The Great Ocean Road

In the end, the 6 a.m. flight was a good choice. I did not go to sleep (my airport pick-up was at 3:15 a.m., so why bother?), so I was a wee bit tired when I arrived in Melbourne. The flight from Christchurch to Melbourne is just under 4 hours, so I was able to sleep for a bit. More importantly, I did not fall asleep while driving the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Port Campbell. When the rain started, I did get a bit tired. I think it was because I was just driving, and not popping out of the car every once in awhile to see something or take a quick walk. So, I pulled over for a quick cat nap, and then resumed driving. The drive is absolutely stunning, and lots of fun with the twists and turns and up and down the mountain side. I was pleased to see the guard rail here; NZ doesn't often have them. It probably wouldn't help much, but it's comforting to know it is there. My rental car does not have the friendly reminder to keep left, but there are signs all over the road out to Port Campbell reminding drivers that "Drive on left in Australia".

There are stops galore along the Great Ocean Road. Whether it is just for the ocean view (yes, more waves crashing against the beach :), surfers catching the waves, seeing the expanse of the ocean, taking in the various cloud shapes), going on a quick tramp, seeking out wildlife, or stopping for some nutrients, it has options for everyone. The ocean side obviously gets a lot of wind because I have never seen trees grow at such weird angles. I'm amazed that some of them are still alive and growing because they are almost growing sideways. I stopped at the information center in Geelong, and received some great suggestions. Want to see kangaroos in the wild? Well, it just so happens they hang out at a local golf course. Really? Yep, they sure do; I saw them there. A nice little group of them just hanging out having breakfast. Interested in koalas? Turn off by this camper park, go up this road, and look for them in the trees. Now, it's a bit hard to drive and look for koalas. I lucked out because there was a van in front of me full of kids, so I just stopped when they stopped. It was midday, so most of them (the koalas) were resting. One or two of them popped up and looked around. They are just so adorable, and they can get up high in those trees! Later, I stopped at one beach area to take a few pictures. I noticed that lots of people were stopping at the same point. I looked around, and off in the distance, I could make out the shape of something in the water. I drove up a little further to get a better view, and there were two whales meandering through the water. I stayed and watching them for a bit. It is just amazing to see these animals in "the wild". Every once in awhile, one of the whales would flip out part of a fin.

As I mentioned, the views are fantastic! The sun was glittering against the ocean water. The colors were stunning - everything from aquamarine to deep, dark blue. Parts of the shore have large rocks, so there is also that almost black element in the sea. The sky was blue with massive, puffy cumulous clouds. About halfway through the drive, it started drizzling, and then it started raining. I could see the front coming in as I drove towards it. It's fairly awesome to look one way and see blue skies, and then look in the opposite direction and see the gray, stormy clouds begin to move toward me. By the time I got to the Twelve Apostles, it had cleared up. (The Twelve Apostles are these tall limestone formations that are caused by erosion.) Once again, the blue sky was filled with these amazing and huge cumulous clods. The groud was so fresh and vibrant from the passing showers. I arrived at the Twelve Apostles just as the sun began to set. The sky was turning these fabulous orange, yellow, and red colors. These played off the stone of the Twelve Apostles. Absolutely gorgeous! There is a section near the Twelve Apostles where the little blue penguins come in at dusk. I think I saw them, but can't be completely positive because they were a bit away from me, and it was starting to get dark. But, I think I saw them. (The little blue penguins, also called fairy penguins, are the only penguins native to Australia, and they are tiny - about 16 inches, and only about 2 pounds). I could not have dreamed of a better start to my Australia travels.

I drive back to Melbourne in the morning. Being the tennis nerd that I am, I totally want to check out Melbourne Park (where they play the Australian Open). I've heard it's a great city, so I'm looking forward to exploring it. It's hard to believe that I am about halfway through my trip. I am looking forward to meeting up with both Melissas in Sydney (one lives there, and one is joining me for the last two weeks of travel). More later...

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