The next two days would primarily be spent driving and exploring the Great Ocean Road west of Melbourne. This stretch of road hugged the coastline and cliffs similar to highway 1 in California.
It was going to be Nate's first time driving on the opposite side of the road, so we timed our flight from Sydney to Melbourne so that we landed shortly after rush hour. We grabbed the car, a GPS, and hit the highway. Being on a large highway gave Nate some time to get comfortable and to stop using the windshield wipers (left of steering wheel) instead of the blinkers (right of steering wheel). Windshield wipers on a sunny day is the indication that a tourist wants over. It took about an hour to get to Geelong, and shortly after was the official start of the road.
Because it was a holiday week, it felt as if half of Melbourne was travelling on this 2 lane road (one lane each way). Each beach town had a central roundabout which usually caused a backup of 1-2 kilometers. Rumble strips were a frequent experience today because the car would drift left due to how close oncoming cars felt when driving from the right seat. The drive itself was pretty, with the coast hugging the road to our left.
We decided to stop in Lorne for lunch and had the first decent burger since home at Bottle of Milk. Lorne also had an information center that we visited to get some advice on lookouts and where to find koalas.
Based on our tip from Lorne, we stopped off at Kennett River before Apollo Bay. After parking near a cafe, we walked up the road and noticed a family looking up into a Eucalyptus tree. Sleeping on the lowest branch was a koala, only 10 feet above our head.
In a nearby tree was a second koala. We were encouraged to keep walking up the road, as the Great Otway national park was just ahead. A ten minute walk took us to where eucalyptus trees became denser, and with more trees came more koalas. For the most part, they were sleeping 50+ feet up, so it took us some time to figure out how to find them.
In our hour walking around Kennett River we found 13 koalas, with the first being the closest for pictures. We were excited to see so many in the wild, and we met some Aussies on this trip who hadn't seen any themselves.
We continued on past Apollo Bay, making several stops at the outlooks with views of the coast. After Apollo Bay, the road swings inland into Great Otway NP and turns into a windy, mountainous type road with tight turns. It was through here that Ashley swears she saw a kangaroo munching on leaves (no photo evidence can be provided). Nate, being the responsible driver, missed it due to a tight turn and the angle of the sun. It would be the only wild kangaroo spotted on our trip.
Our B&B was located beyond Great Otway but before Port Campbell national park, approximately 10 km inland amongst rolling hills and pastureland. It looked nothing like any images of Australia we had seen. And it had a name that fit it perfectly, 12 Apostles Secret Spot. Robin, the owner, greeted us and took us to our room. After dining recommendations she encouraged us to visit the 12 Apostles at sunset and stay until dusk in order to see the local little penguins. Ashley was excited to learn that she would see penguins with some patience and a sharp eye.
The 12 Apostles are the highlight of the Port Campbell national park and are said to be the 2nd most photographed natural object in Australia behind Uluru (Ayers Rock). They are huge pillars of stone that are left standing from the erosion of the cliffs. Today, only 8 are still standing as the waves continue their daily assault.
We arrived at 12 Apostles shortly before sunset, and tripods lined the wooden platform overlooking the pillars below. We found some space with a view and enjoyed the changing light over the rocks for the next 30 minutes.
Most visitors began leaving after the sun disappeared, and after some checking we decided on a spot where the penguins were supposed to wash ashore down below (~100 feet below). Ashley and others were peering intently at the water line along the beach, but it wasn't until 30 or so minutes after sunset that the first penguin was spotted. Because of the distance and the darkness, it was a small black blob near the top of the water line. The black clump slowly grew in size until enough penguins (~10) were together to safely march up the beach to their nighttime home in the bushes and rocks up against the cliff base.
Once they reached the first few plants, it became a free-for-all dash for safety. Behind them was a clear line in the sand where they had marched from the ocean. As one group marched up, the next group of penguins began clumping along the water's edge. We stayed for 4 separate groups of penguins and their parade up the beach before Ashley agreed to call it a night. It had been a good day for spotting animals.
The next morning we were up before first light in order to see the sunrise at the 12 Apostles. The sunrise would be coming from the east, meaning we had a different view than the night before. There were already several others who beat us to the best spot, but Nate found some room to set up. The sunrise was beautiful, with an orange pink coloring across the clouds for nearly 30 minutes.
After getting back to our B&B, we had some time to take a few pictures of the view and clean up before breakfast.
Breakfast was served at 8, cooked to order by Robin with fresh eggs from her chickens. She sat with us and another couple as we ate, sharing stories about her and the area. It felt as if we were a part of her family. Her dog Lamb was a curly coated lab (think black fur like a poodle except around the head) and was super friendly and sweet. He was always running about the garden and picking up leaves and other items in his fur. Before we knew it, almost two hours had passed since the start of breakfast. Having to leave, Robin gave us hugs and wished us well on the remainder of our trip. It was such a nice experience, and we would highly recommend anyone coming out this way to stay here.
Nate had to make one more stop at 12 Apostles because we hadn't seen them in full daylight.
We continued westward along the Great Ocean road towards Warnambool. Stops along the way included formations named London Bridge, Loch Arch, and Bay of Martyrs. Eventually the road turned inland and we left the coast behind.
Near Warnambool was Tower Hill State Reserve, a protected state park where many of the iconic Australian animals could be seen in their natural environment. The park was located on an island within a crater and had several short hikes that provided a good chance at seeing wildlife.
After talking with one of the guides, we decided on Watson's Bay. On the hike and surrounding area we saw 2 more koalas, 6 emus, 2 echidnas (a small porcupine), and a mystery dark snake that may or may not have been deadly. Unfortunately, it was a very hot day, so no kangaroos or wallabies were spotted.
To get back to Melbourne we took the inland route via Princes Highway. We dropped the car at the airport in order to avoid the dreaded hook turn (look this up on YouTube) in downtown Melbourne.
Melbourne has a well established China Town, similar but smaller than San Francisco's. The concierge recommended Sichuan House (the suburban location was on Bourdain's show). For those that didn't know, authentic Sichuan food is very spicy, with Kung Pao a well known dish (though softened to American tasyes). We decided on staying at moderate spiciness, or 2 out of 3 chilis. Nate had the chicken wok and Ashley went with the Kung Pao chicken. Nate scarfed down his dish, but Ashley ended up with a runny nose due to how spicy it was. We had ordered soya milk to help combat the heat, and Ashley finished hers nearly immediately and also drank half of Nate's. It was a great place to eat and we both enjoyed trying something new.
Tomorrow we would brave the heat and explore Melbourne.
No comments:
Post a Comment