Weekend Wags

The Age

Saturday April 9, 2005

GORDON FARRER

Gordon Farrer and friends head to East Gippsland.

If you are a host to your guest, be a host to his dog. -- Russian proverb

THE grinding sameness of their daily walks had diminished the enthusiasm of our two four-legged children for chasing tennis balls in the usual well-sniffed parks. Relenting in the face of puppy-dog eyes pleading for a change of scenery, we took Badger and Little Miss Jynx for a weekend down Bairnsdale way.

We chose the dog-friendly River Cottage for its stunning position on Lake King in East Gippsland and for its "our-home-is-your-dog's-home" philosophy. The modest beach-style shack sits on one of two natural silt jetties that reach seven kilometres from picturesque Eagle Point into the lake, like two long, bony fingers threatening to jab the opposite shore right between points Broome and Reef.

The jetties, known as the Mitchell River Silt Jetties, are the world's second largest, behind those formed where the Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico, and were formed over millions of years by detritus swept into the lake by the Mitchell River. Grain by grain and stick by stick, they built from the lake floor until wide and substantial enough to hold grass, then trees, until today when there are farms, houses and - on one silt finger - a gravel road ending at a small car park at the twisty digit's fingernail.

The River Cottage is the last house on this road and is several kilometres from most of its neighbours. It's a remarkable setting, especially when seen from above. The accommodation itself is modest - water is by tank, heating is by log and cooking is by gas tank, while TV and lights come care of the sun - but it was clean, comfortable and more than sufficient. An information folder bulged with brochures on local attractions, with a concentration on the dog-friendly and, in keeping with that theme, included pages of canine quotes for dog-loving visitors. The proverb quoted above came from here, as does this, from Ogden Nash: "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of." Quite right. Among many other pearls of dog-related wit and wisdom, the prolific Anon chipped in with a challenging twist on an old chestnut: "If a dog barks in a forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?" Zen masters still grapple with that one.

Arriving at the shack, we found a carpet of bunny-poo pellets reaching from corner to corner of its front yard, richly strewn like the gems in Aladdin's cave. Our city noses sneered but Badger and Little Miss Jynx were transported to a sort of canine Willy Wonka reverie by the discovery and gorged themselves. Later, when they saw a couple of the makers of the pelleted bounty during a walk to the lake's crusted edge, they tore after them to express their appreciation in person. But the rabbits would have none of it and hared off to avoid the embarrassment of being thanked for their gifts.

The next morning we headed to Paynesville, an easy 15-minute drive south, for a tour of the town. Badger and LMJ grabbed a couple of bunny lollies for the trip before leaping into the wagon.

Near the Bairnsdale golf club on the Bairnsdale-Paynesville Road, a tourist sign urges you to visit the Clarkeville Miniature Passenger Railway. We were in a rush and although intrigued by the idea of miniature train passengers choofing along in miniature carriages, we sped past the turn-off and were soon in the 3500-person metropolis that is Paynesville.

This neat, clean and perfectly positioned town is nearly all waterfront. Estate agents, restaurants, hairdressers and newsagents line the Esplanade and look across low white fences and small sandy beaches to Raymond Island. A vehicular ferry to the island runs frequently, taking residents to homes with glorious water views and tourists to visit the island's colony of 500 koalas.

On the edge of Paynesville we'd seen new, expensive-looking housing developments for sale and wondered who could afford to buy into an area so far from the greater earning opportunities of the city. But it was soon obvious there is money here in the boating capital of Victoria. Millions of dollars worth of blinding-white yachts and power boats bobbed tight together by the Burrabogie Island marina - clearly this is a playground of the rich and well-keeled.

We enjoyed a perfect pizza in Paynesville but preferred to stay closer to home most of the time, enjoying the solitude and raw freshness of the silt jetties and the lake. Walks, a swim for the hounds, some reading and bit of fishing (there's a small jetty 29 good strides from the front door and a decent bream hole within a wristy flick of your baitcaster) easily filled two days. It was just the break we'd wanted and the four of us left clear-headed and content.

"Dogs are our link to paradise," wrote Milan Kundera. "To sit on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace." Must tell him about The River Cottage.The verdict

Modest accommodation in a relaxed, natural setting, with few real-world distractions. One bedroom, with queen bed.Dog friendly - the front yard is well fenced and dogs are allowed indoors.

The verdict

Getting there: The River Cottage is on the Mitchell River Silt Jetties, near Bairnsdale, on Lake King, 290 km east of Melbourne. Stop in Yarragon or Bairnsdale for gourmet supplies.

Price: Weekends $165 a night, $1050 per week. ($200 a night for long weekends and summer holidays). Two-night minimum.

Contact details: Laurie Smyth: 5156 6519

Website: www.river-cottage.com.au

Email: info@river-cottage.com.au

Cards: Visa, Bankcard, Mastercard

Children: Not appropriate

© 2005 The Age

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