Video produced by http://120video.com.au Filmed and produced by Andrew Beck 0418 882244
By Scott Podmore
BOYS' weekends. There are two types. There is the all-in boofhead variety where booze, beach and babes rule proceedings. Then there are those designed for more refined lads read older, less energetic married types who are on the hunt for a bit of fun and relaxation, but with a touch of polish.
No all-day TAB pub sessions before a hyped-up night on the town is concluded with a 4am hot dog smothered in cheese and sauce. I'm talking about a group of mates disappearing from their wives and kids for a weekend to catch up on old times, enjoy a meal or two over a few beers or wines and rip into some fun activities during the day.
My job of researching such a trip began the moment I threw the golf clubs, fishing rod and Esky in the boot and headed off on a scenic drive for a tad more than an hour east of Melbourne and into the heart of South Gippsland and Wilsons Promontory, the southernmost point of the Australian mainland.
This region immediately catches your eye for its Strzelecki Ranges, rolling hills and farmland on one hand, and the rugged coastline and sandy beaches of Bass Coast and Wilsons Promontory on the other.
Was it enough to lure my mates away from their sheds, office desks or old recliners in front of the HD widescreen? You bet, and here are a few good reasons why.
Fishing
Hook into the weekend bright and early with a three-hour morning fishing experience at Inverloch Charters. With an older expert at the helm called Ange, we were landing whiting, mullet and flathead within minutes while cruising around hot spots called The Caves, Twin Reefs and Shack Bay. This stretch of water is also ideal for a swim, jet ski, waterski and snorkel.
Visit www.inverlochholiday.com/inverlochcharters
Golf
Foster is only a 40-minute drive from Inverloch and the town's golf club is a little ripper providing you're not looking for anything too flash while chasing that little white enemy around. It's well-maintained and challenging, with greens in top nick and the fairways tight with a gazillion trees, so make sure you whack them straight.
The old-fashioned clubhouse has cold beers on tap and cheap bar snacks, making it the ideal place to sound off about that monster drive you blasted down the 13th.
Visit www.fostergolfclub.com.au
Surfing
I've never understood why surfers travel the globe looking for "the power", but I do now after a lesson with "Bones" from Offshore Surf School. The wily, weather-beaten blond 50-something surfie promised he'd have a shaky-legged 100-kegger like me up before the session was out. He did better than that he had me up first pop. Technique and the golden rules of surfing were served up in Bones's own inimitable way and I'll now be hanging 10 for the rest of my life thanks to this mob. Super fun.
Visit www.offshoresurfschool.com.au
Accommodation
Mix it up. The ideal launch pad to start with is the RACV Inverloch Resort, 5km from the town centre and set high on a hill with ocean-view rooms taking in panoramas of Bass Coast... but let's not get too bro-mantic. The resort is armed with all the facilities a group of blokes would want, including a gym, bistro for awesome breakfasts or evening meals, heated pool, tennis courts and some great walking or running tracks. For the Sunday, book in at Wilsons Promontory Eco-cabins at Tidal River to rest your weary limbs after your surf. The cabins are fully equipped with bunks, a whopper timber deck to soak up the great outdoor views and enjoy a few cleansers, a big kitchen and two small fridges. There are no TVs so you may have to indulge in some deep-and-meaningful with your pals.
Ph 13 19 63.
Food and drink
There are two vastly different venues to plonk (pardon the pun) at the top of your list. Firstly, slip on some decent threads and head for Archies On The Creek at Archies Creek. The venue supplies a courtesy bus to collect and return you from RACV Inverloch Resort. Archies is home to a chef-hat restaurant and a sports bar with TAB, and there's nothing quite like sharing a fine drop or two with owner Vern Rickman from one of his 23,000 bottles in the wine cellar. You also can't leave without a beer and whisky-tasting session with 22-year-old Brendan, the resident wine, beer and whisky connoisseur they call "Dr Beer". And no trip in this part of Victoria is complete without a stop at famous Fish Creek Hotel, an unpretentious, old-fashioned pub full of character only 20 minutes from the entrance to Wilsons Prom. The pub grub here is a winner and beware the resident ghost who reportedly lurks around the hallways late at night.
Visit www.archiesonthecreek.com.au and www.fishcreekhotel.com.au
