The Great Ocean Road

I woke up after a complex dream wherein John had planned a big birthday celebration for Caroline that must have had to do with all the aranging that takes place daily when you travel on your own. Odd. We are very much looking forward to our trip along the Great Ocean Road just south of Melbourne and use every bit of daylight for the 185 mile jaunt. The GOR starts in Tourquey, home of Bell's Beach, the famous surfing area. Because of some intermittent rain, I was balancing a brelly as I took photos at this beach. From there, we go through Angelsea where you can see kangaroos grazing on the golf course. We had started the day in heavy jackets, jeans and boots, but I had to change into shorts, tee shirt and flip flops. Good one. We explored a bit at Lorne, seeing the beautiful Erskine Falls and got our exercise climbing back up the steps from the bottom falls. Between Lorne and Apollo Bay, Ron pulled in to a little rustic cafe (me with semi-sinking heart as I'd fancied the Laguna Beach-like atmosphere in Lorne for food.) The propreitor asked if we'd stopped for the koalas. What??? She said, "Oh, yeah, just up that road(pointing, and start looking right away." We were beside ourselves. When I was still inside, I glanced over to see a red and green parrot dive-bombing Ron. The woman said, "Oh, they think everyone has seeds!", at which point her husband beckons me outside instructs me to put seed on my outstretched flat hand, and, you know it, I've got birds! I know my sisters are laughing now since I've a little thing about birds. These King parrots were quite fun but I was glad I had my jacket on. Ron put his seed in the crown of his hat, so had had birds along for our walk. It was wild. The man then runs over to tell us there's a koala in a tree just there so we walk over and, sure enough, there is the little guy. A short walk yielded 2 more koalas, one with a baby. Wonderful to watch them reach for leaves and the baby to venture out a bit . Ron's telephoto lens was doing great work. Pictures to follow. The final treat was seeing a kookabarra perched not on the old gum tree, but waist high on a rail next to the restaurant. We leave the ocean to follow the road inland through the Otways and the Great Otway National Park. With the usual luck, we stumble upon Hopetoun Falls, an absolutely lovely place where we meet an older couple, also enjoying the area. Good conversation on the fly. we are looking for a place call Mait's Rest which we do find, but see an alternative hike we like better. We manage directions from a passerby who kindly provides us a map of the park. It's a huge place. Our friend with the map suggests a bitumen-surfaced road as a short cut so we leave the highway and find ourselves alone for over an hour. Our rewards include spotting a wallabye that stopped and stared at us but not long enough for me to retrieve the camera. That thing should have been at the ready. We are looking for our hike which we don't find, but we do arrive at the Otway Fly, which we've also planned to visit. You pay a fee, walk briefly through the rainforest and start on a 2,000 foot long steel canopy walkway that's 75 feet above the forest floor. The mesh walkway sways although there are nice handrails, my best friends at height. Leaving my comfort zone entirely, Ron and I climb a spiral tower which, at the top, is 140 feet tall and sways. Descending was much better than climbing because I could not see the spaces between the steps. Yikes. We return to the ocean at Port Campbell National Park to see the Twelve Apostles, large and impressive limestone pillars close to the shore in Hawaii-blue water. Thre are no longer 12 of them since at least one's fallen to erosion. Still, they are worth the trip. Treacherous water here. No swimming although it looks so inviting and would offer respite from....the flies! They're baaaackkkk. We have to skip a trip to the Otway Lighthouse that I hated given up, but there is just time for a quick supper and to get back before dark. My hero has come a long way with the wrong-sided driving, but a mountain road with wrong-sided driving in the dark? We cannot be cruel. We take an alternate route for our last bit, but Ron comes through and we're spot on getting back to the hotel. The man has been very intuitive on this trip.