Along Nicholson Street and down to the river
When guests ask what there is to do in Orbost before supper, I draw them a small map. This is the map, in words.
From the front step
Leave the lounge by the front step and turn left. The first shop you will pass is the bakery, which opens before dawn and closes in the early afternoon, and which sells a vanilla slice that Stuart Butler describes as the only rival to his own puddings. The newsagent comes next, and then a hardware shop whose window has not changed since I arrived.
At the end of the street, the town opens out toward the river flats. The Snowy is wide here, and slow, and the colour of tea on a good day. A path follows the bank, and in the late afternoon the light on the water is something that people take photographs of and then discover that photographs do not capture.
The old railway bridge lies a little further on, a long timber structure that once carried trains across the flats and now carries walkers and cyclists. It takes about twenty minutes to walk out and back, which is exactly the right length for a stroll before soup.
Other places worth a visit
The rainforest walk
A short drive from the centre of town is the rainforest walk, a boardwalk through a remnant of the forest that once covered the whole flat. The trees are tall, the ferns are enormous and the air is cool and green. Allow an hour, and take a jumper, since the shade is deeper than it looks.
The coast at Marlo
If you have an afternoon, drive to Marlo, where the river reaches the sea. The mouth is a wide, shifting place of sand and water and birds, and the fish and chips at the end of the road are good. Be back by half past four if you wish to dine at the lounge, since I keep the first tables for those who have been out.
Back for supper
Whatever you do before supper, come back hungry. The soup is on at five, and the doors are open from half past four. I shall be at the door, with the book, and I shall be glad to hear how you spent the afternoon.