The Great Ocean Road, and Beyond..

Sunday 20^th November Ready for the start of a drive along the ‘Great Ocean Road’- a tourist route along the south coast of Australia, with great views – it features on all the pictures you will see of places to go to in Australia ! We set off at 8-30 a.m. soon leaving Melbourne behind, going through outlying districts famous for their car factories, now being closed down... mid morning we stopped at Lorne, the real start of the GOR, with a tourist information office, containing lots of stories of the making of the GOR (just after the war), the people that built it, and the early days when it was a toll road, and the ways that people tried to avoid it !

 

we then continued along the GOR which clings to the base of the cliffs as it twists and turns following the coast below soon stopping at Apollo bay seaside resort and a visit to the bakery there with its famous pies – I had scallops and curried leek pie – delicious !! We then continued along the GOR twisting and turning inland, then back to the coast, until just before 4 p.m. we arrived at the ’12 Apostles’- a group of sea stacks (12 originally, although now less!)  close to the shore, with the sea relentlessly battering them

 with hordes of other tourists there... not a quiet experience, none the less awesome ! after a short time there we continued, firstly into Loch Ard gorge, site of a famous shipwreck in 1878, then onto ‘London Bridge’ more famous (and recent) rock bridge stretching out into the sea..

Another 2 hours of driving saw us arriving after 7-30 p.m. at Portland and a weary overnight stop !

Monday morning we were up early for our next days drive continuing to a distant Adelaide.... after a short time we crossed the boundary into South Australia – my final Australian state– I’ve now visited every Australian mainland state , so I’ve only got to visit Tasmania sometime...!! we soon stopped at ‘The Blue Lake’ a volcanic lake, where the water turns blue overnight at certain times of the year (now !)

then on to the Wynns  wine estate in Coonawarra for a wine tasting ( at 11 a.m. ) with some nice cheese

 before continuing to Narracorte for lunch, and continuing to Adelaide, where we arrived just after 4 p.m,... two long days driving !

At 6-30 p.m. that evening I had the great pleasure of meeting my childhood mate – John , he’d left England with his family as a ‘£10 pom’ 47 years ago...and I’d not seen him since. I’d managed to make contact with him, and he came to the hotel to meet up with me – amazing we still recognised each other after all these years ! we had a meal and a couple of drinks together talking of the ‘old days’ before he had to leave, although we arranged to meet again in a couple of days...wonderful!

Tuesday 22^nd November loaded onto the coach for 8-30 a.m. for a final ‘city tour’ of this trip ! Around Adelaide – a clean bright and young city, although rather chilly !

where the knowledgeable tour guide took us round and round ! By mid morning dropping us all off for a walk through the Botanic gardens, quite impressive and peaceful

sculptures being dotted around, and the parrots having a morning wash in the water fountain !

We left the city behind driving out to Adelaides beach area – Glenelg

 where we stayed for lunch and wander in the stiff sea breeze !      

    in the afternoon we headed back thorough the Adelaide port area, and out and up Mount Lofty, firstly calling at Cleland wildlife park ( yes, I know – another one !) where the kangaroos were wandering around aimlessly

... whilst I quickly skipped round, then up to the viewpoint overlooking Adelaide, although by now it was raining so not good views... as we drove back down the hill we spotted a Koala bear, sleeping up a roadside tree

– with lots of people taking pictures !!, and back to the Adelaide Hotel for a final drinks meet up before people started going their separate ways at the end of the tour..

Wednesday 23^rd November my mate John called to collect me and take me out for the day, to show me bits of Adelaide I couldn’t see on my own ... ever since he arrived in Australia 47years ago he’s been in and around Adelaide, briefly leaving for work in other areas of the country before gravitating back to Adelaide – I cant blame him, it seems a really nice place !

We drove out along the coast, calling in at different places where he’s had contacts over the years, and all the while remembering bits from our childhood ! We came up to the ferry port for Kangaroo island after a couple of hours driving – some of my companions on the tour were visiting it in the day – a long day ahead of them !    We continued up along the coast to a great Fish restaurant, immediately on the beach

for a great seafood lunch, and then continuing  back inland, across the head of the Murray river, and into the town of Hahndorf – a German enclave with a great history, and where John has been for some years, initially in a local Hotel, and for the last couple of years running his own Restaurant, where we went for a visit

and I met his daughter... all too soon our time had run out, we’d been driving and chatting all day, different memories popping up as we went !     John dropped me back off at the Hotel in Adelaide...where I continued to keep remembering !