Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Day 3 - Port Fairy to Apollo Bay - The Great Ocean Road

So today was the big day, the day where I would see the main attractions of the Great Ocean Road.

So, after an amazing nights sleep in my little pad it was up and out to marvel at the wonders of this fantastic bit of coastline.  Now I could waffle on fro hours about each place and how amazing it was but i am just going to let my pictures do (most of) the talking!  I will tell you the places I went in order I went there and hopefully it will be easy to marry them up with the pictures.  Just like a quiz!

I decided not to stop at the town of Warrnambool as I knew there was a lot to see and the last time I did this drive, many years ago, the majority of it was in the dark so I wanted to soak up every single sight!

So here goes......

No.  1 - Bay of Islands - awesome and you could hear the roar of the ocean before you saw it!
No.  2 - Crofts Bay - see above!
No.  3 - No name to this one but quite lovely!!
No.  4 - Bay of Martyers (I think Ive got that right) bloody fantastic!
No.  5 - Worm Bay
No.  6 - Halladale Point - the site of a shipwrek of that name and you can see why it got into trouble!
No.  7 - Wild Dog Cave
No.  8 - The Grotto - WOW!
No.  9 - London Bridge - just as amazing as I remember it and the waves crashing around made it better!
No.10 - The Arch - not to be confused with the bridge!

Then I stopped off at a little place called Port Campbell for a spot of lunch.  This bay is right down in the valley and the road is so windy to get down to it, I had areal sense of da ja vu as I drove down into it.  Probably because I have been here before!  This journey is taking me back and taking my breath away at every turn.  The coastline is rugged and the ocean is fierce, the road are windy and steep and it is a pleasure to drive it!

Now on to the next few stops.....

No.11 - Loch Ard Gorge - just stunning
No.12 - Mutton Bird Island - same birds here as in Port Fairy and they all fly in at night
No.13 - Thunder Cave - and boy does the roar  sound like thunder, quite scary!
No.14 - Broken Head - I saw this a bit earlier and named it the cake, now I know its real name!

Then it was the big one.....the one that we raced to get to last time before sunset, when there were more than there are now.......!

No.15 - The 12 (but only about 7 or 8 now) Apositles - stunning is all I can say, just as fantastic 2nd time
No.16 - Gibson Steps - a very steep climb down to the beach so that you can get up close and personal with a couple of the Apolitles , which I did, but had to be quick as that roaring ocean was coming in!

Then the road went inland and just as I thought I was going to get a rest from spectaculart scenery the landscape changed to that of forest and roads that were ridiculously steep and winding, making your ears pop twice on the way up and on the way down, with sheer drops down into the valley.  Unreal.  The landscape changed again to the rolling hills of the Ayre Valley, which was so much like the Lake District or the Dales but on a much grander scale!! There were sheep and cattle and wheat, and dispite Australia having a problem with the heat, this part really is a great and pleasant land!

As Apollo bay approached (and my fuel got low, again!) I saw the turn off for Cape Otway Lighthouse which winds throufh the Otway National Park and Rainforest and thought 'why not'.  Well after another fab drive through gum trees and rainforest vegitation I got to the lighthouse and it had just closed!  So, holding my breath that my 1/4 tank would get me back to the main road and to Apollo bay, I headed off.  Now I had seen some cars parked up looking at things and just drove past but then on the way back they had gone and I spotted what they had been looking at.....KOALAS!!!!!!!  Lots of them!!!!! In the trees!! Sleeping and eating!!  OMG Shut Up!!!  There were 9 in all that I could see and I was soon joined by a few others (including a lovely English couple from Sussex called Sue and Digger who know someone who works at Maidstone Ambulance Station!!) and we clicked away!  Soooooooooooooo cute and there will be a whole section of photos...........

So then it was into the pretty little town of Apollo Bay and to my Youth Hostel, I was not holding my breath.......

Well I couldn't have been more wrong!  Proper swanky eco lodge with leather sofas and driftwood sculptures and fabulous facilities including a rooftop terrrace!  So I was very happy and the managers were really helpful too, recommending a nice little bistro just down the road as I had decided to splurge on dinner tonight. 

And Buffs Bistro was amazing.  Whitebait to start (see pics!!) and then the most amazing seafood chowder with scallops, mussels, prawns and 3 types of local catch fish!  All washed down with 2 large beers and finished off with a massive piece of pecan pie and a coffe!!  Had the company of Digger and Sue too which was good.  After I had finished my meal and had a good chat with the owner, I decided that I felt a bit squiffy (lots of sun) so I toddled off back to my 5 star hostel!!!  Bit of internet, PJ's on and into my room with the view and sound of the ocean.  Off to Queenscliff tomorrow and the last part of the very aptly named Great Ocean Road........

Last Lot of Day 2 Pics.......










More Day 2 Pics.....











My lovely little cottage for the night!!!

Day 2 Pics - Robe to Port Fairy.....






Seen outside a pub in Port Fairy!! Made me chuckle!

Road Trip Day 2 - Robe to Port Fairy

So it was up and away from my lovely little country pub in rob and onto my next stop, the very prettily named Port Fairy. I wasn't planning on stopping too much on this leg of the trip - the Great Ocean Road does not start unitl after Port Fairy so it was just going to be a drive down and then a chill out evening.

The scenery was a wonderful as always, mainly through farmland and forests, with cows and sheep a plenty.  This is logging country as well as farming and I found myself behind two 3 wagon road trains - one carrying logs and the other carrying hay.  I could see them in the distance pull out in front of me and I wasn't worried as there are plenty of places to overtake on this stretch of road.  Well, these buggers were outrunning me and the Ute!  I was doing 100k and they were outrunning me!  At one point they both overtook 2 caravans!  Mad men, I just let them get on with it......

I travelled through the towns of Mount Gambier (there is one of those in WA too!) then Nelson and onto Portland, all quite nice but not really worth a stop.  I then finally arived in Port Fairy.  And very very pretty it was too.  Loads of old heritage buidlings and cottages, much like Robe (again my mum would love it!)

Then I came to my YHA Hostel for the night.  A very quaint little building with lovely flowers up the path.  good start I thought.  The managers were lovely and helpful and gave me lots of information on the local area.  Then they handed me my key and my sheets for the bed.  Off I went to inspect.  My room was in 'The Coach House'  upstairs and across the coutyard from the amenities.  It was very quaint but to say it was basic would be a bit of an understaement.  Now, all of you that know me well are aware of my little issues with showers and bits and bobs and I though I could just about manage the little room with metal frames bolted to the walls, but the amenities were another matter.  Bless the place, very well cared for but just not my scene when I was very tired and needed a good hot shower and a chill in bed with the TV!  At this point I had no real intention of finding somewhere else to stay (the room had only cost me 30 quid) but that was to change.....

I headed to the visitor info centre and got some idea of things to do then headed for a cafe on the main street called The Hub that advertsied tea and cake for $5.50 and free wifi.  Done.  So I ate and sipped and updated facebook, before taking off to explore the sights.  Port Fairy has a great little marina on the river and as I was wandering up the banks a gorgeous little holiday home caught my eye - Maisie's Cottage!!  It was sooooooo cute nad quaint and had vacancies......I rang the number and a lovely man named Norm answered and said that Maisie's was booked but they had another little unit perfect fot the single traveller.......He met me there are showed me round and I was sold and it was gorgeous!  Thankfully I hadn't left any stuff and the hostel so I decided to just take the key back in the morning.  They will never know........  Bumped into a couple that had been on the Ghan to Alilce Springs too, can you believe it!  Bert and Beryl from Manchester (not their real names but you get the picture.....) They were headed the same way as me in the morning and I am sure I will see them again!

So now I knew that I had a fabulous place to stay sorted it was time to explore.  There is a lovely little conservation island called Griffiths Island that you get to via a footbridge that has wallabies and a colony of mutton birds, so I decided to explore.  It's only about 3 km all the way round and I ended up walking all  the way round.  Saw 5 wallabies right at the start, just sitting in front of me!  So cute.  After a little detour onto the beach I came to the lighthouse (they do love a lighthouse) and a beach where the rocks were jet black and the sand was made up of millions of the tiniest shells I have ever seen!  When my lap was complete i decided to take myself off the find a sunset spot.  the best spot was taken by a couple of bogens (Aussie chavs) but they soon left when the beer ran out so I settled myself down to wait.  I was soon joined by a girl that had been checking into the Hostel at the same time as me and we got chatting.  She had walked from Warrnbool that day, it had taken her 7 hours!  Mad woman! She was from Florida and over working for a year.  When the sun had set, very nice it was too, she said she was off back to the island to see the mutton birds come back in (they do it every night apparently!) and I said I was meeting up with some people I had met for a drink!!!!!  Christ, I don't know why I try to get out of things, who cares if I don't go back to the hostel, certainly not her!

Anyhoo, i gave her a llift the 500 yeards to the bird arriving platform as she had huge blisters on her feet from her walk and I headed for the Kung Fu Kitchen to get a chinese takeaway and home to The Overnighter for a well earned rest!  This travelling lark is bloody tiring!  My little home was so cute, I just wanted to move right in.  Chinky, beer and bed where sleep came very quickly.  Big day ahead tomorrow, Port Fairy to Apollo Bay and the most dramatic and famous part of the Great Ocean Road.  Done it once before but unfortunately it was dark.............!!  Night! xx