If you have followed the past few blog posts you know that the girls have barely gone to school and this week is no exception. With Easter Monday being off and Friday being ANZAC day (memorial day), the kids also got Thursday off as the school had a ‘curriculum day’ (where the teachers get to work without students being there). With having spent over a month exploring Melbourne we figured it was time to see some more of Australia. A few short hours drive from Melbourne is something called the Great Ocean Drive. A scenic road that takes you from Torquay in the east to Allensford in the west. Along the way you can see sweeping vistas of ocean and rock, and you can stop in quaint little seaside towns. With a total of three days spent on the road and another exciting thing lined up for Sunday on the way home I figured this one required a two-parter.
Day 1 - Melbourne to Apollo Bay
We may have got going a little late out of town as I had to pick up a rental car and we needed to pack up, but we got going almost 11 on the dot. Driving on the ‘wrong’ (left) side of the road isn’t all that bad so we got out of the city without problem. Once on the highway it was a pretty straight shot to Torquay and our first stop. You might not call Torquay quaint as it is a little on the larger side, but it is still a seaside town. It is next to Bells Beach, which is apparently quite famous if you are a surfer, but the beach along the town is still very nice. As we quickly discovered, a nice beach is the norm along the coast. And so after dipping our toes in the water we headed on to Aireys Inlet. Here we got to see the first lighthouse of the trip. We got there too late to go inside the lighthouse, but there was still plenty of views to take in. After that we headed down to the town of Lorne and up to Teddy’s Lookout. The lookout itself was somewhat underwhelming, but we did get to see several kookaburras in the wild.
Day 2 - Apollo Bay to Port Campbell
Arriving in Apollo Bay after dark the day before we thankfully had time to explore the town in the morning before leaving. Again, a lovely beach, but also a marina and a really nice playground. We got to enjoy some time in the fresh seaside air before packing into the car. Thankfully the first stop of the day was Cape Otway and the Cape Otway Lightstation that was only a half hour drive down the coast. Turns out there was plenty more to see than just another lighthouse as Cape Outway also has a telegraph station from 1859, when they put an underwater wire to Tasmania so you could have seamless communication between this up-and-coming state and Melbourne. Quite the telecommunication improvement for a person in the 1850’s. The lighthouse was even older, from 1848, and was a vital improvement to the shipping lane going through the Bass Strait. Much like the Statue of Liberty welcomed immigrants to the United States, the Cape Otway Lighthouse was often the first land-sighting immigrants of the 1800’s saw before arriving in Melbourne. This time we also got to head inside the lighthouse and enjoy the views from the top. If you ever find yourself at Cape Outway be sure to visit the Lightstation Cafe and try their scones with cream and jam! After a great experience at Cape Otway it was time to head to the star attraction along the Great Oceon Road - the Twelve Apostles. Rounding the cape and heading back up the coast on the west side it is clear that the ocean hits harder on that side. The apostles are limestone rocks that have been hit by the sea over time and eroded leaving a few stacks detached from the rest of the cliff. Apparently there are only 7 apostles left as two of them collapsed in the last 20 years. Besides, there was never 12 of them to begin with so where the name comes from is anyone’s guess. No matter what you call them it was certainly an experience watching the waves crash in and hit these lone mountains in the ocean. Being a tourist magnet (I counted no less than 7 busses of tourists along a large number of cars) they have built a large viewing platform where you can enjoy great views. But the real trick is to head down Gibson’s Steps so you can get down on the beach and really appreciate the strength of the waves rolling in. Not to mention trying to get down and up steps carved straight into the cliff.
After yet another exciting day we headed to Port Campbell for dinner and some much needed rest. Tomorrow we finish the last leg of the Great Ocean Road and head to Geelong to check out Victoria’s second largest city.
