1 April 2012

April 1, 2012
April Fool’s Day couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. Just when I am trying to remember
what we did, and when, I now understand that the time changed. Today, Australia “fell” back an hour into Eastern Standard Time (since it is autumn here) while the US “sprung forward”
into daylight savings time. So now, by my calculations, the times are another hour different between the two places. Someone is messing with my mind! Does this remind you of my
comments about the sun on the NORTH side and the whirlpool of water going down
the drain in the opposite direction? Not only that, but now I have to change my electronic
watch—using the 200-page user’s manual written in extremely small type. Nothing is ever easy in this traveling business.

Ok, so enough of the grousing; on with the travels.

Friday, 30 April 2012

Linda and I got up early and set out by car from Melbourne through the Otway Ranges toward Part Campbell and the “Shipwreck Coast”. We got some good advice from an adviser at a tourist
information station to head straight for Port Campbell along the major highways, bypassing the Great Ocean Road (a 4+ hour drive) until tomorrow (Saturday). So we cut through a large area of small towns and large farms (including some incredible scenery of expansive, green fields and some equally, green, steep hills all dumped on top of each other.) After a couple of hours we
arrived at Port Campbell and checked into our hotel.

The afternoon was getting on, but we still have plenty of good light left so we head out to some of the local sights. First we stopped at a rather large tourist area known as the Twelve Apostles. Here the surf beats against the soaring sandstone cliffs. Over the eons, the surf starts to gouge out rock at the base of the cliffs; then cuts through an arch. Sooner or later, the arch collapses leaving these huge sandstone monoliths standing alone in the surf. This happens so often in this area that it forms a number of these towers, or Apostles, along the coastline. They looked especially lovely in the late afternoon sunshine.

A little further along we discovered the Loch Ard Gorge, a huge gouge cut by the surf into the sandstone cliffs. This time the boiling water formed large caves and arches into the sides of the gorge. As the surf pounded in, and especially when two waves formed an even larger one, it created a resounding “boom” against the sandstone walls. The National Park Service created several strategically-placed observation platforms along the trails for tourists to
observe the action below.

As the light started to transform into a shade of gold, much like the face of the cliffs, we returned to Port Campbell for an evening meal of locally-caught ocean perch, “chips” (of course) and local tap beer on the outside deck of the local restaurant. The restaurant sits directly opposite the town beach, situated at the end of a lagoon cut into the cliff walls by the surf. Although not as active as the coastline by the Twelve Apostles, it made a perfect place to end a beautiful day.

Saturday 31 March 2012

We began the day with a quick breakfast (or “brekkie” as the Australians say) at a different local restaurant, and then set out for Princeton, a small town located just to the west of Port Campbell. It was backtracking a little, but we wanted to see two additional attractions along the coast—the Arch and London Bridge. The modest-sized Arch nestled right up to the cliff wall directly below the observation platform. As before, the surf cut a hole through the center forming and arch. The enormous London Bridge sat further away from the cliff with a large, flat crown covering the entire top. If my understanding is correct, sometime in the distant future the waves will wear out the sides of the arches, the top of the arches will crash into the surf and we will have two more “apostles” to add to the region’s collection.

We left the arches behind and started on the day’s journey up the Great Ocean Road back in the general direction of Melbourne. By the way, I didn’t mention that we included
a GPS system as an option on our car rental. We named it “Princess Margaret” because of the cultured, female, English voice giving us directions. Princess Margaret got us through many difficult places, sometimes in the countryside, but especially in the large cities like Melbourne, and even in a few of the modest-sized cities. It’s enough to handle driving on the other side of the road, especially with the steering wheel on the right ride, and negotiating “round-abouts” and various other kinds of highway constructions—without having to figure where to go and what streets to take.

Directions did not pose a problem on the Great Ocean Road. It extends for several hundred
kilometers along the coastline, south of Melbourne. Mostly it consists of a winding, two land
blacktop highway build during the 1930s Depression all along the coastal escarpment. When I say winding, I don’t mean occasionally curvy; rather the curves happen one after another in rapid succession. Speed limits sometimes creep up as high as 80 kph, but most often hover around 30-50 kph especially around the many hairpin turns. Add to this situation the fact that the road is a favorite of bicyclists in the area and more than once I turned a sharp curve only to discover an oncoming car on my right and a bicycle (and often more than one) on my left. Signs along the highway post it as a “high risk area” which is directed, no doubt, to the
bicyclists. Still we saw hundreds of them pedaling up and down the hills and around the sharp bends all along the coastal road.

The Great Ocean Road offers many observation points and look-out platforms all along the route. I have to say that it was one of the most beautiful and unusual coastal
drives that I have even taken. Given more time, we would have driven slower, stopped more often and enjoyed its many offerings throughout the drive back to Melbourne. But Saturday night is party time at my cousin’s place; we pushed on ahead to get back and change for the festivities.