Our plan to visit the Grampians to allow the rainy weather
to clear was vindicated as we rose to something that looked like blue skies!
There was still low cloud but I am getting used to the Victorian weather now
and I knew we were in luck. We were quickly up and on the road as we had to get
back and finish the Great Ocean Road, and one of the best known parts of it!
Our first port of call was the western
most ‘feature’ The Bay of Martyrs which was a great introduction. Massive
limestone ‘islands’ rising up from crystal clear water with towering cliffs as
the backdrop was the recipe for today’s entertainment.
Most of the big features
are at the eastern end of this stretch of the road and we didn't want to run
out of time and miss those so we decided to drive past everything and make our
way back.
Our next stop was the eastern most feature, Gibbs Steps, which allows you to snake your way down the 30 or 40m cliffs that line this part of the GOR. It was pretty cool to be able to look up at these massive cliffs and stroll a couple of hundred meters down the beach to stand near the base of one of the towering craggy cylinders, these massive relics of time.
Not long after we joined the conveyor belt of tourists that come to see the 12 Apostles. There must have been 1000 people at the site while we were there, while it did make getting a photo without any bombers in place pretty hard somehow it didn’t really detract from the experience, too much at least. The apostles themselves are pretty cool with the relics of the one who fell most recently clearly visible at low tide and the base of another long gone disciple barely visible. How long the rest of them will be there is anybody’s guess but it is worth the effort to have a look at them.
On the way back we had to get some supplies so while our
purchasing officer headed to the general store in Port Campbell the boys and I
headed to the beach. Now this one isn’t like one I have ever been to before
with a 20m deep and 200m wide beach with sheer cliffs on one side and one that
rises to a cliff on the other. It is a special little place and I could easily
imagine spending a week or two on holidays there. Even though the water was
cool it was bearable as it was actually getting pretty warm!
We pottered along the rest of the trail alighting the other
features, The Arch, The London Bridge and The Grotto which were all spectacular
in their own right but I’ll let the pictures do the talking for them.
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| London Bridge - It used to have another section but it fell down in 1990 leaving two tourists stranded! |
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| The Grotto which starts from a small depression in the ground and turns into a sink hole. |
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| Beach near The Grotto |
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| The layers are increidble |
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| The Arch. |
After successfully completing the GOR we headed for our free
camp that is about 30kms from Warrnambool in tiny little town called Panmure.
Well why would you pay for a camping ground when you get ones like this for
free!! Great open grassy areas with netball courts and cricket nets, covered
area with free electric BBQs, brand new toilet block (no showers although there
are apparently some in the AFL club 100m away) and our favourite was the
swimming hole with a real diving board!
We had a great afternoon and after a big couple of days the boys were
asleep as soon as their head hit their pillow.
Tomorrow is something to really look forward to as the boys
are off to join the circus! While we may live like showies, I didn’t really
think they were going to do this!
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| A Collage of our great day! |
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