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Geelong
These figures were outside the surf club. Throughout Geelong are sculptures relevant to the area.By about 9.30 we set off after saying goodbye to the SA couples, Bob & Pam, Des & Faye. Two great couples who are doing what we still hope to be doing when their age in 15-20 years time.
The destination was Shepparton and then on to Bendigo/Ballarat, but as we drove off we discussed an email from Margaret & Ralph who live in Port Fairy. They wouldn't be home if we arrived there on the weekend as planned, even so, they generously offered their home for our use. We felt it more important to see them, the town we could see on another trip. This was reinforced by the fact that last time we were in contact with them was when we made ourselves at home in their place in Sydney on our return from our Pacific cruise.
On we went down the Hume Highway, reaching Geelong early in the afternoon. Here we drove around the marina and the beach area after unhitching the van, returning just before dark for dinner. We can really understand why they want daylight saving here. It starts getting dark just after 4pm - it feels so much
Geelong
A seaplane about to take off from an area near the pier. later.
Tuesday 4th May 2010 We awoke early to the sound of rain on the van which luckily stopped long enough for us to be able to hitch up and leave. With the trusty GPS telling us where to go we were in Torquay before we knew it.
The main street here is set up to cater for surfers and the coffee crowd, but today it was very quiet due to the rain and it not being holidays. We drove to the nearby lookout with its war memorial in honour of the Torquay veterans, overlooking bays on either side, one with a small surf breaking.
Bells Beach, about 5kms south was the next stop, only because we had both heard of it as a surfing beach. There was very little surf as there was a low swell and there was a very strong offshore wind. Today we heard they were expecting winds to reach 100kph in the Alpines, so we are glad we missed those. The wind was behind us most of the time, Rags only having to contend with the winding hilly road alongside the coast. The views were quite stunning, we stopping every so
Torquay Surf Beach
Taken from the point near the war memorial. often so that Rags could take it in too. The rain & low cloud did detract from what would have been even better sights.
We passed through the small town of Anglesea, continued to Aireys Inlet where we climbed a hill to the lighthouse to take in the scenery. The sky became blacker and blacker whilst we were there, we managing to get only slightly damp before getting back to the van, when the heavens opened.
Lunch was in the van with rain pelting down on us.
Lorne, 70kms from Geelong, was our destination for today, but nothing there caught our fancy, we continuing on the 44kms to Apollo Bay.
Here, we booked into the caravan park at the recreation park, only to meet up with someone we had met at Lakes Entrance what seems like ages ago. We were allocated the site next to them but as it had become a mudhole we drove around until we found a drier spot nearby. We didn't bother to unhitch, the rain had set in and we were quite happy to sit in the van for a while before succumbing to a 'Nanny Nap'.
The rest of the
Bells Beach
We had to go to this well-known spot. Pity there was such a low swell. afternoon and evening was spent listening to the rain pattering on the roof. Lets hope tomorrow brings a better day weatherwise.
Wednesday 5th May 2010 We awoke to more rain with the area around the van now a mudbath. After breakfast there was a break in the rain so we skirted through the mud patches to the amenities block for our ablutions.
By 9.30 we were on the road, our first stop was Maits Rest Rainforest Boardwalk about 20kms away. This consisted of an 800m walk through lush rainforest with palms, treeferns, lichen and moss canopied by majestic Beech Myrtle trees towering above us. We were lucky the rain stopped whilst we were there, giving us a pleasurable walk through the heavy undergrowth.
The next 50kms or so was through national park and farmland, all green but not overly noteworthy except that Rags was glad of the automatic transmission on this trip, his previous in his old Patrol remembered as the day of a 1000+ gear changes!
Princetown was not very memorable, but just a short distance later we came to the icon of the Great Ocean Rd, the Twelve Apostles. The rain
Bells Beach
About the best wave we saw whilst there. had stopped but there was still a very strong northerly blowing when we made our way from the carpark to the coast. The sight that met us was just as you see on posters and advertisements for the area, truly magnificent! with the light changing all the time because of the clouds we took many photos, those on the blog only a few of what we saw. We were blown away in all ways.
The Arches, London Bridge and the Grotto followed, all worth seeing but to Rags not anywhere as stunning as the Twelve.
When we reached Peterborough a short time later we thought of continuing to Port Fairy, but as we weren't expected until tomorrow, and the fact the manger of the caravan park made us welcome, we set up camp. The bikes came out and we rode to the lookout and then along the edge of town along a gravel track to the Halladale Point that overlooks the Bay of Martyrs.This consisted of many rock peaks out in the bay, no photos as we'd left the cameras in the caravan but a place to consider returning to from Port Fairy. At this stage we are
Split Point - Aireys Inlet
Lovely spot. We didn't stay here long as it started to rain soon after this photo. The weather was coming from behind us that's why the blue sky. thinking of taking up our friend's, Ralph & Margaret, offer of staying for a few days at their home, giving us time to reorganise the car & van before continuing.
Rags spent about 30 mins throwing baits and lures into adjacent Curdies Inlet without success. As two other fishermen nearby did no better than he did, he was quite content to leave it at that and return to the van where Judy had prepared a delicious tuna mornay for dinner.
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Kerry and Steve
non-member comment
How many of the 12 apostles are still standing at this stage?