It actually is a rather great ocean road!

Just about everyone does the Great Ocean Road at some time, along Victoria's coastline. Especially the grey nomads, the Asian package tourists, and the Melbournian day trippers. It's much talked about, and I'd wondered at times if it was perhaps a little overblown.

That wasn't my experience though. It truly is a rather good trip. At least, it was the other week, out of season and away from school holiday time or weekends. It might get a little busy then.

For a start, there are the free range koalas, and some over-friendly native birds.

Then there's that truly stunning scenery to the east and west of Port Campbell. Like the Twelve Apostles. It seems the number of apostles is a little rubbery. Wikipedia, (here: Twelve Apostles Wikipedia ) tells us that from the main viewpoint you see seven - there were eight but one collapsed. (Or was it nine but one collapsed, except that might have been one of the nearby Three Sisters - the accounts vary).

And there's the remaining part of London Bridge. The connecting bit collapsed in 1990 (see: London Arch Wikipedia) and it became London Arch instead. That would have been a sight. It surely was quite an experience for the two tourists who were stranded and rescued by helicopter!

On the road again

We did a road trip to Adelaide and back last week. There via Victoria and the Great Ocean Road, back through the NSW outback.

It's great to get out there now and again, to experience some of the familiar sights, and explore new spots too.









So it was lunch at the Dog-on-the-Tuckerbox, afternoon tea at the Ettamogah Pub (where else?)

Then we overnighted at Nagambie, a pleasant little town in north-central Victoria which we'd never heard of. It's the birthplace, we discovered, of the famous racehorse Black Caviar, who was born there.

Next day I got to visit two scenic areas I'd long been curious about: Lerderderg Gorge and the You Yangs. The latter are visible as a small group of pointy hills from all over Melbourne. Great places to spend more time at.



 






On via world-famous surf beach, Bells Beach. Not much surf happening this day though. 

It's the Great Ocean Road now, and it truly is a very scenic drive. Somewhere here, near Lorne, I'd made my only other trip down here. Over 40 years ago I'd hitch-hiked down from Melbourne, and got a ride from a couple of young chaps who were cheerfully imbibing from beer bottles as they drove. A lot of this went on in those days. The car hit a post on the edge of a cliff. We limped into Lorne, I crossed the road and hitched straight back.

This time I was doing the driving and it all went a bit more smoothly.

Under Lorne Pier we discovered an enormous seal frolicking and fishing for our entertainment.