On many previous trips to Philip Island I have ridden past the National Vietnam Veterans Museum and thought I should stop and visit some time soon. Today I decided to make this the purpose of my ride and so I ventured across the San Remo bridge to visit the NVVM which is located right next door to the airport. The NVVM is a privately owned museum started by Vietnam veterans and it first opened its doors in 2007.
The museum features a great exhibition of vehicles, aircraft and weapons as well as an extensive collection of memorabilia and photographs. As well as Bell, Huey and Wessex helicopters there is even a Canberra bomber which is undergoing a process of restoration. The museum also features a small gift shop and cafe and with a reasonable entry price ($9 for us seniors) it is well worth a visit. One display provides a photo and short bio of all the Australians who were killed in Vietnam and it didn't take me long to find the name of Adrian Rich, a local boy from Morwell who was killed in the conflict. Most of us knew Adrian and when he was killed it brought the seriousness of the Vietnam conflict home to those of us fortunate enough to escape conscription.
Altogether the museum is well worth a visit and the 20 minute video presentation about the war is also worth a look.
Made the return trip through Korumburra and short coffee stop at the local bakery.
Total Distance 302 km.
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