A Detour Worth Taking

Kevtoberfest #19 Mallacoota

Would we have gone to Mallacoota if we hadn’t first seen it on a television show? Probably not – it meant taking a detour off the highway and staying overnight. But after the little seaside town was featured on ABC’s Back Roads, we decided the extra kilometres might be worth the effort.

The road to Mallacoota, in north-eastern Victoria, was flanked by green lush pastures, perfect for dairy cattle.

The campground in town, located beside the Wallagaraugh River, was surrounded by tall gum trees and from our sheltered site we had a million dollar view.

There were more wonderful views further along the coast. From Bastion Point we could see the mountains where the border separates New South Wales and Victoria.

At Bekta Beach, the Bekta River carved a ever-changing channel in the sand as it flowed into the ocean.

We found, hidden in the bush down a secluded dirt track, a remnant of the past that has remained unchanged for more than 70 years.

The Mallacoota World War II Operations Bunker was one of a chain of high security defence surveillance installations used by the Royal Australian Air Force. During the war, Defence personnel monitored traffic in the southern Pacific Ocean, including Japanese submarines on regular patrols off Australia’s east coast. The bunker ceased operations after the war ended and was restored as a museum in 2002.

Nearby was a lifeboat salvaged from the SS Riverina, which ran aground off the coast of Mallacoota in 1927.

Were we glad we chose to visit Mallacoota? Definitely! It was worth taking a detour to this pretty little town.