| 19th Dec 2005 We found ourselves a cheap hire car, so after collecting it and loading up we said goodbye to the family for a few days and headed through the city to Torquay, at the start of The Great Ocean Road. 20th Dec 2005 Headed off early and drove the Great Ocean Road to Warrnambool. We stopped at Bell's Beach just outside of Torquay to watch the surfers (it's where they filmed the final scene in Point Break) and then again to see some wild Koalas at Grey River. There were a few view points - great scenery, but a few too many flies about so had to dart back into the car quickly!! Stopped again at the 12 Apostles, but it was packed, really hot and swarmed in flies so we raced down to the view point, took a couple of photos and raced back to the car - shame we couldn't appreciate it more! Found somewhere to stay in Warrnambool with a bbq and swimming pool - much needed to cool off!! 21st Dec 2005 Drobe just outside Warrnambool to Tower Hill - where you can drive round the main crater of an extinct volcano now filled with a lake. We walked up to the Tower Hill peak with great views of the surrounding area (although still a few too many flies). It's also a haven for kangaroos, koalas and emus - and we saw loads - great!! We then drove onto Port Fairy - a quaint little town with some realy pretty and characteristic older buildings - we also saw the oldest pub in Victoria - the Merrijig Inn - said to be haunted. Port Fairy is described as 'a town where time has stood sill' - pretty accurate description! Next we drove inland away from the coast and into the Grampian National Park (a few small mountains to break up the flat landscape), to Hall's Gap. we stopped at Silverband Falls - a waterfall that looks like a silver band because of the sun shining on it, then actually disappears under rocks at the bottom - the water goes underground so all around it is dry! Was extremely hot by the time we got to Halls Gap so we decided not to hang around - didn't want to get caught in the bush fire that was being warned on the radio. So we drove to Ballarat entering along the Avenue of Honour - lined on either side with over 22 km of trees, each dedicated to a soldier of the First Wold War with a little plaque. Found a lovely place to stay - a little cabin - and had dinner and chatted on our veranda!!! 22nd Dec 2005 The plan was to visit Sovereign Hill and then head back to Torquay today, however, we didn't realise how good the open air museum would be. Sovereign Hill is the re-created gold-mining township of the same name. There are seventy buildings and shops, modelled on those that lined Ballarat's main street in the 1850s, with a cast of characters wandering about in the dress of the period. Terry tryed panning for gold, but didn't have much luck (just a few specks), we watched gold smelting - a $60,000 ingot being melted and re-cast. We saw red coat soldiers marching and thenfiring, we saw hand made sweets being made - clover favor!!! We wandered around the shops and houses, chatting to the characters and thoroughly enjoying the day, so much so we left when it closed! So it was too late to head for Torquay and instead we booked back into our cabin and went to the sound and light show at Sovereign Hill in the evening. The show called "Blood on the Southern Cross'' was about the Eureka Stockade, when the miners went against the Government because of the high licence fees they had to pay to be able to mine. The southern Cross was the first flag ever raised in defiance and is now part of the Australian flag. It was extremely clever, creating a great atmosphere and telling the story without actors. 23rd Dec 2005 Left Ballarat and drove back to Torquay to do some shopping in all the surf shops there and then drove round to Queenscliff and caught the ferry across to Sorrento. We then drove round the coast to Cape Paterson and met p with Andy, Sharon and the kids. Had dinner and caught up then went and sat on the beach as it got dark. It started to rain so ever prepared Andy pulled out a tarpaulin and we all huddled under it! It was a stuggle to find our way back to their campervan in the dark, but at least we (Sharon, the kids and I) had a torch, we left Andy and Terry to chat on the beach and they had to get back with only the light from Andy's phone - took a while and they thought they might have to sleep on the beach with the tarpaulin!! We stayed with them in the van overnight, but contrary to popular belief did not eat all their food without contributing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 24th Dec 2005 We spent the day with Andy & Sharon, including finding a beach where the wind was so strong it was hard to stand upright and having lunch near Phillip Island ! Was quite cold there, but then we said our goodbyes to them and shot back to Berwick and by the time we got there it was really hot again! I had my hair done and we picked up some Xmas booze and then went back to Toni & Paul's. Xmas Eve - doesn't feel like it - too hot!! 25th/26th Dec 2005 We had a traditional Christmas Day and Boxing Day except for the weather. We spent the days in T-shirt and shorts, and were in and out of the garden - going inside to cool off rather than warm up!! 27th Dec 2005 Went to Sorento to the beach and it was packed - I think the whole population of Melbourne must have been there! A very hot day, so it was great to get in the freezing sea to cool down!! 28th Dec 2005 Visited a wildlife park on Phillip Island - saw all sorts of Ozzie animals - inlcuding the damn flies, apparently there is a plague of them this year, so it's not normally quite so bad! Headed to the beach after, where Terry & Paul did some body boarding (Paul got dumped by a wave - sore, red belly) while I burried Terry's sandals!! In the evening Terry & I went out for an Indian - yum yum!!! 29th Dec 2005 Left the others again (while they went to Sovereign Hill) and drove to Buchan - a small town in the heart of Snowy River Country. I drove for a bit and when we were almost there I slowed down for a goanna in he road - slowly drove behind it but it turned round and ran under the car, luckily missed it though! There wasn't anywhere to stay at Buchan so we decided to drive the loop round the Snowy River National Park to Orbust - 'shouldn't take long' - famous last words! The scenery was some of the best we've seen in Australia as we wound our way along a tiny gravel path. And the noise from the crickets and other insects was incredible, we stopped and listened for a while in amazement!! |