Westworld Alberta

inhabit the grand cavities of old houses. Despite being surrounded on three sides by water and home to two lighthouses and a historic rail loop for steam trains, Queenscliff attracts few visitors, and locals seem mostly content with fi shing from the pier, reading a newspaper or playing football in the park. We head to Fort Queenscliff, the town's main attraction, for a brief tour and discover that not only was the fort, built in 1860, the pride of the British Empire, but the extensive battlements under its command made Port Phillip Bay the most heavily fortifi ed bay in the southern hemisphere. What's more, the fi rst shots of the First World War (directed at the German freighter Pfalz as it tried to leave) were ordered from this very spot. It's remark- able history, but if the deserted museum is anything to go by, hardly a soul ever sees it. Queenscliff's streetscapes of turrets, ornate ironwork and marble columns don't harbour the only jaw-dropping homes in the region: an hour's drive up the coast toward Melbourne is Werribee Mansion, an Italianate sandstone marvel built in 1874 by pastoralists Andrew and Thomas Chirnside. The mansion, reinvented as a sophisti- cated boutique hotel, borders Werribee Park Open Range Zoo, so after checking in we head straight there for a late-afternoon safari. The enclosures are so cleverly designed they give the distinct illusion that no barrier exists at all. (In the case of muskrats, the effect is rather novel; with lions, it's positively thrilling.) The beach is just a stone's throw away. While the lion grumbles, it occurs to me: during my loop around Port Phillip Bay I have only briefl y laid a towel on the sand. But in my opinion the roar of a lion trumps the roar of the surf any day. AMA MEMBERS SAVE MORE Before you go: Visit Melbourne's high- lights, Phillip Island and some of Australia's most spectacular scenery along the world- famous Great Ocean Road. AMA's fi ve-day tour includes accommodation, transfers and sightseeing. From $730 per person. 1-866-667-4777; AMATravel.ca While you're there: Save 20% on adult tickets at the Imax Melbourne Museum and 10% on entry to Warner Village Theme Parks. Also save at wineries, vine- yards, food outlets and more through the RACV Regional Wine & Food Program. AMARewards.ca/SearchForDiscounts WESTWORLD >> NOVEMBER 2011 41 ad ve r t is e TO ADVERTISE IN MARKETPLACE, PLEASE CONTACT REBECCA LEGGE AT 604.299.7311 hawa i i hawa i i al ber t a

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