Apollo Bay to Port Campbell

The next leg of the Ocean Road was on the shore known as the. shipwreck coast.  The beaches were far more rugged and surfing was no longer as evident.

Our first stop was Princetown, an off-the-beaten-track stop in a very small town.  We found a dirt track and followed it as far as we could.

Then we took a walk into a marshy area and an inland backwater.

Then we were on a beach which led out to the ocean.  

it was secluded and isolated with not another sole in sight.

On our way out we were serenaded by songbirds from the dense growth on the sand dunes.

We did happen upon a group of birdwatchers, one of whom had been British Deputy High Commisioner in Montreal.  We had fun talking to him about winters in our part of the world!

Next we made our way to Gibson's steps.  These give access to a beach from which we could see the 12 apostles, sandstone formations in the ocean.  These are a famous sightseeing stop and the beach offered a different perspective of them.

The steps were precipitous and a difficult climb in both directions.

Apollo Bay to Port Campbell

At Apollo Bay the seascape changes from surfing beaches to rugged coastline with gorges and large pillars.of sandstone thrusting from the ocean forming an interesting coastline.  We stopped several times along the route to see the coastline.

We found one lovely secluded beach on the way in Princetown.  We took a walk through huge dunes that were covered in lush vegetation.

The walk took us through a marsh which let out through a gut to the ocean and a beautiful secluded beach.

 our next stop was the Gibson Steps...86 steps which lead down to a beach from which one can view the twelve apostles below. The 12 apostles are a famous Australian landmark which are viewed from above just down the road.

 Then of course we stopped at the twelve apostles themselves.  We had to fight to get in to have a good look it being a very popular spot! Many of the onlookers were in winter coats!  We were not, finding it very hot!

The twelve apostles (which only number 8 in fact) were impressive.

Then we made our way to Loch Ard Gorge...beautiful seascapes that have been sculpted by the relentless Southern Sea.

Finally we arrived in Port Campbell where we went to the beach and watched the sunset

Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay is a lovely surfing town.  We were able to go to the fishermans' co-op for a delicious fish dinner which a small bird watched us eat.

We overlooked a picturesque fishing harbour during our meal...

It was very lovely.  Once we were finished we decided to take a trip out to the Cape Otway Lighthouse...a famous spot amongst Australians.  We took the 30 minute drive only to discover that the lighthouse was closed...sigh.  We took a short walk on the Great Ocean Walk trail and then called it a day.  

On our way back we were thrilled to see wild wallabies on the road side and kangaroos in the fields.  It made the trip into the lighthouse worthwhile! (A group of kangaroos is known as a mob!)

The wallabies are smaller and darker than the kangaroos and do not congregate in groups.

The Great Ocean Road - Torquay to Apollo Bay

We left Torquay for the first of three days on this coastal drive.  This day was all about beaches and surfing.  The further we  went the more beautiful, and sometimes famous, beaches were in view.  In addition the coastline was just gorgeous.  The beautiful Southern Sea streteched out to the horizon.  It was humbling to think that the next stop to the South is Antarctica!

We learned that the Great Ocean Road was built after the first world war, providing employment to veterans and also connecting the small settlements along the coast to each other.

En route we stopped to have a picnic lunch and were immediarely surrounded by a flock of yellow crested cockatoos who were very, very interested in our lunch.  One very cheeky bird snatched a piece of my sandwich right out of my hand!

It was ironic really as I had been trying to get close-up pictures of these birds for days but they had always flown away!

The Great Ocean Road

The beginning of the Great Ocean Road is officially in Torquay. This coastal drive is counted as one of the best in the world (along with The Cabot Trail BTW).  It stretches some 286 km along a stretch of the southern shore of the state of Victoria alonside the Southern Sea.

Torquay is a surf-centric town where the Ripcurl and Quick Silver brands were born in the 60's.

When we first arrived we went to the beach and saw many people in the midst of surfing lessons on a beautiful and large beach.

Then we visited Danger Point...made famous in the film Point Break. It was equally beauriful.

With trees beautifully shaped by the strong winds.

We waited for the sunset and the temperature plummeted, sending us back to our hotel for the night.

Nov 22 and 23 Looking for Jim and heading South to the Great Ocean Road

Paul has been trying to track down a friend from his days living in Canberra.  After calling every one with his last name, trying to find his old address, consulting the local post office and consulting the council office,  we left defeated.

Ahead of us were two long days of driving as we headed to the south coast.  We had decided to break the drive into two legs stopping for the night along the way.

Our drive passed through fairly uninteresting scenery, but when we came to Albury in Victoria State that changed!

Albury is situated on the Murray River and is the location of the dam controlling the flow of water for irrigation purposes downstream. As well as unseasonably cool temperatures, the area has been experiencing significant rainfall.  The dam has had to release many gigalitres of water.  This is causing flooding downstream.  We drove to the dam where the water was being released in ferocious torrents below our feet!

We also visited the local train station, whose claim to fame is it has the longest covered platform in the southern hemisphere.   This was because the states of New South Wales and Victoria,  upon whose the border the station is located,  had different gauged train tracks.  

The train would arrive, the passengers disembark for a 2 hour lay over while the cargo was transferred from one train to the other before their journey could continue!  

Such an interesting place with lots of history, as could be seen in the buildings in the Centre of town.

We took a walk in the evening after a wonderful meal and the signs of flooding were everywhere.

After a very pleasant stay we were off the next day for another 6 hour drive to Torquay, the start of the Great Ocean Road.