The GREAT Ocean Road
Is this really happening? I'm going to see the Great Ocean Road?!?! Ever since I can remember I've always wanted to go and see the Great Ocean Road. A little back story when I was very little some of my family friends came to visit and while they were over they showed us their pictures from their most recent vacation. I distinctly remember seeing the picture of the 12 Apostles and told myself I would eventually go there and see it for myself in person. Most people don't know that when I saw this image it's when my fascination and obsession for Australia started and I promised myself I would go there one day. Being able to go there this past weekend was something out of a dream. It was my second day in Melbourne and my day started off very early at 6:30 am. My tour was with boutique great ocean road tours and the tour departed at 7:25 am. I was originally not going to be with boutique tours but I got lucky and my tour got upgraded for free at the last minute. The really great thing about having my tour upgraded was that there was a hotel pick up and drop off, all the transportation was in a new vehicle, there were only eleven people maximum on the tour, I got to eat at a gourmet restaurant for lunch in Apollo Bay, exclusive views most tours won't get, and an expert tour guide. Since the tour was almost twelve hours I will split op the tour based on my journey's highlights.
Journey Highlights:
ANGLESEA TOWNSHIP: My first stop on my tour group arrived to the gateway to the great ocean road Anglesea. We enjoyed the breathtaking views on the banks of the stunning Anglesea River.
MEMORIAL ARCH-GREAT OCEAN ROAD SIGN: Beside a beautiful river we stretch our legs and got ourselves ready for a great day of touring. We then made the journey through Aireys Inlet past the Split Point Lighthouse before arriving at the Memorial Archway built in 1939 marking the gateway to this famous coastal drive. Here I had the opportunity to get the postcard shot of the Great Ocean Road sign hung from the Memorial Arch. Then I made my way down to the beach for my first coastal walk.
LORNE TOWNSHIP & TEDDY'S Lookout The hidden gem of great ocean road: The next stop on my great ocean road day tour will be a photo opportunity in the beautiful seaside town of Lorne. I headed up to Teddy's Lookout which is highly regarded as one of the best lookouts on the great ocean road. While at the lookout I spotted my first wild kangaroo and koala since I've been in Australia.
MOUNT DEFIANCE LOOKOUT: I continued my journey along the most scenic part of this morning’s drive through Mount Defiance. At Mount Defiance I learned about the story of William Buckley who survived in the wilderness 200 years ago.
The Story of William Buckley-
The man known as the ‘Wild White Man' was born William Buckley, in Macclesfield, England, in 1780. As a young man he worked briefly as an apprentice bricklayer, but soon joined the army and became a respected soldier.However, his military career came to an abrupt end in 1802, when he was accused of theft and sentenced to 14 years in the convict colony of Australia. In October 1803, Buckley arrived at the convict settlement at Sullivan Bay, on the Calcutta. However, a lack of fresh water and difficult conditions made the settlement less than satisfactory, and many convicts attempted escape. Buckley was one of the few that succeeded. On Christmas Eve 1803 – knowing that the officers had been drinking and would be less alert than usual – some of the convicts stole a kettle, a gun, boots and medical supplies. At 9pm on 30 December, the group made its escape. One convict, Charles Shaw, was shot and severely injured, but the others escaped into the bush. Buckley and his companions made slow progress on foot but managed to walk around most of Port Phillip Bay. They survived on shellfish, succulent plants when they could find them. But hunger and fear of the Aborigines wore down Buckley's companions, who soon decided to return to Sullivan Bay. Buckley continued his journey alone until he reached the area near Barwon Heads, where he lived with the Wathaurung Indigenous people for the next 32 years. Over this time he was accepted into the Aboriginal community and culture, and made a crucial first step towards understanding between white settlers and the Indigenous people. During his time with the Watharung people William had two wives and one daughter. Sadly, both of his wives died one from natural causes and one being killed in a raid while his daughter was kidnapped and never seen again. On 6 July 1835 William Buckley appeared at the camp site of John Batman's Port Phillip Association with a party of Aboriginal people who had told him about the sighting of a ship at Indented Head. Wearing kangaroo skins and carrying Aboriginal weapons, he walked into the camp. The three European men at the camp were William Todd, James Gumm and Alexander Thomson and five Sydney aborigines who had been left behind to maintain a base while John Batman had returned to Launceston. They fed him and treated him with kindness. Buckley showed them the letters "W.B." tattooed on his arm. Fearful of being shot, he told them he was a shipwrecked soldier, but a few days later he revealed his identity, to the amazement of everybody present. In September the same year, he was granted a pardon by Lieutenant-GovernorArthur, in Van Diemen's Land because he said it was enough punishment to live with savages for all those years.
Fun Fact: Because of the story of William Buckley an Australian saying came out of his adventures which is, "You've got Buckley's" which means "no chance", or "it's as good as impossible".
KENNETT RIVER-spot wild koalas & colorful wild parrots: Next I wind up along this inspiring coastline towards Kennett River where koala's hang above the road. We got to stop for an extended break from the road to spot as many koalas as we can as well as attract many wild parrots and crimson rosellas. The coolest bird I saw was the Kookaburra!
APOLLO BAY TOWNSHIP-lunch at La Bimba restaurant: On arrival to Apollo Bay my group got escorted to our reserved table at La Bimba restaurant. Once seated my waiter served my group warmed Turkish bread with garlic olive oil and a trio of dips to start. Once entree is digested we were served an incredible banquet of local produce. For my main meal I had fresh prawns, roasted potatoes, and I even tried a muscle, which I still don't like. We spent around an hour in Apollo Bay and I got to spend some time at the beach across from the restaurant.
Fun Facts:
The area of Apollo Bay is highly prone to bush fires with one of the worst ones being December of 2015
Apollo Bay only has a population of 5,000 people 10 months out of the year while during the summer the population increases to 35,000
Only 10% of the houses are lived in all year
It costs $2,000 a week to rent a house in Apollo Bay
If your house is burned down during a bush fire you will get a grant of $35,000 if it's your main home and only $5,000 if it's your vacation home
Apollo Bay doesn't allow huge corporations like Starbucks or McDonalds and all the shops and restaurants are family or locally owned
MELBA GULLY- After lunch in Apollo Bay we make our way across the Otway’s heading towards the next stop a beautiful bush walk through a temperate rainforest showcasing an ancient world once known as Gondwana. Here I got to see one of the best living examples of what dinosaurs would have seen 180 million years ago. Known as the Jewel of the Otways, this is one of the wettest places in the state. The gully has prolific plant growth and is a dense rainforest of Myrtle Beech, Blackwood and Tree-ferns, with an understorey of low ferns and mosses. Melba Gully is the one of the last few temperate rainforests remaining and is the rainforest that inspired the movie Fern Gully. Here I got to see a flesh eating slug, a waterfall, and various Australian flora and fauna. The rainforest was also home to the platypus which I did not get to see since they're nocturnal and an elusive creature.
GREAT OCEAN WALK TRAIL, GIBSON STEPS, & 12 APOSTLES VISITORS CENTER-exclusive views of 12 apostles: The world famous 12 Apostles Lookouts is next where from no other vantage point I had the incredible opportunity to see as many as eight limestone stacks lined up one behind the other. There are only only eight of the twelve apostles left remaining today. This is the world famous 12 Apostles. This was definitely a WOW moment for me. My whole life I've always wanted to see the 12 Apostles in person and seeing the image of the 12 apostles as a young girl inspired my passion and obsession for Australia.
LOCH ARD GORGE-Natuar gorge carved by the ocean, ISLAND ARCHWAY, MUTTON BIRD ISLAND, & RAZOR BACK AND SALT PEPPER SHAKERS: My last stop on my journey is the Loch Ard Gorge. Dripping with maritime history I got to hear stories of bravery & historic tall ships bringing to life these dramatic coastlines. As I descend into the gorge I was mesmerized by the scenes of one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia. Then I got to finish out an exceptional day with time to explore Island Archway, Salt and Pepper Shakers, The Razorback and Mutton Bird Island.
The "Love" Story of Loch Ard Gorge:
Back in 1878, a large clipper ship engraved with the name Loch Ard beached on nearby Muttonbird Island after a tumultuous journey from England. Unfortunately, only two of the fifty-four passengers survived, one of whom was a fifteen-year-old boy called Tom Pearce, and the other a seventeen-year-old Irish girl called Eva Carmichael. Both passengers were washed ashore during the event where Pearce proceeded to raise an alarm to the surrounding locals. The act saved Carmichael’s life, though she returned to England soon after, having lost most of her family in the tragedy. Pearce continued to live a fruitful life and was often referred to as a hero of his time. A few years later Tom found himself in England sick and Eva nursed him back to life returning the favor of him saving her life from the shipwreck. Eva and Tom never got married even though people wanted them to. When Eva was asked why she wouldn't marry Tom it was because she came from a family of rich doctors while he was only a lowly crew member.
After my amazing journey I head back to Melbourne which is approximately a 2.5hr travel back home. We made our way back to Melbourne returning at approximately 8:30pm.
