February Sale

Monday 2nd February 

Jean writes:

We set out from Hastings in good time as the destination was Sale, 123 miles away.  Not too bad, you might think, but we didn't want to take what we considered to be the direct, though less attractive, inland route, but the more scenic coastal route, which would add many miles to the journey.  

Agriculture changed from vineyards and fruit to pasture, arable and dairy cattle, to sheep.

The whole drive was wonderful as far as bird spotting went, with the usual Common Mynas, Super Blue Wrens, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, a variety of gulls, swans and ducks, a bird of prey up high which we couldn't identify and many more.  

First stop was unscheduled, when we saw an art/sculpture workshop signposted and bought some lovely small pieces of glassware that hopefully will make it home safely.

We stopped at Kilcunda West for coffee, other small towns being Wonthaggi, Inverloch, Walkerville, Welshpool, Foster and Yarram.  

The coast at Kilcunda, as we descended to the beach, was fabulous and we only saw one other family group enjoying the sand, rocks, rock pools and sea birds.  

The rock pools contained interesting seaweed, shell fish and myriad other forms of life.

Inverloch was another lovely stop-off where we had a snack lunch.  

The best was still to come, though.  Our aim had been to get to the East Gippsland coast in time to see Ninety Mile Beach.  Well, it lives up to its name.  To North, to South, ninety four miles of beautiful, unspoilt sandy beach.  It is a spit, with sand dunes behind it, which separate the sea from a series of lakes.  

We approached from Woodside and apart from a large Pacific Gull, a shag hanging out his wings to dry and a fisherman with four rods, there was just one other couple, very much in the distance.  Spectacular.

We were incredibly lucky that the weather took a turn for the better today, with sun and warmth, so the sea has been beautifully blue with many different shades.

The approach to Sale was interesting too, with many lakes, nature havens and a bird sanctuary.

Dave writes:

Running scared

Hastings cricket and rugby clubs were just across the road from our motel so their grounds were ideal running circuits. 

For company though I had half a dozen squawking gulls circling above me and outdoing Maria Sharapova. 

Several times it seemed as if they might dive-bomb and in the end I cut short the run. 

No medals but back in 2012 I was attacked in just such a way while walking through Canary Wharf in London. 

However, a few hours later this morning I made my peace with various gulls on the rocks off Kilcunda. 

Then by Inverloch and later on the most fabulous Ninety Mile Beach we were the greatest of buddies.  

It must be the running which makes them feel threatened -- setting them far apart from my fellow competitors in the famed Paddock Wood half-marathon, on March 29.

Great Ocean Road Part 2

Jean writes:

We awoke to rain, which scuppered our plans to have a walk on the long, sandy beach before setting out.  We stopped off in the small shopping area of the town, though, and during a brief dry interlude, strolled over the low dunes for a quick viewing, before the rain started again.  The beach was empty of human life.

In fact, it rained for most of the morning.

We've now seen several groups of Galahs, or rose-breasted cockatoos, and they appear to enjoy feeding in groups on grassy areas.

Apollo Bay to Lorne is one of most spectacular sections of Great Ocean Road.  The route follows a narrow, twisting road, with sheer cliffs on the landward side, often with with rockfalls in evidence, and some forested areas.  On the other side, there was a drop to ocean, with super views of the beach, rocks, stretches of sand and bays.  There were plenty of viewing points, but we had to be content with noting the sights from the car as the speeds were low, reflecting the road conditions, and we had a ferry booked at 13:00. 

Once again I made an comment about koalas and added that we were unlikely to see one on this stretch of road.  Ten minutes later, we came round a bend to see a car in front of us with its reversing lights on.  

"What a stupid place to stop!" I fumed, as I thought the driver was trying to reverse into a viewing place on the opposite side of the road.  

We soon saw the reason though.  A few metres ahead a koala was sitting in the middle of the road! The passenger from the other car approached it from the back, put his arms around its body and picked it up, to place it on the side.  The koala was not happy!  We assume it all worked out alright.

There are quite a few small towns along the route but again, no time to stop for coffee. 

The ferry leaves from Queenscliffe on the western side of Port Philip Bay and forty minutes later arrives at Sorrento on the eastern side.

"The Baths", by the way, serves what is probably the best raspberry sorbet in the world!

We had booked a motel at Hastings - home from home, you might think.  Well, yes, and we. And across other well known names of towns and roads too - Eastbourne, Red Hill, Rye, Capel Sound, Canterbury, Sussex, Bromley, Grace and Elizabeth were but a handful.

The motel room is large and has reasonable facilities.  We excitedly checked out the pool as a dip seemed like a good plan for the morning, but it was tiny - and locked in any case!  In fact, the whole place is a little drab and uninspiring.

Battle for Hastings 

Dave writes:

Apollo Bay to Hastings is longer than you think - especially if you've got a ferry to catch. 

Great Ocean Road part two is spectacular but full of sharp bends and climbs. 

So when Satnav (we call him Jimmy) told us we would be pushing it to make our 1230 check-in ferry time the pressure was on. 

Complicating matters on the run-in, our route crossed the last-minute preparations for a big bike race being staged in honour on of local hero Cadel Evans, riding in his last event.

We finally made it at 1245 but no problem. We were ushered through for the 1.0 pm sailing across to Sorrento on the other side of the bay. 

Battle not over though as Jimmy wanted to do the last 20 miles to Hastings on the main highway while  we were seeking the picturesque route through the vineyards. 

When we finally made it to our motel Jimmy was sulking and refused to announce the customary "You've arrived at your destination."

Hoping he's in better humour tomorrow. 

Word of praise though for excellent ferry company which loaded and unloaded very efficiently for swift turn-round. 

Also for garages here which now we are back nearer Melbourne are doing petrol for just over a dollar a litre compared with a dollar 25 up-country. 

Great Ocean Road Part 1

Jean writes:

We took the route south from Hamilton to Port Fairy, stopping off there as Sue and Geoff have bought a plot of land and are having a new house built there, and because we had read that it is attractive.  

Port Fairy started as a whaling port and still has fishing boats.  

There was a market, where we bought a few items, including this evening's meal.  There are also about fifty buildings with a history, some of which are owned by the National Trust.  

An hour on from Port Fairy we had been talking about wishing to see a koala and a wombat when, just short of Peterborough, a koala ambled across the road in front of us and disappeared into the undergrowth.  We're still waiting for a wombat! 

The Twelve Apostles are probably the most famous landforms off the shoreline of the Great Coast Road.  They are limestone stacks, of differing height and girth, which are deemed to deserve a visitor centre, large car park, walkways to viewpoints from the cliff and hundreds of people.  I agree, they are well worth their fame.  We couldn't count the stacks to see if twelve still exist but, upon investigation, it seems there are now only eight!  The waves are very destructive here and the limestone relatively soft, so easy to erode.

As it happens, though, we were approaching from the west, and there are other limestone coastal features before the Apostles: 
Bay of Islands

Bay of Martyrs
London Bridge

The Arch
and several others which we bypassed.  These had only a handful of people and, in our view, were equally as impressive. 

London Bridge has a story attached to it.  Originally there were two arches, the landward one being the bigger.  On15th January 1990 the main arch cracked and fell into the sea, leaving a couple of people stranded near the seaward end.  They had to be rescued by helicopter the following day.  

The vegetation over the last hour before we reached Apollo Bay, our destination, became more lush, resembling rain forest.  

The weather during our stay has only been hot and humid for about three days in Melbourne.  The remainder has been much cooler, with some cloud, some sun.  The last few days, since Robe, have been quite windy and today ended cold, with overcast skies and rain.  We hope for some sun tomorrow as Apollo Bay looks lovely and a bright blue sea would really enhance the view.

Dave writes:

A ridge too far?

Hamilton has a lovely lake and I ran round it this morning. Plenty of birdlife and no other joggers in sight. 

Our wonderful hosts Geoff and Sue tell me of an annual two-day running/walking event up in the hills/mountains but I am backing off. 

Like many racehorses, I am better on a flat track with firm going!  

Sad farewell

Splendid brunch downtown with Geoff and Sue. Sad farewell but hope we can meet up again sooner rather than later. 

Memorable drive down the Great Ocean Road - one of the world's most well known highways but on maps and road signs it's simply the B100. 

It's been a splendid month for sport down here epitomised tonight by the Asian Cup football final where Australia overcame South Korea 2-1 in extra time.

Earlier Serena had beaten Shriekova in the women's tennis (Melbourne is quiet once more) and we've been watching Murray march on. 

There was also an amazing finish the other night to the final of the Big Bash competition where Brett Lee's final three balls in competitive cricket almost yielded a hat-trick. 

Tomorrow it's Murray in the tennis and England v Oz in the tri-series cricket final.

And then it's the World Cup!

Grampians, Aussie style

Jean writes:

Geoff and Sue took us out for a wonderful day driving in the local ranges of mountains - the Serra, King William and Victoria Ranges are all part of the Grampians, now a National Park.  

The drive took us along the valley bottom before ascending the steep sides and returning via a different route.  

Some of the landscape was largely grasses and brush.  In other areas there were far more trees, and these are likely to be overrun by forest fires.  Sometimes the Rangers do a "low temperature" burn, which clears the grasses, undergrowth and fallen trees, but doesn't completely damage the  living trees.  This can help in the event of an accidental fire.  

We were fortunate enough to see all kinds of wildlife, including:
Kangaroos

Kookaburras

Stumpy-tail lizard

Crested pigeon

We also saw an emu trotting over the road in front of us but too quickly for photos and sulphur crested cockatoos, trying to get into an old paper bag for some tomato sauce.

Halfway through the drive we had a delicious picnic lunch.

The scenery was very varied, sometimes spectacular, and on our way back, Geoff showed us a massive land/mud slide which happened a couple of years ago, from way up high on the west to below the road on our east side.  

The evening saw us dressed up and attending a wine tasting session and meal at the Hamilton Club, where Geoff is president.  

An excellent evening and whole day.

Mount Gambier to Hamilton

Jean writes:

We spent the morning in the town itself before driving to the lakes area just to the south.  The town and environs are at the southern end of a volcanic region, which has some large crater lakes.  

The whole area is made up of sedimentary rocks (like the limestone in evidence at Robe) laid down on the sea bed millions of years ago.  The area was uplifted and volcanic activity took place, leaving some basaltic rocks, as in Mount Gambier, and granite, as in Victor Harbor.  

Some of the volcanic activity around Mount Gambier was quite fierce, producing ash and bombs which were deposited in layers around a fissure, producing the craters.  

Groundwater levels are high, allowing lakes to form.  The most spectacular is Blue Lake, which is breathtaking.  We saw evidence of the reason behind the name, although apparently the water gradually becomes less bright from March onwards until it is quite grey in the winter.  

There was a lot of bird life (there I go again!) including a new one on us, the Blue Wren, a delightful little creature with a waggy tail.

We took to the road on our way to Hamilton to stay with Geoff and Sue, Marie's in-laws.  They have a large garden with trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables and fruit, including some tasty mulberries.  

We had the pleasure of wine and nibbles outside before a delicious meal. 

Dave writes:

United artists

A brief hark-back to Mount Gambier where we started the day with a quick visit to a local art gallery. 

Current exhibition features the years before and after 1901 when the regions of Australia formally united and became part of the Commonweath. 

At that time it was quite common for Australian artists to travel to London and Paris which were seen as the hot spots. A rite of passage. 

Some even made it down to St Ives in Cornwall and the artists' colony there. 

One such artist was described in the exhibition as a "romantic realist. " Can there be such a thing? 

Anyway a nice exhibition and the pleasant lady on reception used to work in Reading!

Disrobing

Wednesday 28th January

Jean writes:
Spent the morning seeing some of the delights of Robe before leaving for Mount Gambier.  

By daylight we could see Robe is a beautiful small town with lovely views across the harbour over the bright blue sea, although the wind was pretty strong.

We went up to the obelisk via the Old Gaol, ruins which hardly deserve the term "attraction".  

The obelisk and environs, though, were well worth the visit and we spent some time up there, me with camera and Dave with binoculars.  

The obelisk, by the way, is a warning to sailors, similar to a lighthouse, but without the light!  Apparently it was first painted white and the sailors complained that it didn't stand out against the limestone background.  Eventually it was painted with red and white stripes - much better.  Clearly it was needed, as many ships had been wrecked, especially in the nineteenth century.  

The limestone shows several typical landforms, including a super arch, over which the narrow surface will soon (probably several hundred years!) collapse, leaving two (fat) pillars.  

There was a diversity of bird life.

The journey to Mount Gambier was uneventful, scenery being fairly similar to yesterday, and we saw quite a lot of "mirages", as we did yesterday, on the long, straight sections of road.

Close to Our destination, the soil clearly became more fertile as there was more arable.  Maybe the volcanic influence? 

Mount Gambier looks good from our initial walk round the town this afternoon, and we have plenty of attractions lined up for tomorrow.

Our motel is again good value - a good size, with plenty of kitchen equipment, a variety of TV channels and a decent ensuite. There are also enough facilities close by. 

Victor Harbor to Robe

Tuesday 27th January

Jean writes:

We did a little shopping in Victor Harbor but were too early for the Heritage Centre so decided to get on the road as our next destination was two hundred miles away.

The scenery varied from cattle to sheep and scrub or poor pasture to green vineyards.  There was plenty of woodland and longish stretches where "kangaroo" road signs were in evidence.  In fact, we saw three, one hopping across the road, but unfortunately the other two were dead on the roadside.  

Our first stop, after two hours, was Meningie, on Lake Albert, a beautiful wetland area with plenty of wildlife, especially birds, including more pelicans and a heron.  

Next stop late in the afternoon was Kingston, where two cafes more-or-less shut their doors in our faces.  

We took a short walk in Robe this evening and, wonder of wonders, (wait for it, you former Neighbours fans!) ....... saw five GALAHS! 

I must admit I didn't recognise them for what they were until Googling them back at the motel.

Dave writes:

Prisoners Cell Block H

Plenty of motels ahead as we buzz around but hopefully all bigger than the room we endured in Victor Harbor.

Just five metres by four so no room for swinging cats however small. 

Shame as it was in one of those lovely buildings you see in old fashioned Westerns and which has quite a history itself.

Add to the minimalism an incessant noise overnight from the heating system and it was time to head on. 

Happily here in Robe, as in Adelaide, the room is twice the size with full amenities. 

And to cap it we've just watched Murray play some splendid stuff to beat local hero Kyrgios. 

Some consolation for OZ sports fans though after Australia beat UAE to reach the final of the Asian Cup football and a match with South Korea. 

Petrol half price! 

In the cities petrol is just 99 cents a litre - roughly half of the UK price - so I'd been looking forward to filling up the tank !

When the time came on the way down to Robe yesterday it was clear that away from the metropolis  the 99p has gone but it was still only a dollar 14 cents so I kept a smile on my face. 

Daft or what?