Lorne Victoria Australia

COMMITTEE FOR LORNE PAGE, SURF COAST TIMES

3 July 2026

Feathers on the Beach

Clive rang one day in the middle of May to ask, “… why are there so many small white feathers stranded at the tide line?”  I replied that I, too, had been pondering the long ribbons of white lacing the shores of Eastern View, the George, and North Lorne.

Indeed, on the very morning of his call, I had spotted a very dishevelled gannet squatting in the lee of a rock at Spout Creek while walking Blighty.  I had wondered whether the bird was injured or simply old and dying a lonely death at the edge of its ocean, its feathers literally falling off, but as it had gone without a trace on my return leg, I thought no more of it.

Had there been some cataclysmic seabird battle beyond the horizon?  Perhaps it was a harbinger of some horrible gull ‘die-off’!  Thinking there must be a more plausible explanation and deciding that a natural seasonal moult-a-thon ticked all the boxes, I sought the basis for moulting.

All birds fully moult once a year—indeed, some species even undergo a second, partial moult as they replace their old feathers with new, snuggly ones.  The timing of this annual [or bi-annual] moult varies subtly between species and between land and sea birds, with land birds typically moulting in late summer, while many seabird species take a later cue and moult as autumn wanes into winter.

My guess, Clive—and it is only a guess—is that this year’s sudden flurry of seabird feathers at the tideline suggests the gulls may have been caught on the hop by this year’s long, warm ‘Indian summer’.  Then, facing a ‘whoopsie moment’ when the first Antarctic blast hit late in May, they shared a mass ‘shed-a-thon’ as they scrambled to play ‘catch up’ and prepare for winter.

Unlike during the breeding season, when they are tied to nesting colonies on land, many seabirds spend the non-breeding season entirely on the open ocean, where they undergo the energy-sapping process of replacing old feathers with new, healthy ones.  Made of keratin [like human hair and nails], feathers slowly degrade due to sun, weather, and daily preening and must be shed and replaced.  This process provides warmer, more colourful plumage that helps maintain efficient flight and proper insulation and restores their vibrant breeding colours.

Feathers are usually shed in mirrored pairs, with matching feathers dropping in unison from both the left and right wings, body, and tail.  During peak moulting, birds may look patchy, unkempt, and bald around the head, and may seem slightly irritable and fatigued from the stress of the process.

Feathers are a creation of sublime beauty, their evolutionary design blending aesthetic brilliance with practical function.  Each feather is an engineering masterpiece—lightweight yet strong, providing a smooth, wind-resistant surface for flight, a waterproof barrier against the elements, and help in regulating body temperature.

The beauty of feathers spans a multitude of human dimensions, from art and creativity to the identification of groups, clans, and tribes.  Their almost limitless colours and hues are used by different societies to denote purity, peace, and angelic presence [white], strength, protection, and inner wisdom [black], happiness, joy, and prosperity [yellow], or passion, vitality, and courage [red]—the colours often carrying different meanings for differing cultures and acquiring deep spiritual significance.

Feather colour depends on two characteristics: pigment and structure.  Melanin, a pigment that provides earthy browns and blacks [as in human skin], also increases structural strength, while carotenoids [think carrots] produce vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows.  Colour also depends on the feather’s microscopic structure, which bends and refracts light like a prism, and produces the shimmering hues we see in lyrebird or peacock plumage.

Evolution has resulted in several specific feather ‘designs’:

• Some—long, stiff, and asymmetrical—generate lift and thrust for flight, while others—soft, fluffy, and unstructured—trap air and provide insulation against the cold.
• Outer feathers are contoured to enhance aerodynamics, while their colours help camouflage them from predators.
• Yet others flaunt a Mae West ‘come-up-and-see-me-sometime’ factor that promotes mate attraction and aids breeding.

Feathers carry deep spiritual significance across almost every human culture.  They symbolise flight and freedom, embody higher wisdom, or—like the dove—convey a sense of communication with the divine.

• In ancient Egypt, the ‘Feather of Truth’ was weighed against a human soul in the afterlife.
• Native Americans, believing an eagle’s feather represents courage and strength, use them in ceremonies as prayer sticks or dreamcatchers, with the latter now hanging in countless windows or from rear-view mirrors.
• For an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, feathers represent a connection to Country and the ancestors, adorn traditional ceremonial attire, and play a central role in Indigenous storytelling.
• European cultures prominently displayed feathers on crests and helmets, signifying social status, prestige, and bravery.
• As a sad historical contrast, the white feather acquired a very different, judgmental, and pejorative meaning during the First World War, when, if sent by mail or left [cowardly unidentified] in a recipient’s belongings, it was intended to accuse a conscientious objector of cowardice for refusing to fight for King and Country.

To satisfy Clive’s curiosity, I can only conclude [though it is conjecture at best] that our recent shoreline ‘Feather-geddon’ was nothing but a seabird moult.

Postscript: The ‘feathered shore’ described in this article occurred in mid-May.  The first report that the H1N5 avian virus [bird ‘flu] had been isolated in Western Australia from a sick migratory seabird [a brown Skua] did not emerge until June 20th, and even then, it was from the other side of the continent.  While a total of four H1N5-carrying birds have now been confirmed [as of 28/6/26], there is no suggestion that ‘Feather-geddon’ was anything but a natural [if not a little unusual] shedding event.  So, before any conspiracy theory hares are set running, let me scotch that idea here and now.  

But … those who regularly walk our beaches should read the excellent H1N5 avian virus guideline at https://tinyurl.com/h5avianflu and have a low threshold for:

• Reporting any clusters (5 or more) of sick or dead wild birds of any species, anywhere in Victoria, by calling the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888, or using the online Wildlife Disease Report form at https://tinyurl.com/ybr82ehf.
• Reporting any sick or dead penguins or pelicans, birds of prey (e.g. hawk, owl, eagle), black swans, or marine mammals (e.g. seal, sea lion, dolphin).

John Agar
Feature Writer

From the Chairman

Hello

Having recently celebrated a semi-significant birthday has caused me to reflect on life, ageing and living in Lorne.  As we grow older, our conversations turn to ailments and aches, but with advances in medicine and surgery the conversation often turns to stents, bypasses and whether our new hip, shoulder or knee joints will set off the metal detector at the airport!

Thinking about it has also reminded me of the concept of “Blue Zones”.  The concept was first raised in 2004 in an article about centenarians living in Sardinia, Italy.  Subsequently a National Geographic author, Dan Buettner, highlighted Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California and Costa Rica as places where people lived longer and more healthily than average.  The longevity and vitality of the residents of these regions has been attributed to a healthy diet of fruit and vegetables, plenty of physical exercise, prioritising family and community and not smoking.  Drinking in moderation, not eating too much, managing stress, having a purpose in life, dedication to religion and good genes were other factors mentioned.

When I look at Lorne, I see many of these factors in play.  Our natural environment encourages us to get outdoors.  Our intrepid mermaids of all ages brave the elements through all seasons for their morning dip.  Our bike riders, many well into their seventies, are out and about most mornings, and our golfers take on the challenging terrain of our golf course weekly.  There are plenty of community activities to participate in, and no reason to stress (not even traffic lights!).

*****

There are many important organisations in Lorne which contribute in many ways to our community, but none can match the impact of our fabulous Op Shop.  In the year to 30 June 2026, the shop has donated an incredible $350,000 to community projects, including $157,000 to our hospital and Great Ocean Road Health and $75,000 to our school for a new bus to enable students from outlying areas to attend the school.  What a wonderful organisation we have where all goods are donated and all workers are volunteers.  Congratulations and thanks to Janet Goud, her Committee and all Op Shop members and donors.

*****

Last week, 26 of our golfers headed to Club Barham on the Murray for our annual golf trip.  We experienced a mixture of weather, golfing skills and social events, but good fun was had by all, with many players walking 36 holes over two days.  Well done!

Our netballers and footballers travelled to Apollo Bay last weekend.  Despite our neighbours putting on some nasty weather, all our football teams had resounding wins with an average winning margin of 78 points over the 5 teams, and our netballers won 3 of 6 matches with a resounding 48 goal win to our A Grade team.  This weekend, our teams travel to Western Oval in Colac to take on Colac Imperials.  This is a top of the table clash for our Senior footballers and they will need all our support.  Please get there if you can.

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne

10 July 2026

Blue Zones

Some places in the world ‘stand out’

It was a lightbulb moment … in the company of friends, celebrating John Higgins’ 75th birthday on a warm, sunny winter’s afternoon on the terrace outside the Pacific’s Fisherman’s Bar … when a whispered five-word phrase—uttered with absolute conviction as a statement of fact—crystallised ‘Lorne’ into a new dimension I had seen but not truly understood before …

‘Lorne is a Blue Zone.’

It was a Gyro Gearloose moment … the moment when the light went on!

Understanding Lorne, as a Blue Zone, adds another dimension to the already formidable list of emotional lures of this unique town—a town that has forever drawn me in, though for intangible reasons that have been hard to put a finger on.

Was it Tull, Clive, John, or Gary who said it—though, on reflection, it was just the sort of thoughtful comment Springa might have made.  Whatever the case, the moment was utterly apt and gelled so many of my thoughts about this town.  Looking back across the inner bay towards the town nestling, backlit by a thin wisping mist over the hills that gathered in thicker drifts in the deeper valleys, it was a made-for-Monet moment, a gift fit for Joseph Turner, an impressionist’s dream.  The light was so ethereally beautiful at that moment that it would have softened even the hardest of realist hearts.

But a Blue Zone?  What could those two words possibly mean—and why Lorne?  While the Internet and its isolating, phone-fixated, anti-social psychology have impacted human conversation in myriad negative ways, one of its immeasurable positive benefits—if used with due care—is its almost infinite power to answer any question.  True, even Google [and especially the pervasive/intrusive AI platforms] can err if the information that underpins its answer is incomplete or wrong and is not subjected to adequate critique.

That said, I did the inevitable ‘2026 thing’ and spoke to Mr Google—via Siri, of course.  I bent my head, took a breath, and spoke to my iPhone.

‘Hey, Siri, what is meant by a Blue Zone?’

What Siri returned beautifully encapsulated Lorne!

Blue Zones are [specific] geographic regions where people live exceptionally long, healthy, and happy lives, with residents frequently reaching 100.

First identified by Dan Buettner, an American explorer, New York Times bestselling author, and longevity researcher who popularised the term.

His work focused on applying the lifestyle and environmental habits of these centenarians to modern societies.  In partnership with National Geographic, he identified five main zones: Okinawa [Japan], Sardinia [Italy], Nicoya [Costa Rica], Ikaria [Greece], and Loma Linda [California]. [see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Buettner].

Researchers have since reverse-engineered the lifestyles of these populations to identify nine common denominators of longevity—now known as the Nine Principles of Longevity [the  9 Power Principles]:

1. Natural Movement … creating environments that encourage physical activity naturally without going to the gym.
2. Purpose … having a ‘reason to wake up’ in the morning.
3. Downshifting … routinely reversing stress -whether through prayer, ancestral rituals, or creating happy hours.
4. The 80% Rule … stopping eating when the stomach is 80% full to prevent overeating.
5. Plant slant: Beans, nuts, and greens rule the plate with meat consumed only rarely (about five times a month).
6. Wine @ 5 … drinking alcohol moderately [1-2 glasses of wine every day] with friends and food.
7. Belonging … creating a sense of ‘belonging’ to a community.
8. Loved Ones First: Putting families and aging parents first, and keeping life partners close.
9. Right Tribe: Surrounding oneself with a supportive social circle that promotes healthy behaviours

As I looked around at John’s gathered friends, some from multi-generational Lorne families, some recently retired but rusted-on ‘newbies’, and as the ‘Monet and Turner’ afternoon light washed over us, it was crystal clear how the Blue Zone clause fitted our town.

While I suspect that very few of our retirees come individually close to qualifying for more than a few of Buettner’s 9 Power Principles—embarrassingly, I can only count four that could remotely apply to me—it seems that, on balance, Lorne’s community, both young and old, deserves to be badged ‘Blue’!

The older brigade honours [1] by walking our beautiful beaches, our forest paths, or our endless hills and steep grades, while our young stay fit and agile by surfing, playing footy, or working a trade in the fresh sea air.

Most of us are good at [2] and rise early, though here, I confess to being an abject failure.

Most adapt a version of [3] and have our downshift groups in place—especially a ‘happy hour’.

To be truthful, many of us are not so good at [4], and as I watch our locals shop at Foodworks, it seems that only a handful could likely count [5] as a life feature.

Nevertheless, most of us more than make up for those failures by religiously adhering to [6]— at least to its ‘daily’ component if not to the suggested volume.

Lastly, consider [7], [8], and [9]. Taken collectively, the town exemplifies each of these three criteria—and in spades!  We belong, we support, and we bask in the company of good friends and strong relationships.

Finally, to explore one of Buettner’s key ‘Blue’ criteria, we are undeniably an ‘old[er] than usual’ town.  The Australian Bureau of Statistics records that:

‘… Lorne has an older demographic profile with a median age of 56 years—significantly higher than the Victorian state median of 38.  The predominant age group is 60–69 years, and the population heavily comprises older couples without children, with nearly 40% of residents aged over 55.’

The following data from the ABS census 2021 shows:

• 65-69 yrs:    Lorne 10.5%    Victoria 4.9%     Australia 5.1%
• 70-74 yrs:    Lorne 10.0%     Victoria 4.4%    Australia 4.6%
• 75-79 yrs:    Lorne 6.3%       Victoria 3.1%     Australia 3.2%
• 80-84 yrs:   Lorne 3.6%        Victoria 2.2%    Australia 2.2%
• > 85 yrs:      Lorne 4.5%        Victoria 2.2%    Australia 2.1%

While Lorne’s over-65 demographic may be twice the national average, I am willing to bet it is twice as content.  As we celebrated our contented ageing along with John Higgins that afternoon at the Pacific, and as the mist wreathed the hills in the afternoon light, all hearts and minds agreed that Lorne is undeniably a Blue Zone town.

John Agar
Feature Writer

From the Chairman

Hello

It is hard to believe we are already over halfway through another year and another winter! Yes, another financial year is over and the annual hibernation to Far North Lorne and beyond is well underway. For those who remain behind, it is a time for taking stock of business and making plans for another summer season in Lorne. And Spring is only six weeks away (although as we know, Spring sometimes takes a while to wake up!).

My colleague, John Agar, this week expands on the concept of “Blue Zones”, an interesting concept which I believe in many ways applies to Lorne. Unfortunately, things don’t always go to plan and Blue Zone afficionado, local stalwart and Committee of Lorne Vice-Chair, Pete Spring, has found himself in hospital and in plaster after an unfortunate fall. While this incident will curtail some of Pete’s favourite activities, I have no doubt that he will be working on some new plans for the future of Lorne and the wider world. We wish you a speedy recovery, Pete.

Speaking of Blue Zones, I think I entered the “Red Zone” this week with a promised birthday treat for our grandson of a visit to Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. What a contradiction to name a place of sheer terror, “Dreamworld”! Especially when accompanied by a twelve-year-old who is not interested in the merry-go-round or dodgem cars but heads straight to the “Max Thrill” rides, including the Serpent Slayer and the Steel Taipan, with calls of, “Come on Grandad”. The Steel Taipan, which is the newest roller-coaster, reaches speeds of 105kmh, a height of 39 meters, G-force of 3.8, and often upside-down. Check it out on the Dreamworld website, but not after a big lunch! I have never been more grateful to touch terra firma! Besides the temporary physical and mental trauma this caused me, the financial impact on my wallet is more permanent, especially after paying extra for the must-have express ticket to avoid the 75-minute queues. Just get me back to my Lorne Blue Zone where I can get all the thrills I need in the surf for free!

******

This time last year, I wrote about the Point Grey redevelopment and bemoaned the “inertia, bureaucratic red tape and community frustration” that was impeding progress. What a difference 12 months makes! Construction of both the new Aquatic Club building and the reimagined Co-op building is well underway, with framing happening over the next couple of weeks and roofing by early August. The Aquatic Club now has direct and ongoing communication with the architects and builders, and this has resulted in efficient and cost-effective progress. We remain optimistic that both buildings will be completed and operational before Christmas 2026.

Congratulations to Sam Hunter and Architecture Associates on being awarded Victoria’s top award for heritage architecture for the redevelopment of the Sunbury Community Arts and Culture Precinct. Sam and AA are the architects for the redesigned Co-op building and we look forward to the realisation of their vision.

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne

17 July 2026

Text Messaging

Today, I have already sent and received a bunch of text messages… they have become a linchpin of our lives.  The simple convenience of SMS messaging is now such an integral part of each day that it is hard to imagine how we once lived without it.  A joy, a boon, a blessing [or sometimes a curse] … the ease of connectivity, of ‘staying in touch’, has been one of the greatest advances in my lifetime.

But beyond the text message, as an original 46-er from the baby boomer generation, I have had the fortune of witnessing the invention and refinement of almost everything that our Gen Zs now take for granted.

For a moment, thinking back:

• Our phone in Geelong was a wooden box on the wall, with a handpiece that hung like a ready-to-pick brown pear from a cradle on the side, its curly, fraying cord dangling beneath. In Lorne, where my grandmother stubbornly refused to connect such a new-fangled device as a wall-mounted telephone, making or receiving a call meant a trip through the next-door orchard to Aunty Lil’s house, where—like as not—she could be found listening in on the party-line chatter of the Norton or Clissold households up the Minapre hill.
• The radio dial shone with a vaguely malevolent orange glow from an ornately sculpted mahogany box in the corner, while our wind-up gramophone—the size of a modern industrial clothes dryer—had a hinged door that opened to reveal an internalised megaphone.  Moreover, it had steel needles that had to be removed, sharpened, and refitted almost daily.
• My only after-dark contact with the outside world was through an under-the-eiderdown crystal set I had made for myself, following instructions from the every-boys-must-have-it magazine, Popular Mechanics.
• My job was to make the toast.  I would skewer a hearty chunk of bread on a 3-pronged wire toasting fork—Gran never learned to trust electric toasters, electric fry pans, or those ‘purveyors of grunge’, the vertical grill.  Meanwhile, Gran would stir the porridge over a green enamel, wood-fired stove in the kitchen.  Also, in the corner of the kitchen stood a huge, wood-fired copper vat, patiently awaiting the weekly washday when the washing would be brought to the boil, stirred with a huge wooden pole, then taken outside to the back concrete for squeezing dry between the rollers of a massive hand-wound mangle.

Readers in 2026 might think that my grandmother’s house in Lorne was primitive—and by today’s standards, it was—yet it was typical of the way most post-WWII houses were in those days.

Since those halcyon days when we could still safely run from side to side on the Erskine Bridge without fear of being mown down by the traffic and play Pooh-sticks [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poohsticks, just think of some of the things that have happened:

Communications … the transistor [1947]; the television [the first became available in Australia for the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 but it would be five more years before Dad bought one]; the personal computer [1970s]; the magic of email [1971]; the World Wide Web [1989]; then the silicon chip and the microprocessor.  From there, mobile technology proliferated  from the early cellular networks of the 1980s to modern, pocket-sized smartphones that combine computing, navigation, and global connectivity.  Most recently, AI technology … or more correctly, machine learning … now dominates the world.

Medicine and biotechnology … the structure of DNA [1953]; kidney transplantation [1954] and heart transplants [1967]; the development of life-saving vaccines [especially the polio vaccine in the 1950s]; medical imaging with MRI and CT [1970s]; then IVF, CRISPR and gene-editing technology.

Space exploration and utilisation … Sputnik 1 [1957]; the Apollo 11 Moon landing [1969]; satellites and GPS [last half century]; quantum theory, the qubit, and quantum computing.

Energy and materials … nuclear power [1950s]; the invention and mass production of synthetic polymers [Kevlar, Teflon, and modern plastics]; ‘renewable’ energy technology.

While each of these—and the many more that could be added to the list—has undeniably altered human existence beyond all recognition, it is perhaps the seemingly simple act of text messaging that has created the greatest shift in day-to-day human interconnectivity—or, oddly, has subtly promoted a lack of it.

Just think of how we now communicate in our ‘Blue Zone town’ of Lorne [see the Committee for Lorne page in last week’s Surf Coast Times].  Everything now seems to be sorted, arranged, and confirmed by text message.  Exchanging thoughts by talking, by ‘conversing’, now often seems a secondary occupation.

Entire back-and-forth conversations are now conducted via per-finger or voice messaging.  Once short and pithy, text messaging has burgeoned from:

TEXT: “Let’s meet at the pub at 6.00 for dinner”

REPLY: “Ok”

… into a chain of text exchanges, replete with emojis, in which neither texter seems to know when or how to stop replying.  When there are several parties to the arrangement, the texts multiply like emoji-laden mushrooms.

There are cogent reasons for this trend.  Telephoning can be inconvenient for the receiver and quite disruptive to their environment.  Loud conversations, often held on speakerphone, are increasingly seen as intrusive.  What could be better than a teeny tiny text announced by no more than a ‘ding’? And it can be answered later, at a time of convenience, right?… except that it commonly isn’t.

We humans are often very bad at delaying our responses.  A ‘ding’ should simply signal “look later”, but it doesn’t.  It irresistibly draws our eyes to our phones, where our fingers begin to scrabble across the touchscreen—with fat fingers mistyping and triggering autocorrect—as the endless electronic conversation begins.

I must confess I am as bad—if not worse—than most … a glasshouse occupant who, hypocritically, lobs stone after stone.  Along with the best of them, as my neck ever-further hunches and aches forward over my device, I sense I have become a new-age text junkie.  Mea culpa!

Our lives have become altogether too immediate … and it is not a good thing.  Mum and Dad used to encourage me to pause by a running stream, slow my breathing, slow down my thoughts, listen to the sounds about me, and clear my head.  In our modern electronic world of beeps, dings, and back-lit screens, I seem to have lost that art … and that, I sense, is to my shame.

John Agar
Feature Writer

From the Chairman

Hello

What a gem is our Lorne Historical Society!  Perched on the grassy knoll at the entrance to Lorne, behind an elegant yet understated façade, the Society’s rooms contain a wealth of information about all matters Lorne historical, from the fishing and timber industries, the area’s indigenous background and early European inhabitants, and the famous guest houses and stately homes.  The LHS is open each Sunday from 10-12am and is well worth a visit for locals and visitors.

I was assisting as a volunteer at the LHS exhibition last Sunday morning.  With heavy wind and rain, we expected a very quiet time.  A man came in with his three young children and asked for information about the recent floods and bushfires which decimated parts of our region.  After providing him with what information we had, both personally and from the LHS records, I was shocked to hear him say, “You know these events are entirely predictable if you have the right data”.  What followed was a 20-minute lesson (a bombardment of facts!) on the power of trends, numbers and statistics in the prediction of natural, economic and political events.  This was no crank, but an educated man who had founded and grown a substantial medical business. He left me with a reading list which I will share with you in due course.  You never know what you are going to learn on a Sunday morning.  Keep an open mind!
*****

Surf Coast Shire Council is inviting the Lorne community to help shape the future of walking and cycling in Lorne, by sharing feedback which will inform concept plans for safer and more connected active transport links throughout the township.  Council is reviewing pedestrian and cycling connections to identify opportunities to improve access to community facilities, tourist attractions, local businesses and other key destinations.  The community engagement is open until Wednesday 5 August. Please have your say at    surfcoast.vic.gov.au/SaferCyclingLorne

Last Saturday, the Lorne Football Club hosted a celebration of past players from the 1976, 2001 and 2006 premierships.  They were treated to good hospitality and a fine display of skills by the current crop of players with 4 of our 5 teams winning.  After 12 rounds (of 18), all our Dolphins football teams are in the top 4, with the seniors, reserves and under 18s holding top spot.  Well done to all our players and volunteers.

*****

This week, we said farewell to two very different media personalities, Sam Neill and Derryn Hinch.  Sam was the boy next door, a distinguished actor yet a gentle man of simple tastes and humility.  His distinguished movie career included some Australian classics of which my favourite was “The Dish”.  Derryn was the troublemaker down the street, flamboyant, hard- living, outspoken and controversial.  Whether as a broadcaster, a senator or an advocate against child-abuse, Derryn approached life with passion, energy and unwavering self-belief.  Two very different men who have touched many lives.  RIP Sam and Derryn.

“Do not go gentle into that good night”.

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne

24 July 2026

The Sounds of Lorne

Winter … a season when we can slow down, take stock, add an extra layer or two of clothing to keep us warm, and calmly reflect on all the beauty that surrounds us, yet is often stolen away or dulled by the frantic rush of summer.

The air—though colder—seems fresher and cleaner, and the sounds it carries are clearer.  The hubbub drifting up from the town seems more distant, the amphitheatre thump of music from the Lorne beer garden a thing of memory only, the intrusions of summer haste no longer disruptive.

Winter is a time to ponder—and a time that brings the winter rain.

I love rain … the sound of heavy rain drumming down on my corrugated iron roof like a myriad of tiny hammers seeking entry, or the soft whisper of wind-blown, misty drizzle that finds its way to the underbelly of my patio plants.  Each, in its own way, rivals the low growl of an easterly surf.

As I write towards the end of the second week of July, we have had two weeks of steady soaking rain.  My Davis Weather System, one of the half-dozen weather stations in Lorne, has recorded ~66 mm, or, by the old measure, some 2.6 inches.  While not quite Tully in Queensland [its extraordinary average annual rainfall exceeds 4,000 mm] or even our own Otway rain-magnet, Weeaproinah near Beech Forest, with a yearly average of some 2,000 mm, it has been a welcome soaking for the garden, the bush, and the short, steep, fern-fringed streams that drain the eastern slopes of the Otway Range.

Indeed, almost half of our last 10-day total fell last night, and didn’t it just thump down … though, having said that, it was likely just light drizzle for a Tullyanian.

As I snuggled in bed—feeling vaguely uneasy that I had forgotten to close my driver’s side window, that I had placed tomorrow’s kindling under cover, that I hadn’t left my plimsols out—it was hard not to rejoice in the sound … the steady patter on the balcony, the embrace of it.

Along our winter-peaceful coast, the steady thrum of rain blocks out all other sounds—sounds rarely heard in our cities and larger towns, or when the constant blare of human activity that marks Lorne’s summer months drowns all.  The sounds of our clear winter nights are both delicate and raw.

As a boy, I loved to lie in bed, trying to judge the size of the surf from the loudness of the rhythmic crack the breaking waves made on the beach across the river mouth below.  I learned to equate the decibel ‘shatter’ to the height of the swell and, from that, decide whether to set the alarm to catch the first waves as they emerged from the pre-dawn gloom at the Lorne Point.

Now, 65 years on from those teenage years, I take great pleasure in my early-morning lie-in, listening to the croak of courting frogs in my front garden.  A decade ago, when I upgraded the landscaping of the 110-year-old home I inherited as the third-generation owner of our family home, I installed a frog pond, complete with a pump-driven waterfall.  My intent? … to import some frog spawn [please don’t tell any of those purist environmentalists] and encourage frog life.  It worked.  It worked a treat!  Now, all year round—if I make sure the pond stays full—my frogs happily ‘chatter’ at night.

In a distant gum, a solitary Boobook owl repeats its mournful call … Mo-poke, Mo-poke, Mo-poke … but even though I strain to hear a response from a friend or potential mate, I find it inestimably sad that no answer ever seems to come.

Other sporadic sounds dot the night as I drift into the twilight of sleep: the far-off sound of a dog barking, the pealing laughter of friends staggering home up Fisherman’s Hill in the dark after a night at the pub, then pin-drop silence until the laughing chortle and cackle of a brace of kookaburras at dawn breaks into my dreaming and draws me into a new day.

When thinking of rain in and around Lorne, it is also said—and I believe it to be true—that the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo [but not those pesky Sulphur-crested Whites] will often utter wailing calls or gather in large, low-flying groups just before it begins to rain.  These magnificent birds can often be seen along our coast and in the forests of the Otway Ranges near Lorne, and, if seen in flight, would inevitably prompt my Gran to bring in the outdoor furniture!

Although some experts—such as BirdLife Tasmania’s Eric Woehler [see:  https://tinyurl.com/7zcpbbk7 :2020]—believe that ‘black cockatoos mean rain’ is simply a long-standing piece of Australian weather folklore and an urban myth, a ‘coincidence’ rather than a scientific fact, I know of many locals and Indigenous storytellers along this coast who might beg to differ.

To take the folklore further, fact and legend are further blurred by the claim that each bird in these rainbird flocks signifies one day of rain. There may, however, be some scientific truth behind this behaviour, which blends a change in atmospheric pressure [science] with the foraging habits of native species [observation].  The theory holds as follows: before a storm or heavy front moves through, changes in air pressure can drive insects and grubs to the surface or cause forest seedpods to open, bringing the cockatoos out of the higher, inland forests and down into coastal or residential areas to feed in larger, more visible flocks before the bad weather hits.

Just as ‘Bill’ in CJ Dennis’s Sentimental Bloke, whose expression “I tug me forelock” has entered the Australian folklore vernacular, I should defer to Eric Woehler as a true bird expert—something I definitely am not—and accept the behaviour as a myth.  Nevertheless, I like to think there may be something in it, having often seen flights of these magnificent birds swoop across Loutitt Bay when the air is heavy with rain and the weather is about to turn sour.

Winter!  It should never be wasted … for it is the best season to reflect on the beauty and sounds that surround us.

John Agar
Feature Writer

From the Chairman

Hello

As we glide through the mid-point of winter, it is a good time to do a stocktake of the major issues facing Lorne and the progress (or lack thereof) we are making on them. Looking back to this time last year, I identified what I considered the top three issues facing the Committee for Lorne and the Lorne community as:

1. Housing Affordability
2. The Point Grey redevelopment
3. The Future of the Pool/Foreshore precinct

As I reflect on that list today, perhaps we need to add a couple of extra points:

4. Potholes and the general state of the Great Ocean Road.
5. Public toilets (both in town and at the Memorial Arch).

To firstly review last year’s list, where are we now?

Housing Affordability

Despite changes in the Lorne property market, with more than 130 properties now listed for sale, most of those properties remain beyond the budget of key and essential workers. In addition, only 6 properties in Lorne are currently listed for long-term rental.
Following community workshops held last year, two options were agreed for further exploration:

1. Some form of government/council concession to landlords who move short-term rental properties to the long-term rental market.
2. Identification of council and public land, in or around Lorne, suitable for development of small-scale affordable housing for key and essential workers.

The working group decided to focus on option A first and this has been pursued with Council and the State government with limited success. At this stage some form of government cash incentive to landlords who make properties available for long-term rental is under discussion with the State Government.
In relation to option B, three or four parcels of land have been identified that warrant further investigation. There were several parcels that were ruled out for potential development including Crown land, which would not permit a residence, and land with overlays protecting significant cultural, scenic and landscape/environmental values. It is expected that further investigation of this option will take place later in 2026.

Point Grey

Well, who would have thought, the dream is becoming a reality! After years of planning, robust discussions and community action, the new buildings are rapidly taking shape, and it expected that roofs will be on and windows in both buildings within a month. We are now optimistic that both buildings and the precinct will be complete and open for Christmas 2026. As yet we have no information regarding the Co-op building cafe/kiosk tenancy. Perhaps GORCAPA could let the community know what is planned!

Pool & Foreshore Precinct

Last year I wrote “GORCAPA has recently announced that it has resolved to issue a new lease to the existing tenant. Very little detail has been provided”. Sadly, that remains the case and the future of this important community asset remains shrouded in secrecy, and community frustrations continue about opening hours, pool heating and maintenance and other concerns about the general functionality of the area.
( to be continued next week).

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne

31 July 2026

“My Sphaeroma”

My Incredible Isopod

phaeroma … what a catchy scientific name, and one that has sparked a looping earworm in my head as I write—that all-time memorable 1979 mega-hit “My Sharona”. Indeed, so much so that I couldn’t help but echo it in the title … my-my-my-my-my Sphaeroma!

As you will find out as you read on, the tiny creature that will be the star of this story is, indeed, an arthropod—a species of Sphaeroma from the family Sphaeromatidea, within the order Isopoda [https://tinyurl.com/5fj2dwjd].

Regrettably, the Knack’s hit “My Sharona” has acquired ‘dark’ connotations among the politically and socially ‘correct’ of the 21st century, as it was inspired by the instant infatuation of the 25y/o Knack frontman, Doug Fieger, with a then 17y/o Sharona Alperin, whom he met at a Los Angeles clothing store in 1979.  While the age gap now offends some, it escaped negative social critique in the less morality-cautious years of the late 20th century.  After dating for 4 years, Doug and Sharona remained lifelong friends until Fieger died in 2010.

Enough of rock’n’roll history.  This article is all about a marvellous little beastie—one any regular beach walker will have stepped over countless thousands of times without noticing … our local beach variety of the genus Sphaeroma.

As marine ecologist Alan Jones, a senior marine ecologist with the Australian Museum since 1975, states, “Australia has about 8,000 sandy beaches, yet despite this extensive and dominant habitat, the flora and fauna living on our sandy beaches remain largely understudied with many still completely unknown to science”.

Many species of the family Isopoda [the isopods]—a marine ‘family’ of tiny beasties that look a bit like smaller versions of the terrestrial slaters that hide under our garden pots or in the recesses of our barbecues—like to potter about in our low-tidal sand belt,

Most of our local Sphaeroma species are only 1–2 mm in size, are low to the ground, and can’t jump into the air [like a sand hopper can] to check out their local topography.  But ‘inventive’ nature always provides an answer.  Because the sun and the moon move and don’t provide a constant reference point, most marine creatures have a complicated internal ‘tide clock’ [a ‘circatidal’ clock] that helps a tiny organism—like our Sphaeroma—know which direction to move, when to forage, or when to burrow, relative to the tides.

Extensive investigative biology has been done to tease out the mechanisms of the circatidal clock, with many fascinating, complex [and rather turgid] papers in the literature, but a reasonably readable summary can be found in Nature News at [https://tinyurl.com/4xna4jfe].  It turns out that marine creatures that inhabit tidally influenced waters respond not to a 12-hour clock as land animals do, but to a 12.4-hour tidal clock … note that 0.4 hr is added to our land animal 12-hour ‘terrestrial’ clock.  This moves a marine creature’s clock forward in time with the lunar tidal cycle and helps marine life, especially those that live in the tidal [or littoral] zone, adjust their foraging or burrowing activities to the in- or out-wash of the tides.  Ain’t nature just grand!

Subspecies of the order Isopoda are found widely across the globe, range from 1 to 10 mm in size, and live almost exclusively in marine and aquatic environments [some beautiful sample photos can be found at https://tinyurl.com/33t938ux].  As a particularly industrious member of the Sphaeromatidae family of isopods, ‘My Sphaeroma’ is a simply joyous little creature that roams the low-tide sandbanks of the Eastern View beach by the thousands … with ‘roams’ being the operative word.  Indeed, it has become my new bestie beastie!

Any observant beach walker will have seen their extraordinarily intricate, pencil-tip-thin, wandering, twisting, and turning micro-tracks on the wet sand flats at low tide.  If observed with care, a tiny hump of sand can often be identified at the ever-so-slowly lengthening business end of the track.  Their tracks can be many metres end-to-end if their travel distance were measured in a straight line … each marking a brave and awesome journey into the unknown … and I am truly awed by their courage.

Looking carefully at the sand track photograph [attached], readers may notice a tiny ‘hump’ of sand at the track’s end [bottom right].

I carefully separated the little ‘hump’, took it home in a dish simulating its wet sand milieu, washed it gently in salt water, and revealed ‘perfection’ … lo and behold—the wee beastie that has now become my ‘new bestie’!

Finally, I let it wander freely on a sheet of computer paper amid a few grains of sand while I videoed it with my iPhone macro-lens.

The attached movie shows what I managed to record.  Have a look HERE

Watching waddling about under my zoom lens … and as I began to hum [again] the Knack hit song: “my-my-my-my-my-Sphaeroma” … I realised that, with its swaying gait, my ‘bestie’ had all the hallmarks of a near-microscopic rock’n’roller!  Murray Walding, our local Lorne guru of 60s and 70s music, would be proud of my Sphaeroma!

So, beach walkers, look down.  Watch for their tangled, foraging tracks—they are no thicker than a Biro’s writing tip might make.  See if you can spot the Sphaeroma as a bump at the ‘business end’.  Watch it for a while as it bulldozes through the sand at its painfully glacial pace … then marvel at this jewel of nature at your feet.

John Agar
Feature Writer

From the Chairman

Hello

In this column last week, I identified what I thought were the key issues currently facing the Lorne community, including the following:

• Potholes and the general state of the Great Ocean Road
• Public toilets, both in town and at the Memorial Arch

Potholes are not something new, or unique to the Great Ocean Road.  Currently, many urban and rural roads in Victoria (including major highways and freeways) are seriously impacted by poor road maintenance.  The difference with the Great Ocean Road is that for the most part it is one-lane each way and there are limited turnouts.  The options when coming upon a pothole in a car or other motor vehicle are either to swerve to avoid it, potentially impacting oncoming traffic or colliding with roadside barriers, clifftops or embankments, or to brace and hit it and wear the consequences of damaged tyres and rims.  Added to this is the fact that the GOR is a mecca for cyclists and motorcyclists for whom the risks are magnified.

Another factor that puts extra wear and tear on the Road is the number of tourist buses that use it.  Whereas once the buses travelled south-west in the morning to get to the Twelve Apostles (the main magnet for their clientele) before returning to Melbourne via the inland route, an increasing number of buses now appear to be returning by the Great Ocean Road in the afternoon, effectively doubling the number of bus journeys on the Road.

*****

Earlier this year I wrote about the lack of toilets at the Memorial Arch.  Everyday hundreds of tourist buses and cars stop at the Memorial Arch for the must-have photo or selfie, disgorging thousands of people into this confined space.  It’s a perfect place for a toilet break, but where are the toilets?  They don’t exist!  So, what happens when nature calls?  Nature does!  The result is a stinking filthy mess in what should be one of the most iconic and respected locations on our beautiful Surf Coast.  Is this the best we can do for the world’s biggest war memorial (Yes, the Great Ocean Road is that!), for the memory of the diggers who fought for our freedom and for the ex-servicemen who created the Road?

It is unclear who is specifically responsible for the road, whether it be the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority, VicRoads or Surf Coast Shire.  Whoever is responsible needs to seriously address the condition of the road or it risks losing its “Greatness”.

*****

While we are at it, what about doing something for Teddy’s Lookout.  Once again, this isolated scenic lookout is on many tourists must-do list but there are no toilets to be seen.  The result, another picturesque spot turned into an open-air sewer.  We can do better than this!

So how do we fund these projects?  Take a look at your rate notices and your land tax bills and see the extraordinary increase in taxes and levies that our state government is sucking out of Lorne.  It’s time to get some of those funds spent in our community!

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne