On Tuesday, 18th of June, at 4am we are in Christchurch airport. We are waiting our plane to Melbourne. One week ago, we found a ticket for $109 one way, we had to go! It’s the first time I travel so light with just a small backpack. But cheap! So with two hours jetlag, at 8am we are in Melbourne! Cold and raining like in New Zealand… We recover (with some difficulties) a rental car and “voilà”, we are on the road! Dean is driving, he has some sweat: we come from the bush and now we are on roads with four lines! Thanks to our phones and GPS, we find our way to the port. We walk a little bit under the rain before to go to the city centre by car. We are not city lovers, we stay just one hour (maybe we should to stay little bit more when you see the size of the city). We wander between old and modern buildings. The city lacks harmony I think. And we say about USA that is a country of burgers, but we can say the same about Australia, there are fast-food everywhere. So, by custom, we do our first McDonald in Australia (after we discovered Hungry Jack’s, Australian Burger King, so much better!). We follow Yarra, the river passing through Melbourne, and to be in crossing between the Princes Bridge and the Finders Street Station with an original front. From here, we have a very good view on the city).
1st Day : Melbourne – Port Phillip Bay – Torquay – Lorne / 208 km
And it’s the next day than our road trip start really! Melbourne is along the Port Phillip Bay. We get around it by the East to take the ferry and rejoin Queenscliff in the opposite side of the bay. Like almost every day of this first week, we have some raining and some sun. Now, focus on the West and stay close to the coast as much as possible. We drive into the two twins city Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads separated by Barwon River. Sadly, a big shower stops our walking on the limestone cliff in the Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary. 30km after, there is Torquay. It’s the place to be for the surfers. Beside us putting the heater in the car, there are some brave surfers playing in the waves. We just contemplate them. For a little story, it is here was born Quicksilver in 1969. The economy and the development of Torquay depend of the surf industry (board’s manufacturing, equipment and clothes, competitions…). It will almost make me want to do surfing (but I didn’t forget all the waves I took in my face the last time in Tahiti!). Torquay is also the beginning of the Great Ocean Road: our goal! The Great Ocean Road (GOR) is 243km of coast road building between 1919 and 1932 by former soldiers of the World War One and became a famous touristic destination for Aussies. It’s our turn to drive on this road. This afternoon we are going to Lorne, it is already 4.30pm, night is coming soon. Lorne is a small seaside town along the Loutit Bay. Perfect sport for us, we find a room in front of the sea in the old pub. Few beers with some local boys close to the fire in the evening.
2nd Day : Lorne – Apollo Bay – Cape Otway – Port Campbell / 166 km
The next day, to start the day right, a little footing along the sea and a bacon and eggs for break first on a sun. We take the time to see Erskine Waterfalls, an amazing lookout and we are again on the GOR. The blue sky disappears for a grey sky in Apollo Bay just after another beautiful lookout on the littoral. The GOR continues a bit in land. There is a round trip to the Cape Otway. We were and we disillusioned. All the cliffs with view and the lighthouse it is not free! We give up. But we didn’t do this 24km for nothing. On the way back, first kangaroos since we arrived and we try to find koalas in the trees. Find it! Our heads in the air, we attract some other tourists. And the day is not finish! There are still 76km until our step city. We pass Princetown and here we are, in the Port Campbell National Park. Little heart stroke for the city of the same name with its port bordered by the cliffs. The pub (from 1897) is also very pleasant, I try Australian beers.
3rd Day : Port Campbell – Warrnambool – Portland / 169 km
The next morning we go back to the coast because we passed one of the most beautiful Australian coasts (what people say!) by night yesterday. It made with steep cliffs and promontories. From Gybson Beach we have a first amazing view of these golden rocks eroded by the rain, salt and waves. We are amazed by the landscape of the Twelve Apostles. Because it is winter and law season, there are not too much people. Hard to imagine this in summer, maybe you have to do the queue to see something… And to let you know, there are not twelve apostles, only eight (one collapsed in 2005). All along the coast, there are beautiful viewpoints. We are almost doing all, as saying that we are not moving fast. The Port Campbell National Park is long of 32km along the coast to Peterborough. There are a lot to see between arches, caves, islands, etc. We finally arrive at Warrnambool. Since we left Melbourne, it is the bigger city we pass (it is the 5th biggest city in Victoria). The GOR stops here but we keep going. Port Fairy, a nice port o pleasure and Portland, an industrial port. We find a room for a good price here but I feel like to be in an old motel in the American movies (like No Country for old Men). The pub is just beside, it is Friday night, and we are surrounded by Aussies.
4th Day : Portland – Beachport – Robe – Kingstone S.E. / 275 km
On Saturday, the cloudy day starts in the port, driving around and leaving to take the road again. Our new goal: Adelaide. We try to stay along the sea as much as possible but not always easy to find a road as a navigator. Now we are on THE Australian roads: large expanses around us, the infinite straight lines, kangaroos, emus. We change the state: South Australia. We pass Beach Port (with a jetty long more than 700m), Robe (for a beautiful sunset) and we finish at Kingston S.E. We were thinking to arrive in a big city… hmm… we are still looking for the main street! Finally we stay in a hotel with sea view (from the veranda, not the room). At the pub tonight we are almost alone. After some pools parties and some defeats for me, we have dinner: kangaroo for me. Surprised, the Australians waiters never try kangaroo and can’t tell us if it is good. It is just for the tourists (like me). And it is not so bad; the steak is tender, just little bit strong taste at the end.
5th Day : Kingstone S.E. – Wellington – Godwa – Cape Jervis / 350 km
In the next morning, I am not so good (it is not the kangaroo from yesterday!). It is not funny to be sick on the road trip but the advantage of the car it is I still can enjoy and discover the landscape without moving. The weather is beautiful and is hot behind the windows. We are again on the long Australian roads, we are not in the desert but it is desert. We drive along swamps with lots of pelicans. We arrive in Wellington (not the capital in New Zealand), a small village along the Murray River (famous river in Australia, very long). We have to cross it with a barge to go in the other side. We are in land, lots of vineries. We come back along the sea at Goolwa, visiting the port. The sun starts to go down, beautiful orange colour on the trees and fields. Dean is careful, driving during the night is dangerous, we can take a kangaroo. Although, there is one big on the road, lucky us, we didn’t drive fast. It was not affray, slowly it is moving beside. The experience is incredible for me, should be usual for the Aussies. Tonight we sleep in Cape Jervis in front of the Kangaroos Island. Still sick, is soup for me (Australian soup with ham). It is cold so it is perfect.
6th Day : Cape Jervis – Adelaïde – Tailem Bend / 203 km
The day after, we reach our goal. We follow the coast without steps and we arrive quickly in urbanized areas. And it’s more to say we were in Adelaide because we do a very quick crossing by car in the city centre, raising the nose on the buildings. We also seeing quickly the port and we have enough. Too much people, fuss, we leave. We have to come back to Melbourne to deposit the car. We needed six days to arrive to Adelaide from Melbourne, we have one day to go back on the starting point (727km). So tonight we have a step ahead, we drive until the Murray River at Tailem Bend. A pub still open at 7.30pm (trust me the Australians are like the Kiwis of the diner time, so 7.30pm it is late, 8pm the kitchens close!). In Australia, it is common to have a roast (pork or lamb) with a gravy (they love it, there are everywhere, even on the chips) with mush potatoes and vegetables = traditional meal. We have a room along the highway, less charming.
7th Day : Tailem Bend / Melbourne 629km
Voilà it is our last day of road trip. Before to be motivated for the 632km, we are visiting the reconstitution of the old village of Tailem Bend. A crazy collector had fun to reproduce houses, pub, shops, cinema, services with all the vintage staff, objects, cars, tools, etc. In my opinion, the mannequins were not necessary, it is little bit morbid! After this little tourist moment, we take the road. We will need the day, we were chased by trucks which driving almost as quick than us. Back to Tullamarine, the airport of Melbourne at night. And we flight the next morning to … Tasmania!
