A better Mt. Gambier attraction is the Blue Lake, which is quite a striking color for most of the year, including the time I saw it. It does mysteriously turn grey for parts of the year though. Nearby Mt. Schank is an extinct volcano and the views from the path around the crator are worthwhile.

Farther down the coast is Cape Bridgewater and Discovery Bay Coastal Park. The lava from the area's volcanoes rolled through here, engulfing some trees and turning them into a petrified forest. Another coastal area not far from here is known at the Crags and it has some great rock formations.

Port Fairy is another old whaling town and its Griffen's Island is a better place to see mutton birds (short-tailed shearwaters) than Strahan. Continuing east, away from the coast a bit is Tower Hill which has loads of koalas and other wildlife. Round about Warrnambool you can see the remains of cannons near the shoreline, the result of a scare in the 1880's when residents actually thought a Russian attack was likely!

IMHO, the most scenic stretch of coastline is next, starting with the Bay of Islands, Massacre Bay, and Bay of Martyrs. The latter two are named after an unconfirmed but likely event where aboriginals were driven off the cliff to their death. Also around the area, near Port Cambell, is the London Bridge, a famous arch that was separated from the mainland by a spectacular collapse in the 1990's. A couple was trapped on the newly formed island. With a live TV camera recording their rescue, they tried unsuccessfully to sneak away from the media. Turns out they both had different spouses. The very best scenery is probably around Loch Ard Gorge, an amazingly dramatic gorge surrounded by several arches and other rock formations. It's named after a shipwreck where the only survivors, a young man and woman, were washed up ashore here. This merits a much longer stop than its more famous, and more crowded, neighbor, the Twelve Apostles, which everyone has no doubt seen pictures of.

There's a surprising area past the 12 Apostles known as Mait's Rest, which has a short rain forest walk. Surprising because you don't expect to see rain forest after so much dryness. It's not Tasmania, but it's pretty good, especially for being so close to the road. Lorne is an attractively snooty little rich town. Bell's Beach is one of the surfing meccas of Australia, and probably the world. The surf wasn't very good on the day I watched, but plenty of surfers were trying.

Then I'm back in Melbourne, which is quite anti-climatic after such fabulous scenery on the way over. Fittingly, it is a hot day and the flies are horrible. I try to escape to the botanic gardens where a bird shits on me. I read in the shade until Nico and Lisa (the couple I met in Pine Valley) get off work. We go out to eat and then back to the botanic gardens for a movie, where they charge $14 for an old Peter Sellers film and you sit on the ground outside. Thank you Melbourne. Still, I have a good time. It's a perfect night, finally cooling off, and my third viewing of "The Party" is greatly enhanced by seeing it with a big group, many of whom have seen it before as well. I stay at Nico's place, which is very quiet and NOT a hostel or a tent. My short visit with with him and Lisa was very enjoyable.