Our game on the Old at National had been cut short by a spectacular electrical storm.  It turns out that this storm (or other storms part of the same system) have attracted international attention due to the astonishing number of cases of thunderstorm asthma caused which, very sadly, have taken at least 4 lives.  Who knew there was such a thing?

My plan for Tuesday was to head west along the Great Ocean Road to Port Fairy.  Rather than drive back into Melbourne, I was going to stay in Portsea, on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula and catch the ferry in the morning to Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula, thus avoiding the need to drive all around Port Phillip Bay and deal with the Melbourne traffic.

I had booked into the hotel at Portsea golf club, though I did not plan to play golf there.  Portsea’s reputation, from those I had spoken to and from what I havd read, was of a good course which had, perhaps, suffered when the club got into financial difficulties building the new clubhouse (which now doubled as a budget hotel).  What I saw of the course from my bedroom window, even in the grey wet evening following the storm certainly looked attractive.

I ate in Sorrento, the neighbouring town, from where the ferry would leave in the morning.  Sorrento had the feel of a smart seaside resort out of season, though the hotel bar and restaurant were doing great trade.

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