• Big Rambling Ride
    This is my best side.
    Lilz in Paynesville, looking across to Raymond IslandRaymond Island is a 5 min crossing from Paynesville - our shortest ever ferry ride...1... and our only ferry ride captained by a koala!Raymond Island koala road signKoalas this way2There was a bit of weather when we arrived on the island.The weather soon cleared, making it easier to see the stars of the show.1(I just missed the big leap!) koala on the move1Model pose for Koala MonthlySydney golden wattle flowersHaving a scratch?Colourful houses on the island. There are about 500 homes in total.1A good motto for life...1Sweet Pittosporum - its mix of orange blossom and jasmine fragrance often wafted towards us.Coastal Banksia - banksias are iconic Australian trees. They look to me like they are about to singThe island is highly significant to Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners due to its Aboriginal cultureIt's coming our way.3Captured sea rainbowsWalking the island's trailsFalse Sarsaparilla, Happy Wanderer, or Purple Coral Pea - all beautiful names for the lovely climberNoisy MinerThe homes on the island were pretty eclectic1Grumpy bearExpert backwards shuffle.When they curl up they form perfect egg shapes.

    Koalas, Raymond Island

    Sep 3–5, 2025 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Raymond Island is on the Gippsland Lakes, Australia's largest inland waterway, about 200 miles directly east of Melbourne. Being home to more than 200 wild koalas, Raymond Island is possibly the only place in Australia where you can walk just over a mile and in that distance be guaranteed to see the celebrity marsupials. It is only a wee hop over the McMillan Strait from Paynesville where we were staying, via a five minute free ferry. Excited!

    Signs told us 35,000 visitors enjoy the Koala Trail each year. Luckily on the day we seemed to be the only ones. Perhaps the weather had something to do with that… As soon as we stepped onto the island the ferry man pointed up into a tree next to the pier. Huddled in a sad little ball we saw our first wild koala! Poor thing looked very forlorn buffeted by the wind and dismal rain.

    Luckily the shower soon cleared and we spent three hours tootling about the unpaved roads and little trails on the island. Looking up into trees for little grey balls of fluff - I think we saw about ten in total - enjoying the fragrant flowers and the moody ‘sea’ of huge Lake Victoria.

    We very much enjoyed our grey furry meetings with such professional nappers. What’s not to like in a creature whose peaceful life goals are to eat toxic foliage and to doze?    Read more