THE ICONIC GREAT OCEAN ROAD - ANZAC DAY LONG WEEKEND

This ANZAC long weekend we decided to head down to Victoria's iconic great ocean road, the start of this great drive is only just over 2 hours from home. It has been some time since we have been down here, it was over 5 years ago when we headed off for our honeymoon around Australia. When we first got married we thought we would test out our Kombi and took him on his maiden (can you use that term for a boy car?) voyage as far as the 12 apostles and then on the way back we did the western half of the road. This time we didn't visit the 12 apostles as we have been there before and was a bit out of the way and we were enjoying relaxing. I'm glad we didn't as some people who were camping next to us told us that someone had fallen off the cliff and there was a large rescue effort going on! We camped 30 kilometers out of Apollo Bay by a river, and a short 4x4 track near camp lead us to the beach, a very untouched beach that not many people visit. The ocean was fierce and there is no way I would get in the water there. And that is a big thing for me to say as I love the water and there are only a couple of times in my life have I ever refused to get in the ocean (another time was up north when there were crocodile sightings, Paul told me to just get in but I refused, no matter how hot it was!) Here are some pictures from our time away!

On the first day we needed to find some firewood and as you are not allowed to collect in national park we had to go for a drive, not far from camp was a lookout.

On the way back to camp we explored the secluded beach that you either had to walk hours to or 4x4 down and walk a 100 or so meters to the beach!

This is the river we were camping on

Camp

Apollo Bay

We made a volcano at Apollo Bay

Add Bi-carbonate of soda and red food dye to a volcano like sand castle

Pour in the vinegar

This time we tried it in a bucket, I think a narrow cup would have been better than the bucket.

It's so exciting!

The best part is to stomp allover finished volcano castle!

More beaches at Apollo bay

This is down near Otway lighthouse, such a lovely spot, but the entrance to the lighthouse was $16 per person and I didn't want to spend that considering I have seen hundreds of lighthouses around Australia for free :P

The devastated eucalypt forest down near the lighthouse, the koalas are so prolific here that they are stripping the eucalypts of all their leaves and killing the trees. A very sad sight to see!

There were so many koalas down here, I have never ever seen this many in the wild all within a few minutes before! There were 6 just in the couple of trees around us! Can you see how bare this tree is getting?

Another picture of camp

The next few pictures are of the great ocean road, this is what you would expect to see on your journey down here.

The great ocean road memorial arch

I think I would be too scared to live in this house, which is set on a pole. Amazing views but I would hate to be in there when it is blowing a gale!

Lunch on Anglesea  inlet on the way home. Fish and Chips!

Last stop on the way home is famous bells beach, the waves were huge around 15+ foot!