Fine-ding our way to Adelaide!

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Feeling the need to see this "Great" road that everyone talks about in Melbourne, Rob, Mark and myself hired a camp-a-van for a cheap and convenient method for experiencing the trip. Leaving relatively early one morning after a mad farewell night in Melbourne we set off in search of greatness. We began by heading slightly away from our main objective for a place called Sovereign Hill to expreience a traditional Wild Western style show. However we arrived there too late and had to abandon this plan and turned instead towards Geelong. Bearing in mind that the word "slightly" in this sense refers to a 3 hour round trip in a hunk of metal that is the biggest petrol guzzler since sliced bread (?), this was not deemed a successful start to the trip!

So we were forced to camp in Torquay, a place that we knew nothing about and were subsequently slapped with an early morning fine for illegal camping! So things didnt quite go to plan in the early stages of the trip. However, things picked up as we visited the lighthouse from 'Around the Twist', that hit ozzy show of the 80s! Now i personally didnt recognise it but i have been assured that this is the real lighthouse!

Following this we hit the Great Ocean Road and arrived at the 12 Apostles in time for sunset which was pretty special. However, i have lost my photo's of this spectacle which is slightly annoying but i managed to save a couple. We continued from here driving through the night in order to arrive in Adelaide at a reasonable hour. This drive involved a lot of kangaroo watching and listening to ozzy radio as Rob failed to charge his ipod! In fact while im talking about Rob i'd like to mention how he nearly rolled the van killing all inside to save a bloody rabbit! ( i might be exaggerating there). Anyway we were driving along in the pitch black with nothing around for miles and all of us were on Kangaroo watch (they have a tendency to jump in front of cars and then sit in the road waiting for their immenent death...they are an extremely stupid animal!) when Rob suddenly swurves the car throwing the back end out and nearly rolling us at god knows what speed...

Me: "shit what was it? a kangaroo. Good eyes mate i didnt even see it"
Rob: "no it was a rabbit. I dont want to kill a Rabbit"
Me: ...................................

So once Rob had agreed that it was not a good idea to throw our away lives in order to save a Rabbit, we continued on towards Mt Gambier in the hope of driving through the night. This plan however, was hampered by a lack of petrol which brought on our next Fine. As we approached the petrol station, Mark, while looking at the pretty bright lights that the petrol station offered, drove us straight through a red light which flashed us adding a cool 200 dollars to the price of the journey. (Although it was Robs credit card that we left with the hiring company so sshhhh. We wont remind him of that.)

So after this long journey, we arrived in Adelaide only for Rob and Mark to decide that they wanted to leave within the hour. Having driven through the night for over 1000k i was not particularly happy with this change of heart so i bailed on the road trip earlier than was planned.

It is here that i should probably mention the delights of Adelaide so here they are.........................................

Actually i think i'll just leave it there. Spending a week there was bad enough without having to talk about it afterwards. Kangaroo Island, which lays just off Adelaide was amazing though but unfortunatley all of my photo's of this were lost along with those of The Great Ocean Road so i refuse to talk about it.

So i will bring my story of Australia to a close at this point as i have actually been in New Zealand for the last month and there is much to discuss...not right now though as i once again have finger cramp and i need to get into the pub to catch the re-run of the Man Utd Vs AC Milan match!! Roooooney!!

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Photos

A picture can not quite capture how cool this scene was
You can't see it but there was an enourmas graveyard underneith this sky. It looked spoooookyy

Bells Beach, Home to the 2007 Rip Curl Surf Champianship
Unfortunately the day we were there, there was not any surf or sun!

Have you ever, ever felt like this
Now who remembers 'Round the Twist'?? Does this look familiar?

The beginning of greatness!!
and what a happy bunch!

Dry me a river!
because the bird is drying itself on the beach of, well, the ocean but come on...alright sorry.

Coming to the nest
This chump later dive bombed my head looking for seeds!!!

Speaks for itself really
Everyone who has visited the 12 apostles probably has this picture but here it is anyway

Im running out of things to say about these rocks
But i have to have a title for each dam picture!

You can take the boy out of Croydon
but put him infront of some of the most beautiful natural scenery on the planet and he will still piss all over it!!

Comments

[Marsh]

Keep blogging....
Love your blogs Jacquesy. Your travel writing is getting better with every installment. Your photo's are pretty ace too mate......god your good!