30 km west of Warrnambool, on the coast. A delightful small fishing harbour. Contrary to local legend, it isn’t named after an ancient sailor-bar queen. In fact, this picturesque spot was one of the first settlements in Victoria, and dates back to 1826. After the early whalers and sealers came the fishermen, and to this day Port Fairy has one of the largest fishing fleets in the state.

The present town has a population of just over 2,500 and no less than 50 historic buildings. Head for the Information Centre (www.port-fairy.com/vic; tel. +61 3 5568 2682) on Bank Street and they’ll give you a map of their Heritage Walk, which takes in most of these buildings. Nearby Griffiths Island has a lighthouse and muttonbird colony. This can be reached by a causeway. Many of the original settlers here came from Northern Ireland, and the biggest event of the year is the Port Fairy Folk Festival in early March. This is the best in the land, specializes in Irish and Australian folk, and attracts huge (and very thirsty) crowds.