Words and photos: Carol Altmann

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #ABCCAB;”] T [/dropcap]he most famous “online” shoe display in south-west Victoria is strung out along a farm fence in Tyrendarra – but how did it start?

Bluestone decided to take a detour while returning from the gannet gawk-and-talk in Portland to find out and, despite turning up unannounced, was given a cheerful welcome and the full rundown by owner Katrina Maybery.

Katrina and her husband Heath live on the Princes Highway property with their two daughters Tahlia and Madeleine, and it is with Tahlia and Madeleine that the story begins.

“We were travelling in New Zealand and saw a fence like this, with shoes tied right along it, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do,” Katrina says.

“So we started it about four years ago, by tying four pairs of worn out shoes owned by our girls.”

The four pairs of shoes became a sort of Pied Piper for passers-by, silently urging them to follow suite and tie up one of their own pieces of footwear.

And they did: by the hundreds.

“I think we would have at least a couple of thousand,” Katrina says with a laugh as she surveys the layers of dangling shoes.

“I know that we have to keep mowing the lawn further and further along!”

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #ABCCAB;”] I [/dropcap]n only the way that shoes can, the fence captures a thousand stories behind the boots and heels, thongs and sneakers, slippers and gumboots. They are in all shapes and sizes – from steel capped work boots to a child’s slipper – and together form a piece of art that is always changing.

“Some people have decorated theirs before hanging it, others leave messages on them for someone they know will be passing by,” Katrina says.

Even as we talk, a man pulls over to take a snap of the fence before waving a cheerful “hello” and driving on.

From the hundreds of shoes that have been donated, there have been some standouts.

“We had a pair of cowboy boots once. They were beautiful, but somebody stole them off the fence,” Katrina says.

“And there was fellow who was closing his shoe store in Port Fairy and he bought out boxes of shoes and boots that he couldn’t sell because they were a bit dated, but he also didn’t want to throw them out – that’s some of them over there,” she says, pointing to a pair of women’s boots with pristine soles.

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #ABCCAB;”] I [/dropcap]n a lovely twist, Katrina once ran a home-based, online shoe store specialising in children’s shoes but life became too busy to keep it operating. The sign for her business now hangs on the fence as quirky joke.

The shoe fence, which is directly opposite the turn-off to the road that leads to the Fitzroy River campground, is part of Katrina’s push to better promote Portland to tourists.

Just recently, a huge promotional road sign for Portland has been erected on the Maybury property, with their blessing.

“I think the Portland area has so much going for it and I am doing what I can to promote it to visitors,” Katrina says.

There is no doubt that the shoe fence is doing its bit to get tongues wagging.

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[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DDCE8D;”] T [/dropcap]HE MOUTH of the Fitzroy River, between Tyrendarra and Portland, is a wonderful spot that is hard to find, so it is best to look for the shoes.

Some kind and obviously quirky people who live in the farmhouse right across from the turnoff to the river on the Princes Highway have very helpfully decorated their front fence with what looks like every pair of shoes they have ever worn.

Or maybe they found them on the roadside.

Either way, the shoes provide a handy visual marker for the gateway to what is a lovely, yet wild, camping spot for those who like to rough it a little…and bring their dogs.

The “shoe turnoff” is in fact Thompsons Rd which winds its way for a short distance to the coast and the river mouth.

The roughly 4km trip takes you through some lovely farmland dotted with abandoned buildings built by the early settlers in the area.

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DDCE8D;”] T [/dropcap]he first stop at the Fitzroy River campground area is the boat ramp where you can wander out on the wooden jetty and watch the river surging its way to the sea.

Drive a little further on to find the start of the campground area, which is essentially a patch of open grass with several trees for shelter.

This area is quite protected from the southerly winds that can whip through the south-coast with ferocity (there are wind farms in this area for a reason!).

Another 200m along and you come to the riverbank where camping is also permitted, but there is less protection from the elements.

Part of the appeal of Fitzroy River is that it remains bush camping, with no power or facilities beyond a new, long-drop toilet block, and a basic picnic and barbecue area.

Camping is free, except for peak times, when an onsite caretaker will collect a small fee; so don’t expect a Big 4 – or the crowds that come with it.

Instead, in the off-season particularly, you will most likely have the place to yourself.

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DDCE8D;”] I [/dropcap]t is a wonderful area to explore, with a short walk along the estuary taking you right down to the foreshore of the wild ocean.

Information signs indicate that at least two tall ships came to grief in the area in the 1800s, including the Julia, the remains of which are apparently still visible as a dark patch in the surf, visible from the hilltop.

Dogs are welcome, but plovers nest in the area (it is a great spot for bird watching) so remember to bring a leash…

 

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