When the world stopped, we found gold
In recent years, the world experienced unprecedented times, with a health crisis that reached all regions. We all experienced many changes to our daily lives. Early on, our family decided that we would find the gold. We weren’t denying there was a serious situation unfolding, we just decided that our joy would not be determined by our circumstances.
The forced ‘slow down’ had its advantages. It made us stop, reassess what is really important and it gave opportunity to look at everyday things in a different way. Home schooling was both challenging and rewarding and we found we had oodles more family time. My husband and I introduced our kids to monopoly and quickly remembered why we had banned it in our home – some people are just too competitive. This was not one of the “find the gold” moments. We decided to stick to UNO and Battleship instead.
One of the best things about this time, was the sun seemed to be always shining, even if the clouds were threatening. We quickly settled into a rhythm of our new days and were thrilled to find we had so much more time for the things we loved, namely, being outside. And that is where we found the gold.
Come with me on a journey to discover four pieces of gold that I discovered right where they have always been, in Victoria’s stunning Bass Coast Region.
1. Corinella foreshore is incredible
One gem that I had the privilege of seeing in a new light is the foreshore in Corinella. I’d taken my kids down by the new boat ramps for a wander one morning.
To be honest, I didn’t really see the gold at first. The tide was out, the sun was beating down making the exposed seaweed and fish scraps from the fish cleaning stations pungent. The kids were greatly entertained asking each other who was responsible for “…that terrible smell!”
As I looked out over the water, I thought about what it might look like with a higher tide and with some colour in the sky reflecting off the water. I imagined it would be quite pretty, so I determined to come back later that evening and find the gold.
And here is the result. Corinella, a stunning gem of Bass Coast Shire.
2. Grantville has so much to offer
For the many who pass through Grantville on the way to the penguins at Phillip Island or visit Wonthaggi, it is a great little town offering food (check out Macca's Farm - South Gippsland’s best free-range pork & beef, hydroponic vegetables and ‘Pick-Your-Own’ Strawberries), fuel and attractions like Maru Koala and Animal Park, with wonderful coastal tracks and great foreshore facilities. What I have often disregarded, even though it is well known for melaleuca oil, is the tea tree. It’s scruffy and scraggly, a bit of a mess really. To me, tea tree always looks like it’s had a really rough day, that it’s beaten down and is near giving up.
As we were walking along the beach one morning, just south of Grantville, the early light was painting golden strokes across the landscape. I changed my mind about tea tree and was able to see it in a new light – pun intended. I saw that tea tree was strong, hardy and resilient, never giving up - all the values we strive to have our children embody.
Painted by the morning sun, I was able to find the gold in the tea trees.
3. Settlement Point is a shining treasure
Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time to find the gold. On this particular morning, we were. Taking a stroll along the beach in front of one of my favourite food spots Fig and the Bay,
The tide was on it’s way back in and the sun was backlighting the clouds just above Settlement Point. It’s a place we’ve been to many times, but I had never really taken the time to walk out into rock pools before this day, nor had I been there so early in the day.
The kids’ home-schooling task was about habitats, so we were looking into the rockpools and identifying creatures and discussing what they might eat, how they breathe and which has a skeleton. I looked up from the pool I was investigating and this is what I saw.
4. Tenby Point's best kept secret - but only from me
It’s funny how you can walk by a local spot a zillion times and just not see it. This was a tree I had walked by countless times and I had never really seen. I’d often walked by when the sun was high and the tide was out. But on this day, I was passing by on my way to photograph the old pier (another iconic Bass Coast treasure) and the sun was just starting to set. I looked towards the sun to judge how much time I had and saw, for the first time, the tree in all her steadfast glory. By luck, I had found the gold. Sadly, this beautiful tree has now been lost to the elements in a storm in early 2024, but the pier remains steadfast.
Apparently, everyone in Bass Coast, except me, has known about this spot for decades.
4. Tenby Point's best kept secret - but only from me
There are countless other gems in the Bass Coast Region. I have captured some of them in my latest gallery – Bass Coast. Take the time to go for a wander through the gallery and enjoy some of the gold I found right in front of me. And when it is safe to do so, plan a trip to see it for yourself – it’s worth it.
Sometimes all it takes for us to see amazing things that are right in front of us is….. a worldwide health crisis? Maybe we can take the lessons from that season and in future, occasionally, just make the conscious choice to slow down and find the gold that has been right in front of us the whole time.
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