By Richard Cornish
Day on the Hill
Next Sunday Warrnambool's Flagstaff Hill will be transformed from historic theme park to family friendly music and cultural festival. The precinct is constructed around the hills on which a battery of canons were built to repel the Russians in the 19th century. So be warned: there will be live canon firing and military re-enactments every two hours from midday. The canon firing marks the beginning of the tug of war, a wonderful mix of manly strength and middle-aged cavalier. The beloved ABC sustainable gardening kids' character Dirt Girl will make appearances on the day, and there will be lots of food on offer, including free hot-cross buns from 10.30am. Local musicians Paul Howard, Audio Lounge and Kayla Dwyer will also perform live on stage.
Sunday, March 31, 10am-5pm, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Merri Street, Warrnambool, adults $16, concession $12.50, children $6.50, family $39, 5559 4600, flagstaffhill.com
Flagstaff Hill
Back in the 1970s, historic theme parks were all the rage with the likes of Sovereign Hill opening in Ballarat. Not to be outdone, the people of Warrnambool built their own maritime village using materials from demolished historic local buildings. Built around the hill on which the historic Lady Bay lighthouse stands and along the banks of a shallow lake, Flagstaff Hill is a quite beautiful little mock hamlet. Strongly recommended for those with younger families is the treasure hunt – ask for a passport at reception and follow the clues to find stamps hidden in the buildings. The tearoom serves value-for-money light meals such as vegetable soup and damper.
Merri Street, daily 9am-5pm, 5559 4600, flagstaffhill.com
The south-west coast at its best.
Burgers
Joe Kermond returned from fighting in the Pacific in World War II with a dream to cook hamburgers. He teamed with local butchers Lucas Bros (84 Liebig Street) to create the perfect patty, put an old caravan on a vacant block and, in 1949, started flipping burgers. By 1962 Kermond had saved enough money to build a burger joint on the site. Today you might buy a lime spider or a Cherry Ripe-flavoured thick shake from Kermond's son Robert, but the main game remains the burgers – lovely juicy patties, crisp shredded lettuce, egg, cheese, onion and beetroot cradled in the soft curves of a fresh bun.
Kermond's Hamburgers, Mon-Sat 9am-9.30pm, Sun 10.30am-9.30pm, 151 Lava Street, 5562 4854
Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground
Back in the 1920s, the residents of Warrnambool wanted the natural lakes and wetlands that lie between their town and the sea to be scoured out to form a port. Instead the area was landscaped and turned into a 20-hectare park of interconnected lakes through which visitors can slowly motor around on colourful little petrol-powered pleasure boats. The young and young-at-heart will appreciate the adventure playground, maze and two flying foxes, while across the road, beyond an avenue of mature Norfolk Island pines, is a safe and quite beautiful patrolled swimming beach.
50 Pertobe Road
Historic Flagstaff Hill.
Waterfront Dining
Perched above a cream brick block of a building housing the surf life-saving club, Simon's Waterfront looks over Lady Bay where it cuts into the rocky coast, offering arguably one of the best dining-room vistas in the country. With Christopher Grace, one of western Victoria's most underrated chefs, behind the pans, this is casual country dining with standout food. Start the day with five-spice roast duck omelet or an Irish breakfast with black pudding. Or, for lunch, perhaps seafood chowder, pickled octopus, or duck, leek and truffle pie. With coffee made from Seven Seeds beans and Schulz milk, this place is the real deal.
Simon's Waterfront, Level 1, 80 Pertobe Road, Tues-Sun 9am-12.30pm, 5562 1234, simonswaterfront.com.au
WAG
The impressive Warrnambool Art Gallery has several exhibition spaces always filled with innovative programming such as the recently finished Invasion, costumes from international science-fiction films and TV shows. Get on the mailing list, pick a date and take a V/Line train to Warrnambool station (three times daily), a short walk from the gallery. Showing until April 1 is Outside In, an exploration of artists' responses to environmental issues. And from April 6, catch The Spaces Between, a retrospective of the works of local artist Ron Quick.
Warrnambool Art Gallery, 26 Liebig Street, Mon-Fri 10am- 5pm
, Sat-Sun 12pm-5pm, 5559 4949, thewag.com.au
6reasons@richardcornish.com.au