The train departed at 9 am on a Sunday morning. We almost missed the train, because apparently, there weren't a lot trams on early Sunday mornings in the city! We literally ran from the ticket counter to the platform, and the conductor even had to shout "Jump in! Jump in!" to get us in. After that, all was good and it was "Bye-bye city" and "Hello countryside!". The journey took more or less 3.5 hours. The ride was very comfortable too. If you're going, bring a book or music to listen too so that you'll stay awake to see all the scenery that you'll pass by.
Warrnambool train station is small, but equipped with toilets and vending machines.
There's an information centre about 15 min walk from the train station, on Flagstaff Hill. Behind the info centre is a Maritime Village (it's a paid park, so we only looked from far).
We wanted to go to the cliffs and the sea side, so from the Info Centre, we walked by lake park called Lake Pertobe. It's very serene here, and you can go for a boat ride in the lake if you want too.
There are also holiday apartments about 15 min walk away from the coast for those intending to stay longer.
Finally, we reached the sea. This is Stingray Bay.
After our walk on the rocks, we continued walking towards the train station using a different route (walking forward as opposed to turning back). Along the way was this really nice art gallery & cafe next to a marsh. It was time to stop for coffee and rest for a bit. By the way, we didn't spot any whale (if you guys have a binocular, you should bring one. Maybe we'll buy one to bring on our trips next time).
So overall, we walked for about 7 km. Departing from Southern Cross Station at 9 am, arriving at Warrnambool Station at about 12.30 pm, walked around until 4 pm, and departed back to Melbourne at 5 pm.
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