Whilst holidaying in Timboon, Jodie and her family felt like locals straight away. They attended all the local events and the kids even completed in their first triathlon!
When travelling around the Great Ocean Road region, we ended up staying in Timboon for six nights, which was our longest stop.
Just 30 minutes from the 12 Apostles, Timboon has about 800 residents, many of whom are dairy farmers.
When we arrived we felt an odd sense of belonging and when our holiday was over, we were genuinely sad to leave.
It got me thinking: what was it about Timboon that made us feel so welcome and our time there so enjoyable?
I ended up calling it the ‘Timboon Effect’ and here are some of the factors:
The locals in Timboon said hello to everyone and they are smiley and friendly.
One afternoon at the local park we started chatting to another family. Turned out they were dairy farmers and they invited us out to see the cows getting milked that afternoon.
They showed us the dairy and explained the business. It was such a wonderful experience and so generous of them to share their farm. The kids adored it; cow poo and all!
Then, one day when riding along the Rail Trail, my daughter and I met a lovely local man clearing some trees. He was clearing the track for the “parkrun“, a local event held every Saturday. He invited us to go along; so we did!
We were amazed to see about 75 people taking part in the parkrun.
Everyone was officially welcomed at the start, including visitors. My daughter and I ran together and each time someone passed us, there was praise and encouragement.
The next day was Australia Day, so we also joined in with those local festivities along with the locals and other visitors and enjoyed some Scottish dancing!
Then there was the triathlon. For a little community, three events in three days must have taken a bucket load of organising. But they did it remarkably well. People had told us about the triathlon and again encouraged us to come along.
So, my kids did their first ever triathlon in Timboon and totally loved it! It didn’t matter who was competing, the community cheered for everyone.
Not only are the people of Timboon fantastic, the town itself is impressive, too!
The lolly shop was at the top of our list, with an array of lollies that would put most city stores to shame (just give the triple salt liquorice a miss unless you’re Dutch!)
Then there was Berry World, the Timboon Ice Creamery and the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery. There’s also a fantastic skate park and access to miles of Rail Trail to explore the hinterland.
So, if you get the chance, experience the Timboon effect for yourself.
It’s a small town, with a very big heart!
Follow Jodie’s adventures on Instagram at adve@adventuresinpositivity
12 Apostles Coast & Hinterland @visit12apostles
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Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Great Ocean Road region the Wadawurrung, Eastern Maar & Gunditjmara. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their unique cultural heritage and the connection to their traditional lands. We commit to building genuine and lasting partnerships that recognise, embrace and support the spirit of reconciliation, working towards self-determination, equity of outcomes and an equal voice for Australia’s first people.
