The Great Ocean Road

Several years ago we read an article in the Globe and Mail newspaper about a hiking trip called the Great Ocean Walk. This was prior to our West Coast Trail adventure, but we were definitely interested in what we read. As the planning for the Australia portion of this trip progressed, we knew it wasn't logistically possible for us to complete the Great Ocean Walk, so we decided to join the masses and follow the Great Ocean Road instead. It would be the last segment of our campa van journey before we returned the vehicle in Melbourne. We knew that we did not want to rush through it so we allotted ourselves six days and set out from Dan and Lisa's house on Sunday morning.
The first notable comment we could make is that the Great Ocean Road is the only place in Australia where we have seen so many road signs that direct people to drive on the left. As we passed tour bus after campa van after rental car, we realized why these signs are necessary. Hordes of tourists who fly into Melbourne rent a vehicle and set out on the Great Ocean Road. It is a classic long and winding road. Not as bad as the road to Hana on Maui (says Lynda) but she wouldn't have wanted to be sitting in the back seat as Craig negotiated all the twists and turns in the road. Granted, there are many sights where you only have the option of parking and walking out to see the view, but the coastline and the scenery are spectacular. For all those people who do it from Melbourne in one day, you don't know what you are missing. Craig particularly enjoyed this portion of the trip as some days he was only driving for one hour, and taking pickies a lot of the rest of the time.
Here are some highlights:
Day 1 Port FairyWe arrived in this quaint, little beach town on a sunny day. After attending John and Kelley's annual Christmas party via Skype, we spent some time exploring. We had a snack at a chique, little beachside cafe called Tide and Time, went beachcombing, walked along the river admiring the boats and did some window shopping. Based on the number of holiday rentals, we can safely say that Port Fairy is a popular destination.
Day 2 Port CampbellThis is the closest town to the famous limestone stacks known as the 12 Apostles. These stacks were created through the erosion of limestone cliffs that has taken place over the last 10-20 million years. There are currently only nine remaining. Our first encounter with the 12 Apostles was on a cloudy evening. We hoped we might see a partial sunset, but our main purpose in going was to see the Fairy penguins which come onto the beach after sunset. (Actually, we should refer to them as Little penguins since someone decided that Fairy penguins is politically incorrect.) We waited in the cold for a long time, and just before dark, groups of penguins started to emerge from the water. They are only about 30 cm tall and very cute. We also saw our first echidna in this area. It plodded along, oblivious to our presence, and continued to use its sharp claws and snout to sift through the dirt looking for insects.
Day 3 Johanna Beach
We spent the morning walking around the Loch Ard gorge. It was named after a British sailing vessel that ran aground and sank in 1878. The Loch Ard was one of over 200 ships that suffered the same fate, earning the rugged coastline the name "The Shipwreck Coast." That night we "free camped" beside Johanna Beach in Cape Otway National Park. We went to sleep listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
Day 4 Apollo BayOur morning began with a trip to the Cape Otway lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. It became operational in 1848 and was finally decommissioned in 1994. It's location is crucial because it is situated in the 90 km gap between Cape Otway and King Island. Navigating this strait was said to be as difficult as "threading the eye of a needle." Unfortunately for us, movie production on the grounds was just finishing up. Not only did we miss seeing any stars, but we were also unable to climb the stairs to the top of the lighthouse. Later that day, we arrived in Apollo Bay. The sun was shining and we headed for the beach. Craig was back in the water on his boogie board and Lynda was sitting on the beach reading her book. For both of us, life is good. Day 5 AngleseaWe had planned to do some hiking around Wye River and stay the night, but it was pouring rain. We kept driving along Australia's version of the Sea to Sky highway until we found the sun. After pausing for coffee in Lorne (pronounced Lawn) we stopped for the night in Anglesea. The rest of our day centred around getting organized for the return of the campa van. Lynda's usual hour and a half laundry job quadrupled in time after numerous problems (the first dryer wasn't heating up, the second dryer wasn't accepting coins and the third dryer turned out to be a washer.)
So here we are. The sun is setting on this portion of our trip. Last stop: Melbourne.

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