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| Squeaky Beach-Wilson's Promontory |
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| Unnamed bay |
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| General view over the Prom |
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| Picnic Bay |
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| Lakes Entrance |
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Wilson's Prom and Lakes Entrance
Mt Gambier to Cape Otway
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| Umpherton sinkhole-Mt Gambier |
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| Cave Gardens sinkhole-Mt Gambier |
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| Mt Schank. An extinct volcano near mt Gambier |
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| Bay of Martyrs. Great Ocean Road. |
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| Bay of Martyrs |
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| The Grotto |
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| The Grotto |
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| A collapsed London Bridge |
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| The Arch |
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| The Twelve Apostles (looking west) |
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| The Twelve Apostles ( looking east) |
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| Twelve Apostles |
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| Sam zipping along on the Otway Fly |
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| High in the treetops. Otway National Park. |
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| Tree Top Walk |
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| Cape Otway Lightstation |
Great Ocean Road to Wilson's Promontory
We entered Victoria under a very boring sign so didn't stop for a commemorative photo...Travelled along the Princes Hwy until Warrnambool where The Great Ocean Road begins...This has been on our bucket list for a very long time so we were very excited....
There are a few stops along the way but the first of significence was the last of our day...The London Bridge. A.K.A. London Stacks because the bridge collapsed in 1990 leaving two tourists stranded on the wrong side until they were rescued 3 hours later by chopper!
First stop of the next day was the Twelve Apostles; obviously the most well-known of the sights because it was all geared up for tourists... There was a huge carpark, an information centre with a restaurant and toilets and an underpass under the highway...When you get there though, the view is magnificent. It reminds me of Uluru in that no matter how many photos you've seen, the reality is stunning!!
We detoured slightly off the Princes Hwy to go to the Otway National Park and the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. The steel-trussed walkway is 25m high among Mountain Ash and Myrtle Beech forest with a lookout tower that extends a further 25m into the canopy giving a birdseye view of the trees. We then harnessed up for a zip through the trees on flying foxes the longest of which was 120m and 30m high above the ground.Good fun!! Spent a couple of nights at Cape Otway listening to the koalas grunting then drove to Melbourne. We bypassed Geelong due to time constraints but I think it would be worth a visit.
We had beautiful weather in Melbourne (it only rained at night and we had to wear just one jumper...) so that has probably biased our opinion...We really enjoyed our time there... Melbourne has such alot to offer and there's so much going on that people overlook the weather I'm sure. We had a great time catching up with friends (Charlie and Heidi) and (Mike and Sasha) and my uncle Max ( to my Brisbane readers, I was almost a Melburnian but Dad got a transfer to Qld )The range of produce available at markets is astounding; I wish we had them in Brisbane.
I'm sure everyone is familiar with Melbourne so suffice to say we could have spent longer there if we'd had more time...
Something else on our bucket list was Wilson's Promontory. The Prom as it's known is still recovering from fires in 2005 and 2009 and a flood in March of this year so lots of tracks were closed. We camped at Tidal River and walked to Squeaky Beach and Picnic Bay. Just that small amount of the Prom was stunning and well worth the visit so even though we didn't see any of their famed wombats, I recommend to anyone to include the Prom on your bucket list too...
We are currently at Lakes Entrance and on our way to Sydney for Christmas.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year. If I don't get back to my blog, thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon. xx
There are a few stops along the way but the first of significence was the last of our day...The London Bridge. A.K.A. London Stacks because the bridge collapsed in 1990 leaving two tourists stranded on the wrong side until they were rescued 3 hours later by chopper!
First stop of the next day was the Twelve Apostles; obviously the most well-known of the sights because it was all geared up for tourists... There was a huge carpark, an information centre with a restaurant and toilets and an underpass under the highway...When you get there though, the view is magnificent. It reminds me of Uluru in that no matter how many photos you've seen, the reality is stunning!!
We detoured slightly off the Princes Hwy to go to the Otway National Park and the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. The steel-trussed walkway is 25m high among Mountain Ash and Myrtle Beech forest with a lookout tower that extends a further 25m into the canopy giving a birdseye view of the trees. We then harnessed up for a zip through the trees on flying foxes the longest of which was 120m and 30m high above the ground.Good fun!! Spent a couple of nights at Cape Otway listening to the koalas grunting then drove to Melbourne. We bypassed Geelong due to time constraints but I think it would be worth a visit.
We had beautiful weather in Melbourne (it only rained at night and we had to wear just one jumper...) so that has probably biased our opinion...We really enjoyed our time there... Melbourne has such alot to offer and there's so much going on that people overlook the weather I'm sure. We had a great time catching up with friends (Charlie and Heidi) and (Mike and Sasha) and my uncle Max ( to my Brisbane readers, I was almost a Melburnian but Dad got a transfer to Qld )The range of produce available at markets is astounding; I wish we had them in Brisbane.
I'm sure everyone is familiar with Melbourne so suffice to say we could have spent longer there if we'd had more time...
Something else on our bucket list was Wilson's Promontory. The Prom as it's known is still recovering from fires in 2005 and 2009 and a flood in March of this year so lots of tracks were closed. We camped at Tidal River and walked to Squeaky Beach and Picnic Bay. Just that small amount of the Prom was stunning and well worth the visit so even though we didn't see any of their famed wombats, I recommend to anyone to include the Prom on your bucket list too...
We are currently at Lakes Entrance and on our way to Sydney for Christmas.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year. If I don't get back to my blog, thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon. xx
Saturday, 17 December 2011
South Australia
I am feeling rather slack with regards to keeping my blog updated... We have been in Victoria since the 5th of December and I've barely written about South Australia...
South Australians are spoilt for choice with a variety of destinations close at hand...
Here are a few that come to mind...
Flinders Ranges (including Wilpena Pound) We drove through here impressed by the dramatic beauty of the mountains; some of Australia's oldest rock formations. They rise from the desert plains to form a natural barrier between the coastal peninsulas and the dry heart of the north.
Eyre Peninsula...wheat meets the sea... Fields of wheat with massive silos dotting the landscape and bulk grain carriers awaiting loading in the nearby harbours. Wheat fields were common all over S.A. and when we drove through, bumper crops were in the process of being harvested. Eyre peninsula has lots of sleepy little fishing villages dotted along its coastline and is an oyster-lovers' paradise. Sheer limestone cliffs are lashed by huge seas whipped up from the Southern Ocean by The Roaring Forties.
The Lincoln National park is apparently beautiful but we were pressed for time and unfortunately missed it.
Yorke Peninsula. A long narrow finger of land protected for the most part from the worst of Mother Nature. Again, it was dotted with sleepy seaside villages, indistinguishable on our map between having three houses or a thousand new holiday homes. We never knew what we were going to find until we arrived. The best part of The Yorke for us was the national park at its southernmost tip; Innes National Park.
Fleurieu Peninsula. Wine-lovers' Paradise. Home of Clare, McLarenvale, & Barossa wine-growing regions. Due to the time of year, the vines were beautifully green with new spring growth, the grapes just starting to form. Interspersed amongst the vineyards were olive groves with cellar doors sometimes offering a range of products including cold-pressed lemon infused olive oil next to their best red (or Alpaca scarves) We loved McLarenvale...
Coonawarra and Padthaway are also in S.A. but we didn't go there.
Adelaide. Historical and beautiful.Named after Queen Adelaide,the wife of King William IV. For those of us familiar with wooden houses built on stilts, Adelaide is infused with history.( White-fella history Mick says to write...) The city was designed with spacious squares and grand boulevards with the city centre ringed by parkland; what foresight because Adelaide will always be surrounded by greenery.
Murray River. After great rainfall for 3 previous years The Mighty Murray is flowing as never before...
It's a great time to hire a houseboat on the Murray.
Burra. I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of it...We hadn't either....Apparently Burra saved S.A. from bankruptcy when the bank of SA collapsed. Burra was surprisingly interesting. I say surprisingly because we hadn't heard anything about it...Burra was the biggest regional centre outside of Adelaide and made its fortune from a lucrative copper mine. There are many fine buildings from the mid 1800's remaining til today.
Mt Gambier. While we were there, the weather was cold and windy but I imagine on a clear sunny day that Mt Gambier would be quite nice to visit.It has unique pink limestone which has been used to great effect in building their houses. The limestone is quite porous which has led to a few sinkholes in the city with an aquifer under the city streets which cave-divers explore.The Umberton sinkhole has been planted to create a pretty garden out of what would otherwise be an eyesore.
Port Augusta. I have already written that we enjoyed the Wadlata centre. Port Augusta was a thriving town well before Adelaide.
Apart from the places I have mentioned, there are beaches close to Adelaide such as Henley and Glenelg(which reminds me of Surfers Paradise) so if you can stand the cold in Winter, there is plenty to do around Adelaide... and probably much more than I know....
South Australians are spoilt for choice with a variety of destinations close at hand...
Here are a few that come to mind...
Flinders Ranges (including Wilpena Pound) We drove through here impressed by the dramatic beauty of the mountains; some of Australia's oldest rock formations. They rise from the desert plains to form a natural barrier between the coastal peninsulas and the dry heart of the north.
Eyre Peninsula...wheat meets the sea... Fields of wheat with massive silos dotting the landscape and bulk grain carriers awaiting loading in the nearby harbours. Wheat fields were common all over S.A. and when we drove through, bumper crops were in the process of being harvested. Eyre peninsula has lots of sleepy little fishing villages dotted along its coastline and is an oyster-lovers' paradise. Sheer limestone cliffs are lashed by huge seas whipped up from the Southern Ocean by The Roaring Forties.
The Lincoln National park is apparently beautiful but we were pressed for time and unfortunately missed it.
Yorke Peninsula. A long narrow finger of land protected for the most part from the worst of Mother Nature. Again, it was dotted with sleepy seaside villages, indistinguishable on our map between having three houses or a thousand new holiday homes. We never knew what we were going to find until we arrived. The best part of The Yorke for us was the national park at its southernmost tip; Innes National Park.
Fleurieu Peninsula. Wine-lovers' Paradise. Home of Clare, McLarenvale, & Barossa wine-growing regions. Due to the time of year, the vines were beautifully green with new spring growth, the grapes just starting to form. Interspersed amongst the vineyards were olive groves with cellar doors sometimes offering a range of products including cold-pressed lemon infused olive oil next to their best red (or Alpaca scarves) We loved McLarenvale...
Coonawarra and Padthaway are also in S.A. but we didn't go there.
Adelaide. Historical and beautiful.Named after Queen Adelaide,the wife of King William IV. For those of us familiar with wooden houses built on stilts, Adelaide is infused with history.( White-fella history Mick says to write...) The city was designed with spacious squares and grand boulevards with the city centre ringed by parkland; what foresight because Adelaide will always be surrounded by greenery.
Murray River. After great rainfall for 3 previous years The Mighty Murray is flowing as never before...
It's a great time to hire a houseboat on the Murray.
Burra. I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of it...We hadn't either....Apparently Burra saved S.A. from bankruptcy when the bank of SA collapsed. Burra was surprisingly interesting. I say surprisingly because we hadn't heard anything about it...Burra was the biggest regional centre outside of Adelaide and made its fortune from a lucrative copper mine. There are many fine buildings from the mid 1800's remaining til today.
Mt Gambier. While we were there, the weather was cold and windy but I imagine on a clear sunny day that Mt Gambier would be quite nice to visit.It has unique pink limestone which has been used to great effect in building their houses. The limestone is quite porous which has led to a few sinkholes in the city with an aquifer under the city streets which cave-divers explore.The Umberton sinkhole has been planted to create a pretty garden out of what would otherwise be an eyesore.
Port Augusta. I have already written that we enjoyed the Wadlata centre. Port Augusta was a thriving town well before Adelaide.
Apart from the places I have mentioned, there are beaches close to Adelaide such as Henley and Glenelg(which reminds me of Surfers Paradise) so if you can stand the cold in Winter, there is plenty to do around Adelaide... and probably much more than I know....
Saturday, 10 December 2011
East of the Fleurieu ( but still in S.A.)
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| Larry the Lobster - A local celebrity in Kingston.Can you spot Sam under Larry's legs? |
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| Robe. A popular holiday destination. |
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| Little Dip Conservation Park near Robe. |
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| Little Dip beach |
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| Mt Gambier looking towards Leg of Mutton crater lake |
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| The famous Blue Lake at Mt Gambier ( and it's this blue on an overcast day! ) |
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| Rook Tower and walk. Built by 800 volunteers in 1918. |
Fleurieu Peninsula ( the one with Adelaide on it !!! )
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| A gorgeous view as we approached McLarenvale |
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| An overcast day does not do justice to the scenery...it is stunning! |
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| Willunga - near McLarenvale |
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| Lots of quaint little buildings... |
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| An awesome fence at the Wirra Wirra winery. |
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| Foxcreek winery. Love the stone houses... |
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| Views like this abound... nice day at the office... |
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| Near Victor Harbour; S.A.'s favoured spot for "schoolies week" |
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| Stumbled upon this magical spot. It's called Boatharbour Beach and is located in Deep Creek Conservation Park at the very bottom of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Access by 4WD only down a rather rugged track. It's impossible to see in the photo but there were about 15 dolphins surfing the waves. Ben hopped in for a swim and got quite close to them...Lucky boy. |
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| Taken looking west. |
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| Port Jervis and the ferry to Kangaroo Island ( in the distance ) |
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| Heading back up the west coast; these hills led right to the sea at Wirrina Cove... |
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| ....and then quickly became these rolling hills so typical of the area. |
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| Back to McLarenvale. View from the information centre. |
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| A great time of year to visit McLarenvale. So green and lush. |
Yorke Peninsula - Innes National Park
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| Those of you who knew me in the 80's know I travelled around Europe on a Top Deck double-decker bus. We caught up with our friend Dave who was part of a contingent of ex-Top Deck staff from the 70's transporting one of the old buses to Perth as part of a re- creation of the old overland tour from London to Sydney. The bus created quite alot interest wherever it went.... |
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| Stenhouse Bay in Innes National Park- the very bottom of the Yorke |
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| Cape Spencer Lighthouse |
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| View west of lighthouse |
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| View east of lighthouse |
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| Ethel Beach - site of the Ethel shipwreck. The southern ocean coastline along S.A. and Vic has claimed many lives from shipwrecks |
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| A lovely walk through sand dunes to Pondalowie surf beach |
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| Pretty rugged coastline. I wouldn't fancy being shipwrecked here... |
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