The Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge!

16.01.2013

As much as we didn't want to leave the mesmerising Johanna Beach, we got up early on Day 10 as we had so many sites to see. We were continuing our journey along the beautiful Great Ocean Road towards some of Victoria's most famed natural landmarks.

Our first destination was the most famous of them all, the Twelve Apostles which form part of the spectacular Port Campbell National Park. When visiting the site, you are bluntly warned of two dangers here; snakes and unstable cliffs! To quote the sign, "You may fall and DIE." This didn't deter us and you will be pleased to hear we didn't encounter any dangerous reptiles (on this occasion, but we do see a snake later on in the trip!) or fall down any cliffs. 

If you aren't aware, the Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone stacks located on the coast near the Great Ocean Road. They are formed by erosion caused by the rough sea conditions experienced in the Southern Ocean. The basic process is that the sea erodes the soft limestone rock to form a cave, which continues eroding to eventually become an arch, which over time collapses to leave a giant stack of rock which can be up to 45 metres high. It is ongoing and there are still many caves and arches lining the Victorian coastline which have yet to collapse. 

Despite originally being called the Sow and Piglets (our next stop, the Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow and theses stacks were the piglets), the site was renamed in 1922 for tourism purposes even though there have only ever been 9 stacks not 12! In 2005, a 50 metre high stack collapsed and another followed in 2009 meaning there are now only 7 left - and with an erosion rate at the base of the pillars of 2cm a year, more will tumble. However, the waves continue to batter the coastline and more stacks will form in the future.

As they are now, the stacks are breathtaking and it a very special place to visit. Being another hot & sunny day, we had magnificent blue skies as a backdrop to this beautiful coastline. Along with the other visitors there, we stayed for a while just to soak up the beauty and atmosphere. I would return here in a heartbeat and recommend any visitor to Australia to make the journey if they can!

Having loved every second of the 'piglets', we were equally as excited to see the 'Sow' - or Loch Ard Gorge as it is known today. You learn about it's history on the signs scattered around the gorge. The site was named after a ship called Loch Ard, which ran aground nearby in 1878 after a 3 month journey from England to Melbourne. Only 2 of the 54 people on board survived; a 15 year old ship apprentice who was washed up ashore here and a 17 year old Irish girl immigrating to Australia who the apprentice saved upon hearing her cries. The arch of nearby Island Archway collapsed in 2009 forming two unconnected rock pillars which have been officially named as Tom and Eva in memory of the two survivors of the tragedy.

Once you arrive, you are able walk along the edge and look back to get this amazing shot back towards the gorge. However, for the best view of all you walk down the stairs onto the beach itself. From here, you get an incredible view and it shows just how beautiful the ugly process of erosion can be. On one side, you see wonderful rock formations and on the other, you see the pathway which has been carved into the rock by the sea, forming this picturesque oasis. The waves gently lap onto the golden shore, with the steep cliff faces & rich, blue sky forming an amazing backdrop. Once again, we were witnessing one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen and the memories will last a lifetime.

This was just one half of one hell of a day - in the next post we continue our journey to visit Thunder Cave, London Bridge and where Sherbrook River meets the ocean!

The beginning of the Great Ocean Road!

15.01.2013

We left Melbourne early on day 9, eagerly anticipating the start of our journey on the Great Ocean Road. This was part of the road trip we were most excited about, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The road stretches 243 km (151 miles) along the Victorian coast line - spanning both the Surf and Shipwreck coasts - and it meanders through rain forest, as well as beaches, coastline & cliffs. It was built between 1919 and 1932 by soldiers returning from WW1; dedicated to the wars casualties, it is the worlds largest war memorial. It starts with this impressive sign stretching across the length of road, making for an exciting start!

The road begins at Torquay, a beautiful and sleepy seaside town. In the UK, there is a coastal town with the same name which is also famous for its beach, but this one definitely comes out on top! The hot sun was shining brightly as we took these photo's at the start of today's drive.

The sky and sea were both a rich, inviting blue and with not a cloud in the sky, the golden sand made our shots the picturesque Australia you see on commercials back home. It has been difficult choosing which photo's to accompany this post because there are just so many beautiful sights along the way. It is truly the most beautiful and stunning road I have ever travelled along. So much so, we found it hard to resist stopping at every twist & turn of the road to take yet more pictures. This said, we found ourselves stopping at any excuse to stop and admire some of the beautiful scenes. I have included a snapshot of images, taken from inside & outside the camper van, to give you an idea of just how breathtaking our views were.

An hour or so into the drive, we stopped yet again - but this was a planned lunch break at Apollo Bay. Before eating, we spent an hour on the beach soaking up some rays and making the most of the view. And of course, we couldn't resist a dip in the sea to cool us down from the beating sun. All this sunbathing can be hard work, and so we enjoyed a giant pizza on the beach front, followed by award-winning, Ferrero Rocher flavoured ice-cream at the the Ice-cream Tub. It tasted delicious, and we can see why it has won awards.

Apollo Bay - a beautiful spot for a spot of lunch!

It is an incredible drive along the coast line, which sees the van just metres from the ocean at its closest point, wind along tight corners, through beautiful rain forest canopy, past sandy beaches and curve along stunning cliffs. The journey would continue tomorrow, but for now we were headed through pretty countryside towards Johanna Beach, our free camp site for the night.

We arrived at the camp, situated right next to a long, secluded beach with large, crashing waves. You would think we would be getting bored with all this sun, sea & sand by now but we definitely were not. We decided to take a long walk along the beach, in the shadow of these magnificent rugged cliffs. 

                                                   Day 9 of the road trip on Johanna Beach

Before we knew it, the sun was sinking in the sky and we stayed on the beach to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever had the privilege of viewing. It was over way too soon, and not even the chilly winds which picked up while the sun disappeared below the horizon could dampen what was a fitting end to a magical day in Oz. 

But this exhilarating, amazing day was not over just yet. As if we hadn't seen enough beautiful sites to last a lifetime, our seclusion and location meant we had magnificent views of the night sky; littered with more twinkling stars than either of us had ever seen before. Away from major cities, the Australian night sky regularly offers a fantastic glimpse towards the stars, but these were by far the best pictures we managed to capture on our trip.

Check out my next post for even more beautiful images as our journey along the Great Ocean Road continues, including a visit to the famed Twelve Apostles. If anything, there are even more amazing sights to come!

A queer day at Midsumma and a trip to St. Kilda beach!

13.01.2013

The last day of the first week of our trip was definitely a queer one. It was day 1 (and carnival) of the Midsumma Festival, Victoria's biggest celebration of gay culture for the LGBT & wider community. The weather wasn't playing ball, in contrast to the heat & blue skies of the previous days, we woke up to an overcast & drab day at a chilly 19oC. The event soon cheered us up though with stalls, music and a very entertaining dog show hosted by a fabulous drag queen who had plenty of 'bitchy' comments to offer...haha. Like any gay event, there were an array of interesting people both on & off the stage and a great turnout despite the lack of sunshine - we loved it!

Afterwards (even though the sun refused to come out), in typical British spirit, we jumped on a tram headed to the seaside. We checked out the quaint St. Kilda market with a whole host of stalls crammed full of original, local and often home-made, goods. The market is right next to the beach, so when were finished browsing, we sat and ate lunch looking out at the sea.

St. Kilda is the most famous beach in Melbourne and just 6kms (or 3.5 miles) from the CBD. The pier here is home to both a  beautiful little restaurant as well as a colony of Little Penguins - the same species as we saw at Phillip Island. On top of the beautiful sandy beach, you will find Luna Park (the sister of the park of the same name in Sydney) and a marina full of boats. We were spoilt with these fantastic views of the city as we strolled along the pier.

There is a cool, edgy feel to St. Kilda with lots of fascinating tourists & locals alike taking advantage of the plentiful cafes, shops & bars found here. And whilst the views are great every single day of the year, they get even better when the sun comes out to play. As I now have the pleasure of calling Melbourne home, after returning here at the end of the trip, I thought I would spoil you with some pictures of just how beautiful St. Kilda is in the sunshine.

 

                                     Jan 2013 vs March 2013 - the amazing views from St. Kilda pier in both cloud & sun!

These photo's were taken in March 2013 during the longest spell of consecutive days above 30oC on record in Melbourne - 10 days, peaking at a roasting 38oC. There was simply nowhere I would rather have been than swimming in the refreshingly cool waters of the Southern Ocean, looking back towards the golden sand with the city & blue skies as backdrop.