9am-5pm; tel 03/5568 2682, fax 5568 2833). The centre also produces an excellent 20? map of the Port Fairy Heritage Walk, which takes you on a route around town to admire the many fine buildings.
The History Centre
, in the old courthouse on Gipps Street by the river (Wed, Sat & Sun 2-5pm, daily during holidays; $3), displays costumes, historic photographs, shipwreck relics and other items relating to the town's pioneer history. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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