PORT FAIRY was visited by its second cruise ship on Friday, with around 120 passengers from the ‘Coral Adventurer’ going ashore between 9am and 12pm to see the sights and explore the local township.

Moyne Shire Council mayor, Karen Foster, was delighted to welcome the cruise ship and its passengers to Port Fairy.

“(It’s) fabulous to see tourists arriving by land AND sea as we head into our busy summer season,” she said.

“This is the second cruise ship visit and it’s great to see Port Fairy becoming a destination for sea faring tourists.”

She said the Adventurer anchored fairly closely to shore, with smaller launch craft ferrying passengers ashore throughout the morning.

Cr Foster said it was believed the ship had come from Darwin down the west coast via Adelaide, with Port Fairy the Adventurer’s only port of call in Victoria.

“This is a bit of a new tourism sector for us,” she said.

 “We are very keen to ensure the guests feel welcome so they get a taste of the Moyne experience, are encouraged to come back later, and explore the wider region in the future.

“Last year we welcomed guests from the Caledonian Sky and in previous years visitors have been brought to Port Fairy from Portland via bus.

“The additional exposure that our back-to-back wins in the Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards is starting to have an impact.

“It’s also allowing us to showcase the other incredible experiences visitors can have across Moyne with areas like Budj Bim, Tower Hill and the incredible Volcanic lakes and plains.

“So, let’s give our ocean-based visitors a warm welcome.”