http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Australia , Victoria en-us Fri, 24 May 2013 05:24:32 +0000 Fri, 24 May 2013 05:24:32 +0000 112We got up early and walked to Flinders Street for the Neighbours tour we had booked for this morning. We bought a snack and drink from a little shop and found our way to Bunyip39s office and waited for the tour. We all left on a little Neighbours bus with our crazy Irish guide called Gerry giving us a lot of facts and figures about the beauty that is Neighbours Neither of us had watched i http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/CBD/blog-787489.html This is a test to see that it works ok http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-787279.html For the past 3 weeks i have been working at New Provence on Glenhunlty Road. But the restaurant is closing down So for the past I have been job hunting again and enjoying my time at the hostel. Yesterday I went to the CBD with Kathryn walked around Melbourne and went to the Victoria market bought some nice Feta in a block shape one of the best i ate so far in Australia. Today Job hunting again http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/St-Kilda/blog-786737.html WOW HOW GOOD IS GOD14 days ago we asked the congregation at Holy Trinity to pray for the families and staff at Msalato.We especially asked them to pray for the 45 children who attended the kindergarten as the daily serve of porridge had been cancelled due to lack of funds.At this time of Pentecost it has been amazing to feel and see the power of prayer and also feel and see the work of the Holy Sp http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Hastings/blog-786731.html We woke up to our first sight of sunshine and blue skies in 5 days this morning we thought we might have slipped through some sort of interdimensial time warp worm hole. The forecast was for another storm front to arrive that night so we decided to make the most of it and go for a ride.The southern Grampians Regions beckoned. We got dressed got bikes ready Gail was at the front gate while Eoin http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Hamilton/blog-786682.html Today decided to visit the Ballarine Peninsula as I had one day left of the car hire before I left for Adelaide. The drive took about an hour and twenty minutes. Visited both Queenscliff and Portarlington both very nice little sleepy seaside towns. I had thought about going on the ferry to Mornington Peninsula but by the time I got there it didn39t leave enough time as the ferry only goes once http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Queenscliff/blog-786577.html Started off with meeting oldies en newbies in a hostel. Which meant in my case so many smiles and laughing about stories from Perth side seeing a friend I39ve met 7 years ago in Central America through whom I have a house now. So yup gone are the days of waiting to cook in a crowded kitchen searching for forks stolen food from your cubbie and flip flop showers. It all changed into having a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-786318.html After leaving Warrambool set my GPS for Halls Gap decided to take the fastest route as it was going to be a two hour drive. Well it was an incredibly straight road so I couldn39t grumble about that and it obviously ran parallel to the main road but the surface Was awful in places and at times it went down to one lane of bumpy rough tarmac. The good thing was I think I was the only perso http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Halls-Gap/blog-786293.html The areas we have travelled through in the last 4 days have all recorded really high rainfalls of course its good to see that we have maintained our drought breaking status. No doubt if we publicised the fact that it is due to our travelling the farmers and the community would be particulary thankful perhaps throwing money or at least inviting us back.This morning this strange thing in th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Hamilton/blog-786129.html It started raining on Saturday night just the odd torrential shower or two. Sunday was spent relaxing whilst the showers contined through the night again.Monday morning showed a wonderful full half circle rainbow and brilliant sunshine so we quickly packed up and were on our way by 9.30am as the weather predictions were for more showers. Being the optimists that we are we put our wets on just http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/blog-786094.html The title says it all I must have picked the absolute worst time to drive the Ocean Road it has been almost non stop torrential rain freezing cold a top temp of about 10degrees with a wind chill factor bringing that down to just above freezing. Add to this high winds and heavy seas do you get the picture sounds like home doesn39t it. The plus side was that I endured it all the roads to my http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Otway-Ranges/blog-785971.html Second day of the Gt Ocean Road ate a hearty breakfast and set off to Bells Beach where they hold the Ripcurl Pro surf championships apparently Must be true there were some pretty amazing waves there you could see them forming quite a way out to sea. It was quite warm and the sun was shining. I watched some surfing some of them were really good going over the top of the waves and then back in http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Apollo-Bay/blog-785566.html Today I commenced the first leg of my journey on the Gt Ocean Road. At around 10.30am I picked up my car a little Suzuki bit like a BMW mini to look at and set off from Melbourne and headed for Geelong. Spent the afternoon here nothing amazing except some funny statues that look almost like large peg dolls. They were erected at intervals along the esplanade. I saw Jolly Pirates life guards bathi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Torquay/blog-785471.html You may need to prepare yourself for this one. Seriously sit down feet up I would say tea but it39s not even worth it it39ll either be spat all over the floor or cold by the time you finish reading. So forget the tea.Are you readyI said the last chapter in my life is where things started to spiral out of control well things continued to spiral to a point where I feel that backpack http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/CBD/blog-785389.html For the last week I have been staying in Williamstown in order to plan the next leg of the journey. Had a few days on the beach as the weather warmed up spent some time exploring Williamstown and Newport and having lunch with Rosemary and John at the their daughter Janes Vietnamese restaurant. Hope the food in Vietnam is as good as the food was there yummy. The next stage is the Great Ocean roa http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-785369.html The Msalato Kindergarten in Dodoma Tanzania which we help with financial support has notified us that the rains required for this year39s crops March April did not arrive and so the crops have failed leaving most people reliant on what they can purchase from the merchants.As in most countries including Australia this leads to an increase in food prices and in the Dodoma region this has s http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Hastings/blog-785156.html Spent a gorgeous day in Melbourne Botanic Gardens sun was out and it was quite warm not 30 degrees but like a warm summer day at home. Had lunch in a restaurant in the gardens whilst being seranaded by a man playing a harp very tranquil. Walked back to the place I am staying at it was longer than I though but ok. Yesterday went to see some Aboriginal art in one of the galleries in Melbourne o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/St-Kilda/blog-784129.html FRANKSTON to BALLARATToday is the first day of our big adventure. We Nicole our dog Koby and I Nicci are planning on a 4 month trip from Vic SA WA Darwin and back down to SA and then Victoria. Secretly we would be thrilled if we just make it to Perth and back again. First leg has been from Frankston Vic to Ballarat. This is where our lacking of confidence and skill shone through. We wer http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Frankston/blog-783782.html Arrived in Melbourne yesterday after a flight from Brisbane brrrrrrrrr what a difference in temperature only about 17degrees here had to get out my long trousers and cardigan still I guess it is their winter almost. Decided to walk to the beach which isn39t too far away the walk to the beach took about twenty minutes then walked along the seafront to various points of interest. You could se http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/St-Kilda/blog-783645.html Well we have moved our caravan to Rosie Greg39s at Tyabb on Sunday 28th April and set up at the front of the carport.It may seem strange that we are house sitting but still living in our caravan however the whole idea of living in the caravan prior to heading to the UK was that it gave us the opportunity to make sure we could live in a caravan. It gives us the opportunity to asses what we ha http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Hastings/blog-783597.html