Great Ocean Road

Hey Everyone!

I've been quite busy the last two weeks.  I've had my two final exams along with a trip down the coast of Victoria, and now it's nearly time for me to say goodbye to Australia.  I fly out tomorrow.  I definitely have some seriously mixed emotions about the whole thing:  I'm so excited to see my friends and family back home but I don't want to leave my new friends and life I have here.  This has been the experience of a lifetime, and I will always remember my time here.

Now, onto a less nostalgic topic.  The Great Ocean Road is considered one of the most beautiful and incredible scenic drives in the world - lucky for me, it happens to be two hours away from Melbourne.  The road follows the coastline of southwestern Victoria along Bass Strait, going all the way from Geelong to Warrnambool.  As this final week was approaching I scrambled to make this trip happen as I couldn't bear leaving Victoria without seeing one of it's most beautiful features.  Thankfully several of my friends, Pia, Bec, Georgi, Aaron, and Alex were keen to go with me and drive me along.

The first day we set up camp in Anglesea where Bec has a summer home.  From there we drove to the Split Point Lighthouse, which is a pretty lighthouse on a large cape.  When we got there, however, the wind was howling and it was raining really hard.  We were worried that this would be the weather for the rest of the day, but thankfully it was not.  The weather oscillated between heavy rain and clear skies, which gave some very pretty rainbows along the way (I think we saw something like five or six).

After the lighthouse we stopped at the official marking of the Great Ocean Road and then moved to Lorne, which is known for its beaches and waterfalls.  We visited two waterfalls in Lorne, Erskine Falls and Sheoak Falls.  Both were magnificent and showed the natural beauty of Australia.

  

The next drive was incredible; most drives just get you from A to B but on the Great Ocean Road the drive is something to be admired.  The splendid beauty of curving roads along the hilly cliffs was like candy for the eyes, making me realize what a gorgeous world we live in. 

After seeing the wonderful landscape we stopped in an alcove to look at Koalas and Kookaburras.  It was really cool to see these iconic Australian animals in the wild.  Afterward we were made our way to Apollo Bay for lunch.  The next drive was through Great Otway National Park, and the forest was incredible to drive through.  

 The next two hours was a push to our final destination, the Twelve Apostles.  The Apostles are a collection of rocks jutting out into the ocean.  There are only six Apostles left seeing as the constant erosion from the sea is knocking them down one by one.  We arrived there just before dusk and were able to see these natural beauties.  However, the wind was crazy at the lookout:  I couldn't hold my camera steady and it took some getting used to.  In the end everything worked out and I was able to see one of the natural wonders of the world. 

That night we took a 3 hour drive back to Anglesea and left for Melbourne the next day.  Overall the trip was incredible and I can't thank the Australians enough who made this trip so memorable!  I'm really going to miss this country and all the great times that I've had in it.  It is truly one of the best places on Earth and I plan to come back some day.

Awesome Aussies

On an unrelated note, I've been having a bit a cheeky fun in Australia.  The nearest Irish pub, Pugg Mahones, has a challenge to its patrons:  if you buy 100 pints of Guinness while there, you become a member of the "100 Pint Guinness Challenge" and get your name on the wall.  Well, I succeeded:

I have left a small piece of myself back in Australia, and when I visit I know where to head back.

Now what waits me is a 24 hour flight back home.  I can't wait to see my family and friends, and I will have so many stories to tell of my time here!

See you on the other side of the Pacific,
Paul