Great Ocean Road With Robyn - Week 2.

Great coffee spot.

Delightful Port Fairy.

Leaving Mt. Gambier in the cold and drizzle, we decided to take the slightly longer, but more scenic route to our next port of call, Warnambool. The road winds its way through rolling hills of wonderful grazing land and endless pine forests. Everything is just so green, the contrast to where we have been for the past 12 months is so striking. It isn't long before we cross the border into Victoria, and roll into the sleepy little holiday town of Nelson. No chance of morning coffee here, unless as

Robyn's log cabin at Warnambool.

Warnambool harbour.

Carolyn suggests, we stop at one of the lovely little farm houses, with smoke curling from the chimney, to see if there are fresh scones and tea to be had! We press on to Portland, where we find streets blocked, as they are holding a marathon. Portland is an industrial town and a large port. There is an Aluminium smelter and other related industries. It is a stark contrast to the forests and farmlands that surround the area. Our morning tea spotter

Among the poppies.

Warnambool War Memorial.

yells STOP, and we are soon sitting in a lovely little place called "The Pickled Pelican" eating delicious home baked goodies with excellent coffee. Refreshed, we set course for the next town of Port Fairy. What a lovely little town. We will be back to explore! It was one of Victoria's busiest ports back in the 1850's and 60's. A short drive and we are at Warnambool, a large and prosperous rural community serving the south west of Victoria. It

At the Providore Port Fairy.

Melbourne Cup Day Warnambool.

is a lovely town set around the shores of Lady Bay. We have chosen the Discovery Holiday Park, which is situated in the Lake Pertobe area of Warnambool, a wonderful parkland and recreation spot nestled around the lake, just in behind the main beach and harbour. We quickly got settled in and headed out to the Visitor Centre at nearby Flagstaff Hill to get all the necessary information to help us explore the region. Flagstaff Hill itself, is an attraction

Rebecca's wicked layered cake!

At Rebecca's Cafe Port Fairy.

that recreates the old seaside maritime history of the region from the 19th century, along similar lines to the Sovereign Hill Goldfields at Ballarat. We decided to devote a day to go back and visit Port fairy. This was a lovely day, as we wandered the streets which were packed with holiday makers. It seems not everyone wants to be involved with the Melbourne Cup! Thousands of Melbournians take the Monday off, and make a 4 day weekend and escape the city to flock to this part of Victoria. It felt like school

View from Tower Hill.

holiday time,

Koroit Irish Pub.

as we explored the wonderful scenery around town. Of course there was no shortage of choices for morning coffee. We settled on Rebecca's, and it was jumping. Great food and coffee, crammed into a tight corner! There was no shortage of shops to explore. We got lost in the Providore's shop for some time, tasting cheeses and wine and anything else on offer! We lunched at the oldest continuously licensed pub in Victoria, then set off inland to explore the quaint little Irish Village of Koroit, with its grand Irish Pub, and lots of other things Irish. Heaps of Irish

At Tower Hill.

Security was tight!

settled here in the 19th century, and believe it or not, they grow lots of taties around these parts! Next morning we went for a walk down to the beach and harbour to check out the waterfront and enjoy a coffee. There was a long table overlooking the harbour with only one man sitting at it, so we plonked ourselves at the other end. One minute was all we needed to know why the biggest & best table in the joint had only one person at it! It started, " Hi I'm Michael, and I just had a knee replacement operation and when I came out of the anaesthetic I found out that my wife

Lunch at the oldest pub.

Lots of emus at Tower Hill.

had left me and was living with another woman, yes woman, who she had met on the Internet, in Bristol England. How low is that? Didn't even tell me, just waited until I was out to it!" I was already on his wife's side!! It was the longest morning tea of my life. He told us that he had backed the last 8 winners of the Melbourne Cup. He knew every jockey and trainer personally. I did suggest that given his current luck status, he might do better getting the $2,000 he had on Admire Rakti back! I warned him!!

I want that one!

Dinner at the caravan.

Came last and died!! We staggered out, badly battered and bruised, and decided to head out to Cheese World for one of their famous Ploughman's lunches and milk shakes. It was a bit underwhelming, and very touristy. The cheese tasting was a bit of a free for all, with dozens of grubby little kiddy fingers after everything on a plate. The milk shakes were good, but the cheese ordinary, so we headed back to camp to make our own platter of food and watch the Melbourne Cup. The girls got dressed up, we all had a bet. The girls favoured the local Warnambool horse, called Sign Off, we had seen swimming at the harbour the day before. 

Fletcher Jones Gardens.

An Icon of Warnambool.

He came a gallant 4th. Next day we were off to Tower Hill, a nearby spot which is a an extinct volcano, and now another fantastic recreation area full of lakes and wetland and wildlife. The views from around the perimeter of the volcano are breathtaking. That afternoon, we visited another thing that was famous in Warnambool, the woollen mills and Fletcher Jones & Staff factory. Remember those woolly checked blankets from the 1950's and 60's, that had a satin edging? They were all made here, and I remember well my first new suit, when mum took me into town, to Fletcher Jones

Our home in Peterborough.

Warnambool's whale watching area.

& Staff, to be measured and fitted. The factory was here at Warnambool, and still stands as a full time market venue, huge and full of bric a brac and other assorted junk! The gardens though are still lovely. We drove out along the beaches and walked out onto the headlands. In such a short stay we had seen most of the major sights Warnambool had to offer. Next morning we were off to start the official section of the Great Ocean Road. Our destination for the next couple

At the Arch.

Bay of Islands.

of nights is Peterborough, and the Great Ocean Road Tourist Park, just over 100kms away. A huge sign heralds the western end of the famous road, and it isn't long before we are at Peterborough, having driven through some of the lushest dairy country we have ever seen. The farmers were making hay everywhere. The caravan park was lovely, as were the managers, and our site and Robyn's cabin were good. The western end of the Great Ocean Road

At the Grotto.

In Loch Ard Gorge.

is where you find all the famous big rocky attractions. Right near Peterborough is the Bay of Islands and Bay of Martyrs, The Grotto, London Bridge and The Arch. All are easy walks and spectacuar sights, in cool but sunny weather. The famous London Bridge collapsed in 1990, stranding two tourists! Bet the first thing they helicoptered in was toilet paper! Last time we were here was in the 1980's and we remember walking out across the natural bridge. These days, there are excellent paths and viewing platforms, and all the actual sights are pretty well off limits. About 20 kms up the

The Razorback.

London Bridge has fallen down!

road is Port Campbell, with its cosy little harbour, and plenty of accommodation options. There are also some smart little cafes for us to try. Nice, but nothing outstanding. We set the bar pretty high these days!! Further east of Port Campbell is Loch Ard Gorge, and the most famous of all, The Twelve Apostles, plus the lesser known Gibson's Steps. At Loch Ard Gorge, there are a number of walks and things to see. Named after a famous shipwreck, where all

At the fancy Visitor Centre.

The twelve Apostles.

but two people perished on the rocks, there are numerous walks out onto the various headlands and down to the beach below. We spent a lot of time here, exploring all of the walks and sights. Arriving at the Twelve Apostles Visitors Centre, is like arriving at the transit lounge of a big International airport! It is full of every nationality, and shows just how big a world wide attraction the Great Ocean Road has become. At the back of the centre, 4 helicopters are

Never turn your back on the sea!!

At the bottom of Gibson's Steps.

running a shuttle service up and down the coast. If you haven't been here for a long time, you will notice the difference, necessary to handle the large numbers of people. There is a large carpark, and you walk under the road, along a series of paths and boardwalks, to view the iconic Twelve Apostles, or the 8 or so that remain! A little further along the road to the east is Gibson's Steps, a tortuous stairway down to the beach below. I took one look and decided I had been on lots of beaches so didn't need to subject the old knees to that kind of

A sense of humour at
Apostle Whey Cheese.

Good cheese.

punishment! The girls were off, and I could soon see them on the golden sand below. I watched as they took photos and could see it coming. Never turn your back on the sea! Carolyn turned and ran, but the warning to Robyn was too late and Robyn was soon up to her knees in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean! We found a nice lunch spot at the nearby village of Princetown, as the fare on offer at the Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre, was ordinary! Inland from the Great Ocean Road is a hinterland full of quaint little

Great foods and coffee.

More Whey Cheese humour!

villages, and some amazing foodie things. The 12 Apostles Gourmet Trail was a wonderful experience. Delicious chocolates at Gorge Chocolates, fantastic cheeses at The Mouse Trap Cafe, and even better cheeses at Apostle Whey Cheese. This was a lovely stop. The ladies in the shop were a delight, the views were incredible, and it was obvious that these were farmers with a sense of humour! A little further up the road is Timboon, a

Wonderful rock formations.

Timboon coffee & cake. Yum!

fun little village full of friendly people. The Timboon Railway Shed Distillery is a great place to visit, with fine food, wine and spirit tastings and really good food and coffee. You can also buy the produce of most of the locals. There is no doubt that this is a lovely part of Victoria. For our last night in Peterborough, we walked across the road to the local pub for a very good pub feed. It has been a great initiation to the delights and natural wonders of The Great Ocean Road. The weather has been much colder than we anticipated, but at least we have had minimal rain. Bright and early the next morning, we are hitched up and ready to head for our next stop at Apollo Bay.