Advertisement
Published: March 1st 2010
Sun, Sand, Surf, Shipwrecks and Shiraz
We are both glad to see that you have all been reading about our escapades and hope that we have not been rambling on too much - I don’t think we have reached the level of Steve’s world tour blog yet!! (I still have dreams about that). Thank you for your comments, surprisingly, all of which we have been able to print (your jokes don’t get any better Charlie).Lastly thank you Chris for looking after the house and the text messages to Jude keeping her up to date with Coronation Street and Eastenders (sad bugger - get a life)
Good-bye Thailand - hello, hopefully, to a tightening of the bowels!!!
Thursday 18 February
Following a very early taxi ride, 3 plane journeys and a 9 hour wait for our flight connection in Bangkok we arrive at Melbourne Airport feeling somewhat weary. However our spirits were soon raised at the sight of Michael’s smiling face - he had been working in New Zealand that week and arrived at Melbourne airport from Sydney on the next plane after ours. A taxi awaited his arrival - we all piled in and headed back to
Home from Home!
Not used to surf in Torquay!Mike and Sara’s house.
Mike & Sara live in a very pleasant house in one the suburbs of Melbourne approximately 30 mins drive from the airport and 40 min train journey from central Melbourne. Weather here is hot; however, it’s not the muggy, sticky heat we were experiencing in Thailand. The next few days we spend recovering from our lack of sleep and generally relaxing - we also get to know the surrounding area and meet up with Paul and Margaret (Sara’s parents). BBQs, beers, and wine are plentiful. On Monday the 4 of us are heading off down the Great Ocean road for a week - stopping off at 3 locations en route. Sara has kindly planned the trip for us all to include Mike’s birthday celebrations on the Tuesday.
Monday 22 February
We leave Melbourne for our week’s adventure down the Great Ocean Road and beyond. A little history lesson here I’m afraid: The Great Ocean Road follows the Southern Ocean along the south coast of Victoria - it is over 400 km long starting at Torquay and finishing at Waarnambool. The road was originally built by 1st World War soldiers and sailors returning from
12 Apostles
Unfortunately some have gone "walkabout"! the Great War. The coastline is spectacular with amazing cliff top views and some of the best beaches and coves you will find - all these beaches offer some of the best surfing in Australia (eat your heart out John). Historically the seas around the coast became a magnet for many shipwrecks in the 18th and 19th Century and consequently many of the attractions along this coastline depict some of these tragedies.
Our first stop is at Torquay home of some of the most famous surfing names eg Rip Curl and Quicksilver. At this point I will mention that you may be excused from thinking we were in the UK with numerous places having names which are the same eg. Dartmoor, Princetown, Portland, Anglesea, Bridgewater, Killarney and Peterborough to name just a few - I would add that thereafter the similarity of this area ends! After our stop for a picnic lunch we head towards Lorne stopping at spectacular view points and taking hints from some very professional looking surfers.
We arrive at Lorne where we will be staying 3 nights in a very comfortable Victorian style apartment. The self catering accommodation is very spacious and allows Michael
London Bridge
It has fallen down!! to show off his BBQ skills which he has obviously picked up since arriving in Australia (I would point out, however, that it was only a gas BBQ - need I say more)! Lorne is one of the many holiday towns along the coast frequently visited by Melbournians. It has a number of boutique and surfing style shops and as you would expect the majority of the activities are centred around the sea and surf.
Tuesday 23 February
Happy birthday Michael ! - his first in Australia and certainly his first in tee shirt and shorts. It is actually a little cooler today although we do spend some time on the beach, we also visit Erskine Falls which is a few miles inland and is one of the area’s most famous sights. We finish the day off with a birthday dinner at a local Tapas restaurant. The following day the weather warms up again - Mike and I try our hands at surfing - whilst I did not get passed kneeling (praying that my youth would return) Mike did manage to stand on a couple of occasions. I’m sure by the time we get to the Gold Coast
The Arch
As taken by a friendly Aussie! I’ll be hanging ten with the best of them!! Jude enjoys herself looking around the shops and trying to exceed our luggage weight allowance!!
Thursday 25 February
We leave Lorne and head westwards taking in some of the most spectacular coastal views we have ever seen including huge rock formations left perilously rising out of the ocean including the 12 Apostles and London Bridge. Because of sea and wind erosion the 12 apostles are now only 8 (we don’t think there were ever 12 but I guess it sounds more attractive that way). We also view the Otway Lighthouse - one of the most significant lighthouses in Australia we are told - shipwreck stories here are numerous. Just after we leave here we spot some Koala Bears (in the wild).To see so many (5 or 6 together) is apparently very unusual especially ‘moving ones’ as they spend some 80% of their lives either eating or sleeping!
We leave the Great Ocean Road and reach our next destination, which is Port Fairy, late afternoon and check into our very swish overnight accommodation. Out to the pub for something to eat and then check out the following morning. Before
Two Strange Surfers!
Trying to find the big one!! getting on our way to our final destination we take a walk around this quaint town and walk along the very impressive beach. The first settlers in Port Fairy were sealers and whalers; it still has a large fishing fleet with a pretty harbour area.
Friday 26 February
We continue our journey north eastwards stopping off at Dartmoor for a pie (no ponies here I’m afraid) - temperature here is the hottest it has been.
At this point I would just like to take time out mention some of the wildlife we have (or have not) encountered in their natural habitat on our journey so far: We have seen Koalas - we have seen Emus - we have seen an Echidna (a marsupial of these parts not unlike the porcupine) - we have seen Kookaburras - we have had Cockatoos swooping down on us in Lorne and landing on our terrace at breakfast time….. however, we have not seen Australia’s most famous ie the kangaroo. We have seen road signs telling us that we are likely to encounter them, we have seen tree stumps that in the heat of the mid-day sun could possibly pass for one
Dinner at Lorne
Celebrating Mike's Birthday and we have even seen a couple of dead ones on the side of the road but we have yet to see a real live and kicking kangaroo. Sorry Sara I don’t really mean to winge!
Following a further 2/3 hours drive, during which we cross the state border into South Australia (clocks go back half an hour), we arrive at our final destination - The Menzies Retreat just outside of Penola in the heart of the Coonawarra wine region (locally known as Australia’s other Red Centre). This superbly equipped accommodation, attached to the Yalumba wine rooms, is where we will be staying for the next 2 nights. We quickly get into the spirit of things and start tasting the fine wines that are on offer in our own ‘house’ winery and then move on to another in Penola itself. The people here are very welcoming and almost insist that we try all the wines that are on offer (not much opposition here of course) and we have a most enjoyable late afternoon. The evening is spent having a BBQ looking out over the vines and Gum trees and sampling our afternoon purchases.
Saturday 27 February
Bloody
Our first Koala sighting
Careful how you reverse now! hell - not another day wine tasting - oh well better get on which it I suppose! We visit another 5 or was it 6 - at this point I would mention Sara was driving (thank you Sara) as Michael quite rightly said he was a little tired now since he had been doing all the driving during the week so far !!!. A great time was had with several purchases being made with the day finishing off with a lovely meal at Horricks which is yet another winery but this time incorporating a renowned restaurant. Dave, I’ve been thinking of you continuously lately - and how, if you had been here, you would have found these last couple of days so tedious!!
Sunday 28 February (still no kangaroos)
Today we head back to Melbourne - not the same way as we came but by a more direct route across country which will take us about 6 hours - the weather is a little cooler so the journey should not be too uncomfortable. Before we leave we find out the Rugby score which is a little disappointing to say the least, however, John, Charlie and Malcolm, I’m sure
BBQ Boy!
Cooking on gas!! you made up for it in some small way during your big day out at Twickers!
We arrive back in Melbourne at about 5.00 pm. - back to reality for Mike and Sara although Sara does have Monday off. Jude and I are most appreciative of Mike and Sara for showing us this beautiful part of the world and especially Sara for arranging such superb accommodation and finding some fine places to dine.
We will spend the following week at Mike and Sara’s and will also try and see some of the sights of Melbourne before we go off on our next adventure in a week’s time.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.087s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 9; qc: 45; dbt: 0.0445s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Christopher Paul Wiggins
non-member comment
Wonderful
Well what can I say but "absolutely wonderful". Great blog Pete. Dave will be proud. It sounds idyllic and I am very envious, as I scrape the frost off the car windscreen. Bet you havent had to do that since you have been away. I love the wine tasting bit. It reminds me of the time that we went with Sara's mum and dad. I can picture you there sipping the wine and then spitting it out into that large bucket. Well maybe not!! Have a great week in Melbourne. My love to all. Take care and I am looking forward to the next blog.x