• 2000 Apr - Easy to settle in South Australia
• 2000 Apr - Big thumbs up for meet and greet
• 2000 June - The best decision of my life!
• 2000 June - Milton 's migrant Survival tips
• 2000 Sept - Planes, trains and automobiles
• 2000 Sept - The area around Portland
• 2000 Dec - Karaoke King croons the night away

The area around Portland

PORTLAND lays claim to being Victoria's oldest town. From the early 1800s it was one of the main bases for whaling and sealing companies along this part of the coast. Now it is a large industrial and fishing port:

Sharon Ross, Marketing Assistant for Tourism Victoria says: "There is a real blend of history and amazing beaches in the Portland area. "Portland marks the beginning of the well-known Great South- West walk, which is really beautiful." The walk takes in 250km of coastal wilderness between Portland and the SA border.

Ross continues: "Portland is not far west from Warr -nambool, where you can take part in whale watching tours in September and October. "And in the middle is Port Fairy which has an abundance of wildlife and great parks and gardens."

Tower Hill State Game Reserve sits mid-point between Port Fairy and Warrnambool. It has plenty of animals, including koalas, kangaroos and emus. The entire coast from Cape Bridgewater to Nelson, to the west of Portland, is a protected coastal park.

Discovery Bay Coastal Park, is a narrow coastal strip of long sand beaches, backed by high dunes. Bit note that locals advise you to swim in the nearby lakes rather than the sea, due to the strong currents.