the Grotto

London Bridge (fell down 1998)

Loch Ard Gorge

12 Apostles

Gibson Steps

We are now leaving Melbourne for Adelaide on the Overlander train. It is a 10 hour trip but we are trying to reduce our flying requirements with all the security issues at airports.

We are going to try and add some photos and possibly a 30 second video but if nothing shows up we did try.

So what did we get up to over the past few days after our free romps on the tourist bus and tram?

Off to the tourist office for maps and ideas of what to do. We decided to rent a car and do some outside Melbourne touring. First day we drove the Great Ocean Road for a short portion (hope video appears) the following day we drove to Phillip Island for the Penguin Parade (no photos allowed).

The GOR is really a trip that should be done over a couple of days but we ended up with about a 17 – 18 hour day. It was well worth the effort. Unfortunately we could not see all of the sights or points of interest which were not all that well marked for their turn offs. We left Melbourne as the backlash of cyclone Yasi was buffeting the area but as adventurous and ignorant travelers off we set seeking the sun. Yah right.

We stopped for our first picnic fortuitously finding an area with a number of picnic tables that had seen better days protected from the offshore winds and relaxed with our $4 bottle of wine, cheese, meat, fruit etc.

We found the Gibson steps and got down to the beach where we almost got soaked as a roller came in and we found ourselves knee deep as we stood well above, we thought, the water’s edge. Onwards to the Twelve Apostles (sandstone water and wind sculpted formations) , past the Bay of Martyrs (little apostles), a stop at the Loch Ard Gorge, named after a ship of the same name that was shipwrecked offshore, with our final stop before trying find our way back at the Grotto. Absolutely fantastic and we recommend the adventure to anyone considering Melbourne as a destination.

The return trip was long and we changed the route back due to the time, still cannot get used to the sun not setting until 8:30 – 9:00 mentally we are still expecting sunset to clue us into dinner time and as such our dinners have been quite late. Stopped in a small town at the local hotel for a delicious meal and off we set for the remainder of the trip. Sheet lightening filled the sky and when we stopped in Geelong, about an hour and a half from Melbourne, to fill up the car, the sky released a torrential downpour, needless to say the wipers worked overtime. The radio reception was disgusting so we never got any info on the state of affairs.

“Home again, home again, jiggidy jig,” Melbourne had been through flash floods which we heard about on the news when we were safe in our little home. Just a block or so away on Chapel Street, fantastic shopping area, people were trying to find safety on benches and up light poles. Off to sleep somewhere around 1:30. Pave’ will recall our Phillip Island escapade.

Regards AJ

The Penguin Parade sounds like a Disney movie title and doesn’t do justice to the sweet and amazing event. There’s a complex which surrounds, protects, advertises, and educates the masses about the penguins. There we read and saw displays about these tiny wonders. We had made the tricky decision to purchase slightly upgraded seats for the viewing. Instead of sitting in the stands with upwards of 2000 people we were going to sit in a stand close to the beach with only around 150 people. We could have paid and even bigger premium and been in a very special spot and served canapés. That just seemed a bit too silly.

The little darlings don’t swim up from the Bass Strait until it is dark. Then, under the cover of night and safe from predators from above, they slowly come ashore in clusters of 10-20. OH my. Their white chests and shiny bluey/black bodies pulsated as they did their wee dance up the beach. They make a huffing, quacking sound to each other as they cluster at the beach shore. There, they preened themselves completely. Meanwhile, we spectators huddled under many layers of clothing as the sea blew strong gusts of wind and the rain fell in sheets. We oohed and aahed as the came in wave after wave of them. We finally got down from the stands where we got the wide view and sat down by the fence which separated us from them and watched and they followed some special inside messages up the sandy path and into the surrounding hillocks and each found their burrows and their babies.

We were totally caught up in the spectacle of these tiny, waddling birds. Driven as they are by their inner forces to come to shore night after night - it was a sight we won’t forget. Wish all of you could have seen it!

PJ