Postcards from the Road - Wilson's Promontory

After two days in the city it was time to get back to nature. As with many places we have seen over the year, Wilson's Promontory was recommended by a friend. Again we were not disappointed. It is the southernmost point on the Australian mainland, and the most popular of Victoria's national parks. It also held the promise as a place to see wombats!

Driving into the park, it was immediately evident it had been affected by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires. These fires were devastating for many communities in Victoria this past February, and held the attention of the rest of Australians while they helplessly looked on. Wilson's Prom lost over 11,000 hectares of its 50,500 hectares were burnt to the ground, forcing the closure of certain parts of the park.

Once the tent was set up, we headed down to the beach to play in the surf. As this is the southernmost point, it means the water is colder than we have been used to, in fact we have been spoiled in Queensland. A wetsuit was needed to play in this water comfortably. None of this stopped Dave, he was out playing in the waves in no time.

The next day, Gemma and Ruben had a great time playing in the surf, catching some waves on Dave's board. They both made it look so effortless and easy.

Although the water was cooler than we were used to, the days were hot. Despite the heat we went to explore some of the trails and other beaches. We were really hoping we may see a wombat on our walk.

As we were ambling along the Squeaky Beach track I nearly walked on a wombat grazing on the side of the trail. The wombat didn't seem too phased by our presence but we were probably a little overzealous in trying to get a better view of it and take pictures, so it wandered off into the bush before too long. We thought this was a very special siting (and it was), one we were very lucky to have (and we were) but later that afternoon we had one wander casually through our campsite, and then saw many more on our evening walk through the forest.

The Squeaky Beach track leads you to a headland, giving stunning views of Norman and Squeaky beaches. You look down at beautiful white sand beaches, framed by crystal clear blue waters and heath forests. Scenery that forces you to just sit down and take in for a few moments.

Wilson's Promontory weather is influenced by either the winds of the Antarctic or the desert in the North, and the direction of the winds can change in a short period of time and dramatically. The nights and mornings had been cool, requiring you to were long pants and a long-sleeve shirt. But on our last morning this changed dramatically - an incredibly hot breeze blew over us, and we knew we were in for a hot day of travel.

Off to the capital, Canberra. See you then.
love H, D, R and G

Postcards from the Road - Melbourne

Luxury. Culture. Cafes. Modern. Old. Good Chocolate. These are the words I would use to sum up Melbourne. There is a lot of rivalry between Australia's city dwellers - each believes their city is THE place to be, where you will experience true urban Australia. Melbourne fancies itself as the cultural centre - representing art, music, cafes, food and many ethnic groups - a sensory feast.

We liked Melbourne. Maybe it was the luxurious (anything would have felt luxurious after a few nights of wet camping) city centre apartment. We were in walking distance of great food, shopping, beautiful architecture, museums and parks. But for those times we didn't feel like using our feet to get us where we needed to go we could hop on the famous Melbourne City Circle Tram.

We caught the tram to Queen Victoria Market. A great place to look for trinkets, cheap clothing, "Australiana" and of course yummy food. But on the walk there we passed by an alley covered in graffiti, we just had to stop to take a look. We spent some time looking at each painting, trying to decide which one we liked best.
After this brief detour we were back on our path to the Market. We spent a couple of hours looking through the rows and rows of knick knacks, Australian-made boots and clothes from China, stalls of Australian tourist trinkets, breathing in the smells of coffee brewing and donuts frying, listening to vendors shout out the deal of the day and jostling our way through the crowds. This is what I like about cities, the crowds, sounds and smells. I like it in bursts. Fill my city cup.

After browsing, lunching and watching the passers-by while drinking a flat white, it was time to move on to our next destination - the Melbourne Gaol. It is a 19th century prison, a place sure to discourage any deep desire to enter the criminal world. After opening its doors in 1842, the Melbourne Gaol saw 136 hangings including one of Australia's most infamous characters, Ned Kelly.
It is a great tourist sight, one I would recommend anyone do when they are in Melbourne. In each of the cells they have displays on the individuals who 'did time' there, you can get 'arrested' and locked up at the city watch house, and walking through the dimly lit corridors and stepping into the cells gives you a sense of the misery you would have known to be locked up here. Gemma and Ruben had a special role in the watch house arrest, they were chosen to be the guard's deputies.

Melbourne is a city of two worlds - the modern and old, the 'European' and Australian. Having only spent two days in the city, I have only a cursory sense of what Melbourne is like. But as you walk through the different neighbourhoods you get a sense of the influences that have helped to shape what Melbourne is today. A blend of the past and the contemporary, many ethnic groups, arts and sports.


Having once lived in a city, I am always contemplating if I could do it again, is this the city I would like to move to. Melbourne has me tempted. It has a good vibe. It also doesn't hurt that Lygon Street has three cafes dedicated to all things chocolate - I could live in Melbourne just to be close to that!

The road trip must continue, we are off to Wilson's Promontory.

love H, D, R and G

Postcards from the Road - The Great Ocean Road

Very satisfied with our time in the Grampians, we headed south to Victoria's coast, to take in the Great Ocean Road. This route follows the coast for 300 winding, breathtaking kilometres.

We started the route in Warrnambool. We had two days to soak up, and be awed by the scenery, beaches and wildlife. To do the Great Ocean Road properly requires many short drives, hopping out of the car, walking down a boardwalk to a lookout, admiring the view, taking a few pictures and doing this over and over again. Rarely are you able to get down to the beach, dip your toes in the cool waters of the Bass Strait or run barefoot through the sand. The views are of limestone rock formations that have been eroded by winds and waves for thousands of years. This continual erosion has produced islands, rock stacks, gorges and arches.

So in the spirit of our Great Ocean Road travels, first stop is the Bay of Islands. Although it was blowing wind and rain, I insisted we stop to take a look. It was incredible. The weather was right in your face, the clear turquoise waters churned up by wind and waves, and views along the coast as far as you could see.

Second stop, London Arch. It used to be called the London Bridge before part of it collapsed into the ocean - the waves, wind and rain are unrelenting in this part of the world. The London Arch is the beginning of Port Campbell National Park. The landmarks on this stretch of road, and park, are some of the most photographed places in Australia. They are icons for Australia's tourism trail.

Up next, the Twelve Apostles. Originally this site was called the less-glamorous Sow and Piglets. Although I quite like that name, I suspect it was changed in the name of tourism - Twelve Apostles seems grander, more stately.

Up until this stop, we had not experienced the throngs of tourists we had imagined. This changed dramatically at the Twelve Apostles. The parking lot was packed with camper vans, rental cars and tour buses. At the lookout, we were among the crowds and had to jostle for the perfect spot to get a good view of the Apostles. You can easily understand why this is a popular tourist attraction.

We could have stopped at a few more highlights but we needed to find a place to camp. We started to make our way to Blanket Bay in Otway National Park. On our way to the campground we came across cars parked on the side of the road and a group of people looking up a tree - a sure sign of wildlife.

We didn't know it at this point but we had just stumbled into a Koala mecca. After this initial sighting we would count at least another 25 or so on the way to the campground, and more on our way out the next day! The one below was low in a tree so it was very easy to get a good close-up look.


We camped the night at Blanket Bay, a beautiful coastal spot in Otway National Park. The shoreline was great place to explore, rock pools, funky patterns in the rocks, and caves to climb up into.

We survived the night with heavy coastal rains and below-what-we-are-used-to temperatures. Driving out through the park we were looking for and counting koalas. We had seen many perched sleeping in the trees but were really hoping to see a baby with its mother. Just as the words passes Gemma's lips we spotted a pair in a tree. Car halted, the four of us piling out, cameras cocked ready to go. But we were in for more of a treat than just seeing a mother with her baby. We witnessed koala courtship in action, and caught it on tape! Be warned though, your image of the cuddly, gentle koala may be shattered after watching this video.

With the koala drama behind us, we continued on our route to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road. The stretch of road between Apollo Bay and Aireys Inlet takes you on a twisty, windy, cliff-side ride (reminiscent of the Sea-to-Sky highway). The drive is also dotted with cozy bays, deserted beaches, and funky seaside towns inviting you to stop for morning tea or an ice cream. Dave really wanted to stop somewhere along the drive for a surf. He managed to find a wetsuit (a must in these cold waters) and some good waves, and as usual walked out of the surf with a huge smile on his face!

Next stop, the cultural and cafe capital of Australia - Melbourne.

Until then,
love H, D, G & R