Friday, May 29, 2009

Day 9: Great Road is Great




What is it about Australians and calling things "Great"? Great Ocean Road, Great Australian Bight, Great Western Highway... you'd think if something was that great it would be self evident anyway. At least the Great Ocean Road lives up to it's billing, it really is a spectacular stretch of coastline. The eastern coastline drops steeply away from the Otway ranges and the road winds along the cliff high above the ocean- it reminds me a little of some of the coastline on the West Coast of the South Island in NZ, except there its usually raining...




At Kennetts Creek we detour up a side road to check out the local population of koalas who obligingly hang out in the trees above the road waiting to be photographed, then cruise on to Apollo Bay for lunch.   From here the ranges drop away as you approach Cape Otway and the road heads inland, before a side road heads out to the lighthouse at the cape. We head out there only to discover that you can't even walk up to the lighthouse and the cape without paying $14 a head for the privilege- rip off! Fair enough if you want to do the whole lighthouse tour malarkey, but surely places like that should be free to wander around the outside of. 

We head onwards to Princetown where we pitch camp for the night at the caravan park then head down the road to catch the Sunset over the Twelve Apostles. The coastline on this side is completely different- rolling farmland dropping away suddenly into the sea in sheer limestone cliffs. I consequently test my partner's patience by setting up my tripod and taking 100+ photos, managing to get a few decent shots in the process.  



(more pics to come)


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