Caravan park needs your support

THE below story is one with a difference.

Currently, I am located about 10 minutes from Alexandra at the Breakaway Twin Rivers Caravan Park, at the junction of the Goulburn and Acheron rivers. The park was damaged by the floods and has just recently started to reopen its door.

I’m here because of a conversation I had with the leasehold owners of the Breakaway Twin Rivers Caravan Park, Jamie and Tim.

They relayed to me how they had been hit by the floods and how their park had been affected.

I asked if there was anything we could do to help them. They said anything would be appreciated.

So, with the support of the Times News Group and the agreement of the park, we are running a promotion to help return visitors to the park.

In the park, several cabins and onsite vans were damaged though by the floods.

While it is confronting walking around the park looking at the damage caused to residents’ cabins and their annual caravan sites, it is even more so taking in their stories and watching their raw emotions as they try to relate to you the impact this has had on them.

They amaze me with their willingness to contribute to help in the clean-up of the cabins and on-site caravans that were pummeled by the flood waters as they told us, with water in some instances reaching levels never previously experienced, reaching as high as the windows in caravans and cabins.

It’s hard to describe the feeling you get as you walk around: you can’t explain it in words, you can only come to understand it if you see it for yourself.

The heartbreak some have experienced from the floods here has been life-changing

According to those working here and the residents we have spoken to, it was a beautiful park.

A local taskforce is working hard to help rebuild the park and return it to its former glory.

The park, through these efforts, has just recently reopened with powered sites back in operation, some with river frontage.

The facilities of the park are excellent and were untouched by the floods.

Right now, though, the river that has caused so much damage is giving back to them in an unusual way.

The flood waters (which have now eased) resulted in a large number of hatchery trout being freed into the river system.

Fisheries informed us Snobs Creek Hatchery wasn’t affected but one of the commercial hatcheries was hit by the floods, which supposedly resulted in the release of 20-30 tonnes of rainbow trout into the river systems.

Currently, it’s a fishers’ paradise with great numbers of rainbow trout being caught with a minimum of effort and time.

What they need is more people, visitors and fisherman to come and help support them.

So, if you want or need a break, why not come up and stay and catch some magnificent trout in the process?

After all the park has been through, they certainly could do with your support!

Competition

The competition consists of the following: Two nights’ free accommodation in a riverview cabin or one week’s free accommodation on a powered site; plus, two Twin River View fishing shirts and stubby holders.

All you have to do is email them your name, contact details and phone number to [email protected]

Use the codeword “My Big Catch” in your email to enter the draw, which will take place at the end of January, with winners to be advised by phone as well as announced in the paper.

The prize is valid for three years from date of issue.

Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing is urged to phone 13FISH (13 34 74) any time.

Photos: Please forward them to the email address below, with type of fish, weight, length, location, and your name. I am more than happy to place your photos in My Big Catch. Email photos to [email protected]

FISHING REPORTS

Weather has been ordinary again and little by way of reports

Anglesea:

• Fishing has slowed again
• No reports of King George whiting yet
• The odd gummy shark
• A few flathead have been reported previously
• Also some pinkies were reported previously off the rocks.

Thanks to the Rusty Anglers Angling Club Anglesea

Barwon Heads:

• Fishing report has slowed again
• The Barwon River fishing poorly
• Some flathead reportedly still around
• Some nice pinkies hopefully are still to be caught
• A few good-sized snappers are still believed to be around.

Reports compliments of the Ocean Grove Angling Club

Lorne:

• We’ve had the best spring weather, wind-wise, I can ever remember and the boat fishing is pretty good as well
• The flathead are biting really well with lots of big ones among them
• Snapper are patchy but if you can find a school they are hungry and biting well
• King George whiting are also patchy but if you’re patient enough you can catch a feed
• Pretty good numbers of big gummy shark with the occasional school shark being caught.
• The pier is still fishing extremely well with some big snapper being caught around the 4kg mark
• The trevally are still on the go along with the odd snotty
• Salmon are being landed in good numbers along with mullet, flathead, King George whiting, grass whiting, the odd gummy and calamari.

Reports compliments of the Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club

Torquay:

• Reports also remain slow
• The occasional snapper has been reported previously
• As have a few whiting
• Some undersized pinkies were being reported
• The odd squid was being reported also.

Reports compliments of the Torquay Angling Club

St Leonards:

• Whiting are still around.

Bay Area:

• Fishing slow
• Some snapper had been reported
• Clifton Springs same on snapper
• Queenscliff reporting a few whiting and flathead
• The Creek has the occasional trevelly
• Swan Bay some flathead
• The White Lady was reporting a few calamari and some King George whiting
• Indented Head was reporting King George whiting.