Change of Scenery - Melbourne, Great Ocean Rd ~

Monday, 22 February 2016

Change of Scenery - Melbourne, Great Ocean Rd

03:39

Lance Dean

Great Ocean Road -Victoria
For a change of screnary I flew from north Queensland to Victoria at the southern end of Oz for Christmas.

Great Ocean Road view. Lookin west.

Disused college where we stayed.

James was off to Brisbane to see his family so I was on my own, Found some real cheap tickets carryon only, then out to a country town called Camperdown by train in Victoria.

Actually it was quite a mission, drive from Mission Beach to Koah, Koah to Clifton Beach, park truck, taxi to airport, plane to Melbourne, bus to train station, train to Camperdown, then car to house, hope I'm heading in the right direction!, to spend Christmas with Mum & Dad in who happened to be in Victoria.

Stupid cheap Jet star flight and there ticket process, it's not very obvious what I needed to do, I had a Carry on bag only ticket, no check bag you can have 7kg, so I packed my bag and heavily reduced it to 6kg, no checks at check in, get to gate and there's scales, sweet I'm under, oh no you got a put everything you've got on scales, lunch bag, drink bottle what ever you not wearing, so ended up With 10kg, hmm.

put singlet, extra shirt and Flanno shirt on, filled my pockets, chucked plastic water bottle, still over, didn't want empty lunchbox (cold roast chicken, boiled eggs and salad) so I stuffed it down the front of my pants and tried to hide it under my shirt, walking kinda funny, seemed so hilarious, smuggling real food on board, oh no what if I get caught, LOL Stupid system.

Lake Coringamite- Salty

Lake Coringamite- all still salt

First day after arriving we got organised in the house where we were staying , Mum & Dad had 4 days off work so we went camping for the Christmas break for 4 days, we hit the Great Ocean Road.

Drove from Camperdown to Colac got some more camping supplies including a $5 chillibin , stainless kettle, plates and mugs for lose change, amazing what you can find at the op-shop. Had Lunch at Lake Colac, out to Lake Corangamite, very salty Lake, when you walk on the white ground is crunches under your feet as it is dried up salt and minerals.Up to near by Red Rock Look out, what a view of the whole countryside, awesome.

On towards Great Ocean road via Birregurra, found a place called Deans Marsh LOL, then to Benwerrin and finally hit the coast at Lorne Beach on the Great Ocean Road ( GOR ), Here we had a afternoon swim at the beach and then drove along the GOR to Eskclin Falls and spotted some man made Rock Cairns in a small bay, called it Cairn Bay.

Lorne Beach, first view of the south coast and Great Ocean Road.

Kennett creek camp by a Billabong

We planned to stop at a free camp at Wye river but there was a Bush fire, saw the helicopter working there getting water from the ocean, not far from where we were going to camp, the next camp was closed as well. We travelled on to Kennet Creek, spotted koala and found a camp up along a tar sealed bush road, we had tea at Grey River went for a short walk and camped near by a Billabong that night, Christmas eve, I wonder if Santa visits the bush .!!!

Christmas day: ( nahh Santa didn't find us ), onto Apollo Bay for lunch under the shade of a Norfolk pine, Had fresh fruit and cream first and then had cold chicken and salad- yum, later we had a swim at the beach & river area.

On to Otaway Point Light House and checked out the camp site, didn't stay there.

Around through Laver's Hill to Triplet Falls, found another free camp down a 4x4 track, lucky it was dry as we only had a standard 2x4 Toyota Ute. Christmas dinner, with Xmas crackers, masks and hats of course, had a swim in the fresh water creek near our camp. Had to set up camp quickly ready for a rainy night, a light rain most of the night but we were all good with Mum & Dad in the back of the Ute and me in my tent.

After a very rainy night we were still dry, went and did the walks at Triplet Falls , Beauchamp Falls, Hopetown Falls, then did the Otaway Fly Tree Top walk, they are all awesome well worth a look, a lot of amazing old thick forests, a lot like NZ.

Back through Lavers Hill and down to the coast at Princetown for a cuppa at the beach , stopped in at Gibson Steps, Lot of steps down the cliff to the beach and a view of the 12 Apostles, tonnes of tourists, reminds me of the sights in Europe, standing room only.

( I few have fallen over the years and there aren't actually 12 any more, so they mite have to change the story book )

Onto Loch ard Gorge with more cliff sights but thankfully the crowds where only at the apostles, and on to Port Campbell, then straight back to the old Glenormiston College near Camperdown where the house is, which was only 40 min away, didn't realize it was all so close.

Loch Ard Gorge

After a nice nite in the house we went down to Childers Cove, amazing, better than Apostles, caught a little wrasse fish, not big enough to eat, had lunch & a swim in our own private cove, surrounded by Cliffs. Onto Warrnambool a great looking beach town, Logan Beach whale nursery, no whales great swimming beach, very cold, around to rocks, rock pools and more lookouts, what a great playground right in the town.

We did some food shopping (& whiskey), then stopped at Hopkins Falls, one of the widest falls in Australia on the way back to the house.

Work today on a dairy farm, got up early and put the roast chicken in the slow cooker on timer, It will be ready when we get back for dinner. Only a few hours work at a area near Branxholme, a long drive away from Camperdown. So might as well look around while we over here. We stopped at Wannon falls which was dry, Nargaretta falls, also dry. Went to the Volcano Centre in Penshurst to learn about how this area was created, walked up Mt Noorat a perfectly formed deep crater at the top of hill. Impressive sight. Found some yummy Christmas plums on the side of the road on the way back to the abandoned college, where our house is.

Work again with Mum & Dad, at a Melbournes water treatment farm, a massive farm near Weeribee, so big it gas it's own roads, and post code!, not back till late that day.

Work again today at a farm at Branxholme, then onto Port Fairy for a look, checked out the light House, it is a santury for mutton birds ( shearwater Birds ) nesting, none there this time of year.I had a quick fish, no luck, stopped at Tower Hill on way back a volcanic lake with a 'floating' island. Much of this area was formed by volcanic eruptions. thousands of years ago as a thin patch in the plate moved over a 'hot spot'.

Working new years day so have a little dinner tonight at a friend's place.

New Years eve: at home, watched a movie had a nice scotch whiskey or three or something like that I think.

Birds & Animals I spotted in Victoria: Koala, Kangaroo, Wallaby, Emu ( giant bush Chook ) Red tailed black Cockatoo, Yellow tailed black Cockatoo, sulfur creasted white cockatoo, 2 different breads of Gallah( also a member of the cockatoo family), there sure is alot of cockatoos down here, lizards, Camel, cows, cows and more cows, and only one bull, he's a busy bull.

Red Rock Lookout, surveying the county.

Ecklin Falls- Near The Great Ocean Road

I'm a lumber jack & I'm ok.

First lookout we stopped at on G.O.R. befor water got rough.

Wye river

Choppers dunking his bucket.

Camp near Kennet Creek, overlooking a billabong with the black Cockatoos

Kennet creek lookout near our free camp.

Koala sleeping, must of had a big night.

Cairn Bay

Some very precise stacking skills.

Cairn Bay bench seat

Swimming spot Christmas day. Apollo Bay

The bush fire we narrowly missed at Wye river. see smoke below the cloud

Rare wildlife in this part of OZ.

Christmas Dinner, on the tailgate table. Triplet Falls

Wet camp site at Triplet falls

Triplet falls

Nice spot to take a rest after a long bush walk to waterfalls

Hopetown Falls

The old Fordson Major, his battle with the BlackBerrys finally over. Looks like the berries won, either that or they are now friends. Only old school farmers will remember this iconic Tractor.