Great Ocean road runs from the surf beaches just south of Melbourne through Port Campbell and ending at Warrnambool. Mostly because of my concern for property and other people living in Australia, we chose to not have me drive but rather charter a bus tour. Apparently most passengers felt the drive out of the city wasn't too exciting...
You may agree, though it was a real gift of a day. Thank you baby Jesus.
Anglesea
Our first stop was Anglesea, which to most would appear a very nice truck stop park. To us, this was our first view of the Tasman Sea and a final reality that until my next trip to Australia I won't see the final resting spot of Swayze in Point Break. RIP Bohdi.
The cliff homes in Anglesea are beautiful and the closest coastal holiday homes for Melbourne.
We brought along a Christmas tree to remind us that though it is about 24 degrees outside (75F), it is snow weather for our family and friends (Yea we're totally learning Celsius).
Christmas!
Just down from the split point light house, is an amazing beach. There are two lights, one red for 16km and one white for 20km. Boats are supposed to keep from seeing the red to keep a safe distance from shore. There are so many shipwrecks along this turbulent coast, any help was surely welcomed.
Most of the homes out here aren't rentals but rather empty and used by people who live in Melbourne and Geelong over holiday.
Lorne
We drove straight through because most businesses were closed Christmas day. The winter population of this city is 2k which grows to 30k in the summer months including thousands of campers. Homes cost upwards of $1M, second in cost only to Melbourne in Victoria.
We stopped in Apollo Bay for lunch. After too many fish, chips, and slices of pizza, we were able to take our first Christmas tree in the sand shot of the tour.
Pretty much everyone on the bus was prime for a second nap through the Otway Range which was a heavily farmed eucalyptus Forrest prior to the 1970s.
There are 3 different types of scenery during the drive along the great ocean road. The first is composed of lots of trees and bushes and cliffs plunging into the sea. The small beaches are mostly surrounded by campsites and people on holiday. The second is named the Otway range where we drive over the mountains and through the Forest. Ironically we don't even see the Ocean for about an hour. The third is named Port Campbell national park, home to the 12 Apostles. In this area the waves have pounded soft rock for centuries into beautiful formations.
Because we figured most people would walk to the shorter viewpoint first, Annie and I walked down to Gibson Steps where we could get closest to the giant rock structures, and take some snaps from the beach. First though we had to hike a bit...
Despite being named the 12 Apostles, all 12 are not visible from a single point unless seated in a helicopter. From the Gibson Steps beach two are visible. We made our way back along the short trek to the main view point to see 4 more apostles. These are by far the most beautiful views of the tour.
We hope everyone enjoyed a very merry Christmas.
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