Australia Part 4 - Melbourne and beyond

Great Exhibition Centre Melbourne

After our time in the Blue Mountains we returned to Sydney and caught a flight to Melbourne.  We picked up another tank of a car (same model so we had the packing down to a fine art by now) and headed for the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243 kilometres (151 mi) stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I, the road is the world's largest war memorial. Winding through varying terrain along the coast and providing access to several prominent landmarks, including the Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations, the road is an important tourist attraction in the region. (Source: Wikipedia)

We stayed overnight in Torquay and then set off.  The road is indeed a challenge.  Single lane throughout, it twists and turns, climbs and drops and there are frequent spots where you are encouraged to pull over and let faster traffic behind you pass.  I was doing that a lot!  It's not a road you can drive fast on. Long straight stretches are few and far between and then there is the scenery.  Hard to take that in when you're driving fast.  We visited an exhibition along the way of how the road came to be.  Originally done by hand and using explosives it was a perilous task for the workers which involved some fatalaties.  Even now you can see areas that have been prone to rock falls and there are works going on to protect against these.  Check out the Wikipedia article for more info on how the road was financed and completed.

We stayed in Apollo Bay for 2 nights and travelled as far west as the Twelve Apostles before heading back to spend time in Melbourne.  In contrast to some misty murky weather around the Twelve Apostles, it was very hot in Melbourne when we arrived which made sightseeing less inviting although the trams were cool.  It was a bit of a challenge keeping Nathan shaded at times but we coped.  We were also treated to a lovely meal out one evening (an early Christmas present from the girls) at a very nice restaurant.

Then we had a bit of a panic - we were due to fly back to Sydney on the Saturday morning to head off up the east coast but they kept forecasting torrential rain and high risk of flooding!  Fortunately it was the north of the state that was most affected and although we did have some torrential downpours during Friday and overnight we were able to get to the airport and catch our flight.

More pictures now:

Torquay

 

Twelve Apostles

 

Apollo Bay Accommodation

Melbourne

 

Moreton Bay Bugs, Cucumber & Honeydew

Roast Lamb Loin

Kingfish?

 

Cherry & Pistachio Tart

Chocolate Delice

St. Kilda's Beach