Port Welshpool

A deep-sea port on the South Gippsland coast, Port Welshpool is 190km south-east of Melbourne.

Originally established as a loading point for the shipment of cattle and timber to Tasmania and New Zealand, Welshpool's importance as a port diminished with the advent of the railway line, but the port has found new life as a destination for fishermen and beachcombers.

An old fishing boat "moored" on the front lawn is a fitting signpost to the Port Welshpool Museum, housed in a cottage built as a weekender in 1881.

Just a few kilometres to the west, Barry Beach is used as a supply base for Bass Strait oil rigs and new platforms are constructed on the foreshore before being towed into place off-shore.

A number of off-shore islands add to Port Welshpool's fishing charms and one, Snake Island, has emerged as a significant game reserve. The most interesting Snake Island residents are the hog deer, which are regarded as an endangered species in their native Asia, but which flourish in their reserve habitat.

Wilson Promontory National Park lies on the peninsula due south of Port Welshpool and Corner Inlet.