Waves Port Campbell

picked up the car in the morning and then left for our trip along the great ocean road, 1st had to get out of Melbourne and avoid running into a tram and the complicated hook turn rule, thankfully made it out safety and headed along the coast and stopped at Torquay for lunch. the road was long and windy but has amazing views as u drive along ...

... saw a short beaked echidna! He (she?) was so adorable sticking his snout in the dirt and sucking up the little ants. And, even more amazing, it didn't seem to care that we were there watching. That was very cool. Before leaving the next day I went for another short cliff hike right in Port Campbell, and I could see the 12 Apostles very far in the distance. But after being stuck in two towns with little cell phone ...

... Regenfront vom Meer hereingaloppieren. Wir haben es zwar noch bis zum ersten Aussichtspunkt geschafft, aber für mehr als ein Foto und ein sehr stürmiges Video war keine Zeit, und auf dem Rückweg sind wir schon pitschnass geworden. Zum Trost gab es dafür im Motel Tee und ein Stück Kuchen. It had rained last night, so we took it easy this morning and had breakfast at a nice coffee-shop in Port Fairy, before starting the drive on the Great Ocean Road. This was initially mainly ...

... Buffs Bistro, with all its arty pictures of ample ladies in the buff!! The road turns inland for a while through Otway National Park so we took a detour to see Cape Otway Lightstation and came across a bunch of cars parked by the roadway, so stopped to be nosey and found the trees above us full of koalas. What excitement - Our first encounter with Australia's cuddliest creature!! The Lighthouse wanted $20 each to be seen so we skipped that ...

... golden arc of sand, but we managed to miss it on the way as the angle of the approaching road means that the sweep of sand is hidden from view. We found a small village next to a very small patch of uninviting looking beach, assumed we couldn't have got to Cape Bridgewater yet and pushed on. Having got to a wind farm on the headland without any sign of it, we decided to turn back and were greeted with the view of a huge semicircle of sand edging a beautiful bay. That ...

... for koalas today", after we had seen them in the Healesville Sanctuary the previous day. I can't remember whether it was Ross or Sam who guffawed while saying "Good luck with that"....well....on the way back to Melbourne, what did we see in the gum trees at the side of the road - real koalas in the wild (and they were awake too, as one of them was having a munch!) I was so excited!!

... is really nice and peaceful though and had loads of crazy dead trees in it. SB: Accommodation was coming a bit of a concern now - already come close to spending a night in the car! The next day we had similar luck so decided to keep driving and hope for the best. Stopped to wonder at the rainforests en route - massiiive trees. Also decided to check out the Cape Otway Lighthouse - total rip off so didn't bother in the end, but the stop was worth it ...

... There used to be twelve of them but a few have fallen over since then. After visiting this part we went around and visited a cave, a blowhole, and a underwater cave. Then there was the drive home...not fun. It was through windy roads which changed to dense tree-lined roads and not to mention that it was pitch black. Mom was freaking out. To make a long story short we made it home in one piece and went to bed.

... to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Originally the site was called the Sow and Piglets. The name was changed in the 1950s to the more majestic "The Twelve Apostles" to lure more visitors even though there were only nine left. The stacks have been formed by erosion, and are varying heights and thicknesses. A number have fallen over entirely as waves continually erode their bases. A 50-metre tall Apostle collapsed on July 3 ...

The Twelve Apostles (there's not twelve of them anymore), crumbling away and being lost to the sea forever, are for the moment still a sight of great beauty. The Great Ocean road along the coast is a spectaclular and unforgettable drive. This rugged, jagged, craggy and indeed blustery coastline is a world away from the Red Centre.