Apollo Bay

So I took a couple of days and left Melbourne. I was trying to decide what to do and decided on the Great Ocean Road. There weren't many places to stay along the coast, so Apollo Bay was it. This involved a train from Southern Cross in Melbourne to Geelong. A pretty short train ride, but then it was time to get on a bus. And if you are driving along the rough, but beautiful coastline in Australia, you can expect a lot of curves. And that is what I got. It ended up being fine (not so much on my return trip), but I wished I had gotten a seat on the left hand side. I was sure to be on the correct (ocean side) when I headed back to Melbourne.

Bus ride to Apollo Bay.

It was so beautiful all along the coast. However, in certain places, you could see where fires had destroyed some of the bush. There was so much that it's hard to imagine a fire that big. Stuff like this happens in California due to the very dry conditions, but I've never seen it except on TV. It was nice to see some growth in a few places, but it's going to take a long time for the area to recover.

Bushfire aftermath.

I eventually made it to Apollo Bay. I met a girl from Germany who was going to the same hostel as me, so we walked there together. She was actually trekking the Great Ocean Walk and camping along the way. I thought about doing that, but I would have had to get a tent and some gear. Although if I had known I was going to meet her, I may have tagged along a bit longer than I ended up doing.

After settling in, Barbara and I headed back into town to figure out our respective plans for the following day. Like I mentioned, she was walking, but just needed to button up her plan a bit. I on the other hand had no idea what I was going to do. I thought about hiking out and back for one day. Maybe doing a tour. Or something else. I was still pretty undecided that night as I was chatting with others at the hostel. But at some point, due to costs and companionship, I decided to tag along with Barbara. 

After getting our information, we headed to the beach and I went into the water. I had to check off a new ocean, and that is what I did. It wasn't quite beach weather and the water was a little chilly, but I went for it. I have now officially been in 4 out of the 5 world's oceans. In order, I've swam in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian (most recently), and now the Southern. Someday I'll get to the Arctic assuming it's possible. It would be a very extreme Polar Bear Plunge. 

Southern Ocean swim.

We walked around a bit and checked out the nearby harbor. The water was so clear. So unusual for a harbor with a ton of boats. We checked out the start of the walk as well. I would actually get a sneak peak on my run that evening, so knew exactly where we needed to go. We made a plan for the morning and eventually went to bed.

Harbor.

Of course it was raining when we woke up. Our plan of leaving by 9am shifted to 10am. At that point, we just decided to go for it. So after grabbing a few items, we hit the road. On our two feet of course. And the sun came out. We were in luck. 

The start of the the Great Ocean Walk.

The first leg of her journey (and the only leg of mine) was supposed to be 10 kilometers from Apollo Bay to Elliot Ridge. Although my Fitbit did tell me otherwise. We headed out of town and eventually hit the Marengo Holiday Park where I had to make my first bathroom break. Not knowing when the next one was and the tea at breakfast required the stop. We cut through the park and made our way onto the path that would take us along the water.

Art or something important?

We continued through the park and walked along some farmland, which was private property. It reminded me a bit of the path along the ocean on Nantucket in 'Sconset, where you can walk behind people's homes. We explored the various rock platforms and walked along them, as well as some beaches. Obviously at low tide. We stopped for a snack break before heading into the bush. 

Checking out the rocks.

We climbed a bit through the bush and found a great spot to eat lunch on Bald Hill. All along the way, we didn't encounter any other hikers, but we did come across some workers. They were ensuring the paths were clear for hikers. I appreciate them since I'm sure their mowers scared away snakes. Where we stopped was pretty popular since the workers also stopped there to take in the view. And what a view it was.

Can it get any better?

After lunch, we headed back down the hill and followed the track along for a bit. While I was on the lookout for snakes, Barbara was on the lookout for koalas. And she spotted one! It was high up in the tree, but we finally saw one. And then we saw 2 more. She spotted the 2nd one and then I spotted one. Although at first, I thought it was the one we just saw. She convinced me otherwise. 

The koala is there. I swear

We walked some more in the bush, along the beach, and on some more rocks. It changed enough that it was still interesting. And then things got real interesting. I spotted a snake. Barbara was in front of me, but I saw it first and gave her a heads up. Of course it was in our way. But no worries, we took a WIDE circle around. It almost looked dead, but I think it was just sunbathing. I think it was a Tiger snake, one of the most fatal snakes in Australia. Good thing I was watching out for them. And I was definitely not getting near it. We continued on our way and I kept watch for the snakes. 

Tiger snake.

We made it to Elliot Ridge campsite where Barbara was spending the night. There was no one else around. She thinks there were supposed to be others there, but I'm sure they were coming later. I hope so at least. I don't mind camping at all. But the idea of being alone with the snakes (and leeches!), was not comforting. And with that, I left her. I may have walked much quicker now that I was alone. I didn't want anything startle me. I headed out on the Elliot Ridge Loop path in order to get back to a road we'd seen earlier. There were a few cars parked, so I was hoping I could catch a ride back to Apollo Bay, or at least get to the Great Ocean Road. 

Alone in the wilderness.

Fortunately a family came along right away. And they gave me a ride to Apollo Bay. Of course the mother asked if my mom knew I was hitchhiking. I said, 'not exactly, but she did it when she was younger.' That wasn't a good enough response, but they were a friendly bunch. Apparently they holiday in Apollo Bay every year. They dropped me off at my hostel, which was perfect. And then of course I went in search of a beer to celebrate my hike. 

Local brew.

The following morning, I got up for a quick run along the beach (and a swim) before catching my bus to Geelong. I made sure I was on the right side of the bus. The ride out was a bit better. For one, the sun wasn't out. And two, I wasn't feeling so great with all the curves. So my eyes were closed for a good part of the ride. Oh well. I saw some really great things while hiking, so no worries. 

Spotted on my run.

When I got back to Melbourne, I decided to do one last touristy thing before leaving the next morning. It was my last opportunity to do the Eureka Tower, and I didn't have time to go to a sanctuary and see kangaroos (unfortunately). So I put my bag in storage and took a walk along the Yarra River. 

The Eureka Tower.

I headed up to the skydeck and spent some time taking in the views down below. 

High above.

After my tour of Melbourne from above, I headed to meet Robbie and Claire for my last night in Australia. We didn't do much, which was perfect. I had to pack my stuff up and do a few things. We had some beer and watched The Castle, an Australian classic. It was pretty good, although I'm sure I missed a few jokes. 

I had such a great time in Australia and was sad to go, but knew I'd be back some day. There's still so much to see.