FriendBurst Blog

Day 7 – Wednesday – September 22, 2010

Weather:  Cloudy & Cool

Destination:  Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia

Odometer Reading:  96975

Total Distance Traveled:  1632 kilometers (1014 miles)

Price of Fuel:  Philip Island – $1.26.9 liter, 56.93 liters, $72.24

Route Taken:  Cowes to Melbourne to Geelong to Torquay to Lorne to Apollo Bay to Port Campbell

Highlights:  We went through Melbourne and since there was a toll road that did not take cash, we had to jump off the highway and hit the city streets.  Not a good situation with The Beast.  The streets are tight, very tight.  Parked cars on the side and trams in the middle, all seeming to share a little less space than what is actually needed.  I wish we could have stopped for a bit, but navigating The Beast through all that was too mind boggling to even begin to figure out a place to park.  We had to rely on the GPS unit as it was and it did save us finally.  I knew I would like Karen.

We started the Great Ocean Road drive today and this is some scenery.  I wanted to get a picture of the entry marker that is erected across the road where it starts, but there was no place to put The Beast.  The Great Ocean Road is the most famous scenic drive in Australia and it is definitely a drive that should be taken if one has the opportunity.

We took a detour to go to see a lighthouse up close and get some really good pictures, but there was a fee just to see it and since we didn’t want to go through it we just turned around and headed back to the highway.  Here’s another lighthouse along the drive on the Devil’s Elbow as a token in its place.

As we were driving through a grove of eucalyptus trees we spotted a couple of koalas sitting in the trees.  We stopped to take a few pictures and realized just how many koalas there were in those trees.  They were everywhere.  It was just so awesome.

The views of The Great Ocean Road are totally amazing.  Here’s a few more.

We made it to the really famous area of the drive about 4:30 p.m. and it was cold, windy and occasionally sleeting.  Since dark was coming, and we’re not supposed to drive The Beast after dark, we debated finding a place to stop for the night or continuing on and seeing what we could before full dark or Port Campbell, whichever came first.  I’m glad we didn’t stop because The 12 Apostles (well 11 now because I understand the sea took one back) and Lard Ard Gorge were amazing to see with the weather being all nasty.  I thought it was well worth the short hike from The Beast to the lookouts in the cold.

The Apostles

Lard Ard Gorge

At Lard Ard Gorge there is a small cemetery where people are buried from a shipwreck that happened at the Gorge.  I love cemeteries, so I took a picture of almost every headstone.  Australia does have some really lovely old cemeteries, but The Man is not up for stopping at any of them just so I can stroll around for a couple of hours.  This made for a lucky find for me.

Stops:  I made The Man stop a lot today.  If nothing else than for me to take a few photos before jumping back in The Beast.  You just can’t beat this scenery.  We did stop for a little walk and to grab some lunch in Torquay.

Where We Stayed:  We made it to Port Campbell just before dark and snagged a spot at the Port Campbell Holiday Park.  The rate was $28.00 for the night and we had a spot right by the river.  I don’t know if this place was just built or they were upgrading, but there was construction taking place and things were not in perfect order, but it was ok.  I’m sure it will be really nice once they get everything done.

Where We Ate:  We had a sandwich from a shop called Munchies and grabbed a coffee from The Sandbah Cafe while on our walk in Torquay.  The coffee (made from beans, real beans) really hit the spot since it had gotten a bit chillier than when our day started.

After we checked in at the park in Port Campbell, we decided to have dinner out being the first day of fall and all.  We couldn’t find the restaurant that the desk girl had suggested so we went to a place called 12 Rocks Café and Beach Bar.  The Man had their seafood sampler and I had their roast lamb with mint gravy.  Maybe it’s because we were starving hungry all day today or it was just that the food was excellent, but we thought they were the best meals we’ve had in a long, long time.  I wish we would have had leftovers, but instead we just left stuffed.