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Published: June 11th 2012
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What better way of spending a long weekend than exploring somewhere new and sharing it with our good friends, Anne Marie and Mark with a four day trip near Melbourne to drive the iconic Great Ocean Road, a spectacular tourist drive built by World War 1 soldiers in honour of fallen comrades and formally opened in 1923, it is the world’s biggest war memorial.
We decided to take the longer route south from the city to find the beach huts on Brighton Beach a popular photo stop for visitors seeking out the Australian flag painted hut that features on many postcards. Despite the grey skies and grey seas we walked along the beach and enjoyed looking at all the brightly coloured huts, the windsurfers did not seem to mind the wind and grey skies at all!
The drive from Frankston to Sorrento lead us to the ferry and the short sea crossing at the mouth of Port Philip Bay to Queenscliff, where we were escorted across by a pod of dolphins and a beautiful sunset. The historic Queenscliff Hotel enticed us through its doors and ornate hallway to the public bar where we enjoyed a sun downer evening drink
Coordinating Girls!
Sitting outside a beach hut on Brighton Beach. before driving to our first night stopover in Torquay, famous for the Rip Curl Pro a huge surfing event that has been taking place for over 50 years. There were a number of surfers braving the cold waters in hope of riding a wave, not for the faint hearted!
Driving beyond Torquay we arrived at Anglesea and enjoyed a hearty breakfast before stopping at Airys Inlet and a walk out to the 34 metre tall, 1891 Split Point Lighthouse. The cliff walk took us along the costal path and views of Moggs Creek and Eagle Rock and offered views of rolling hills and rocky outcrops.
The road took us to the village of Lorne along a picturesque inlet with a suspension pedestrian bridge leading across the water to the south beach and views of the pier beyond. The reflections in the water were beautiful and a pleasure to photograph. A short drive into the rainforest of the Otway National Park we walked down a very slippery path to Erskine Falls and looked up at water crashing down the 30 metre drop into the fern-lined valley. Further along spectacular views were offered from Teddy’s Lookout from a platform above
Queenscliff Hotel
A majestic old hotel preserved in time and tradition. the winding road and outlined the route we would have to drive to arrive at Apollo Bay, our second night stopover.
The town of Apollo Bay is the eastern gateway to the Otway National Park and under a threatening cloudy sky we headed off the next morning to the most southerly point along our journey through a native forest with Koalas napping in the trees along the road. We lost count after the first 20 spotted and enjoyed admiring these amazing creatures cling and lodge themselves between the branches. A short walk took us to the oldest lighthouse on mainland Australia since 1848. The Keepers Cottage sat exposed on the cliff edge and looked out to sea, once having housed a family of eight within its small rooms. We climbed the steep steps of the lighthouse and were able to walk around the outside light rim and look out to sea and understand why there have been so many ship wrecks along the rugged coastline. We even met the Lighthouse keeper, complete with whiskers, straight out of a story book! There was an interesting building set back from the cliffs filled with a working collection of items used at
Torquay Beach.
Early morning sunlight. the lighthouse station. There were even some letters written by one of the keepers requesting support and understanding for the hardships they were enduring and a plea for a cow to provide fresh milk for his children and a few fruit trees to plant in the garden. It must have been a very bleak existence.
Before arriving at the Port Campbell coastline we had to drive 60 kms inland to Lavers Hill and past the sleepy town of Princetown and watched the sky brighten as the sun started to shine through the clouds and a small patch of blue sky opened up and changed the colours of the rugged coastline. We were thrilled to see such a change in the weather and watch the sea turn a pale turquoise blue and the limestone rock formations glow orange and red. This was the beginning of the natural sculptures of the Twelve Apostles one of the most photographed sites in Australia and the main reason for our long drive.
Kevin and I were so excited as we walked along the path from the car park to the viewing platforms along the rocky cliffs. We had perfect views of both the
Bells Beach.
Famous for the surf and annual competition. west and east coastline was able to walk out along the ridge and marvel at the outcrops surrounded by sea and surf standing like soldiers on duty. A short drive along the road we parked the car again and descended the steep Gibson Steps to walk along the beach and were aware of the immense pillars of rocks that towered above our heads. Further along the road we stopped at Loch Ard Gorge a famous wreck site where the ship, so called, sank in 1878 on the reef off Mutton Island and only two people survived.
Further along, we read about how the second arch that linked the limestone outcrop known as London Bridge to the mainland collapsed and became another pillar along with The Razorback that sliced its narrow rock face into the sea. As the sun began to set, we drove along to the Bay of Islands and were dazzled by the silver glare that shone across the water silhouetting the rocks and cast black outlines on the horizon. With the ever changing evening light the Bay of Martyrs was particularly beautiful as the sun set and the islands were backlit by the sun. It was one
Kevin and Hilary
One of these days we may get a photo of Kevin without his glasses?! of the most beautiful sights we had ever seen.
Once the sun had disappeared, it soon became very dark and the drive to Port Fairy did not really show us anything of its beauty and charm we would experience the next day. We stayed over night in the delightful little wooden ‘Orchard Cottage’ and embraced the warmth of a wood burning stove as we enjoyed reading the old books and Boys Own journals some 80 and 90 years old, the illustrations and text were fascinating.
The morning brought more grey clouds and strong winds but we still decided to explore Port Fairy’s ‘Griffiths Island’ and walk out to the lighthouse over the scrubland that is inhabited during the nesting period by the Mutton Bird who dig burrows and lay their single egg, incubating in the same place every year. It was a blustery walk along the black volcanic rocky beaches out to the lonely lighthouse but well worth it to watch the waves crashing along the coastline.
The town is located on the peaceful River Moyne and has many heritage buildings with records dating as far back as the early 19
th century. Once an important fishing and
Split Point Lighthouse
The 34 metre lighthouse is a famous landmark at Aiery's Inlet. whaling town, it is now a beautiful sleepy place with some lovely old buildings lining the high street and surrounding roads. We would have loved to have stayed longer but had to drive back to Melbourne to catch the evening flight back to Brisbane. It had been a wonderful holiday break and one we would remember for a long time to come.
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