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Published: October 4th 2009
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We awake about 8am, only heard the baby once last night although she did not have the best night. Craig and Shelley look absolutely knackered so there is no room for me to moan about being tired, none the less I try to slip one moan in! Craig cooks some nice bacon and eggs on the barbeque with egg in the middle of the bread - first bacon Shelley has had in some time. I get snapped holding Kayla for an hour as she’s trying to sleep after her own breakfast feed - Claire is keeping her distance as although better, is not wanting to risk giving the baby any lingering bug that may be in existence. She is desperate to hold the baby however!
We headed out about 12pm in our ride for the next few days - Shelley’s Ford Capri - with soft top and pop up lights. We perhaps in hindsight left a little quick as Craig made it all sound easy; left, right, left, right, straight, left hand lane - all said in 5 seconds… yes we repeat like trained monkeys. However, 200 yards down the road we approach the M3… Dandendong or Ringway… erm that
was not mentioned in the 5 seconds… we don’t go on to M3 passing under then pull a huge U-ie as we’re thinking we’ve gone wrong. A quick international call to Shelley 1 mile down the road confirms we’re heading for the M1 and should just pass under the M3 - another U’ie required - done. Good initiation for my driving. As we pull on to M1, we seek to find over our right shoulders where to turn off, we can’t quite see for the soft top and are saved by virtue the turn off ahead (and subsequently before on the return) is Blackburn Road - could we forget that? If we did we’d need shot. We get a good run through the city passing some strange turn off’s - notably Batman Avenue.
Eventually after new Gellong bypass, we headed down to Torquay on the B100 - the Great Ocean Road. Here we had planned to make Apollo Bay by sundown - approx 100k ahead from here. Our initial reaction to the ocean was of awe - the waves crashing in on an expanse of beach creating a new background noise and visual landscape that befits an island such
as this. The weather had faired up a bit and whilst a touch overcast, was pretty good now.
We stop for lunch in Torquay - that was unfortunately was truly rubbish - all mostly still locked down for winter. A bad decision bought us a $15 dollar chicken salad focaccia and a coffee that was at best only just average - can’t find good lunch places here! We move on quickly down the coast towards Anglesea, we did not stop however passing straight on towards Lorne. Several villages on the way including; Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven, Moggs Creek, Eastern View et al, the journey is becoming truly magnificent as we randomly pull into layby’s to appreciate the beauty of the ocean. Our photo’s don’t do the place justice. We truck into Lorne about 4 stopping into the information d’tourisme where we decide we should stay further down the coast at Apollo Bay. Promptly we head there and arrive just before 5 where the tourist offices narrows our accommodation search down to 3 places - we decide on Captains at the bay. By this time, we’re tiring and looking forward to a decent place - it turns out its literally 100
yards away and it obliges.
We’re given our own cottage in this little holiday complex that has about 6 other residences - 4 apartments and 1 other self contained cottage. The room is huge, has a patio door into little fenced in garden area, bath in the huge room with big flat screen tv, separate bathroom - the works. Added to this, the food supermarket it literally across the road - I pop out for champagne. Within an hour, Claire is drinking champagne in the bath watching the Aussie version of deal or no deal finding it fascinating. The lady at reception recommends dinner at ‘The Vista’ - a seafood restaurant. I persuade Claire prior to popping in there, we stroll along to look at the others albeit the menu looks good - to cover all the bases and that! There are 2 other contenders, and Claire making the decision bows under pressure and takes us into Buff’s at the end of the high street as its got more meat for me apparently. We sit down, and take our jackets off, but I can see Claire’s face is miserable, so after persuading her, we put jackets immediately back on
and leg it back out - the couple sat next to us looked confused - but hey ho. Within 5 minutes, we’re sat in the original recommendation.
Here is where the day gets just a little interesting - to start seafood tapas - notably, some oysters. Neither Claire or I have had, talked about a lot - but never tried. I go first, after 15 attempts, it goes down and whilst not bad, they did not amaze. The soy and ginger sauce they were marinated in helped - aphrodisiac 50% complete. Claire however, bottled it citing a sore throat inflaming it, that and a choking incident back in a restaurant where the thump on the back saved the day… so nerves still prevail and therefore noting the size of the bad boy, she opted out. The rest of the food was good - a few king prawns, scallops and some pickled trout.
Mains - Claire has seafood linguine, I opt for trout with crispy noodles - both excellent and we share half and half. Both washed down with a sauvignon blance and champagne. We retire for the evening very pleased with this experience, myself horny as a result of the 1 oyster… Claire however was having none of it.
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