Great New Years need Great New Roads

Happy New Year ! Apologies to all of you out there for the longer than usual radio silence on my behalf.  I am back with renewed energy in the New Year sharing with you all my joys - and some undoubted upside down bits too- on this lovely new continent which is the world's smallest continent but simultaneously the world's largest island. 

A great new year deserves a great new road and there is none better that I know than the Great Ocean Road which spans the coastline from Melbourne towards Adelaide. We hired a car, jumped in and listened to the woeful cricket commentary on the Ashes while travelling on this magical road which has interesting and familiar names (to the Brits anyway) like Torquay and Anglesea.

As always I like to look into the history and this is better than most- The road is a war memorial to the fallen soldiers of the first World War, conceived and hand build (because there was no choice then) by those who were lucky enough to return and who needed employment but also wanted to honour those who had given their lives for their country. It is perhaps the worlds largest war memorial and one which no doubt inspires and invigorates as it is such a showcase of Australia's southern shore line, the ruggedness of the land and the wildness of the ocean. The beaches stretched for miles, the waves crashed on the shore, in fact it is along here that they have their famous Bells Beach which surfers love. 

Our aim was to travel as far south as Princetown and the Twelve Apostles and en route we stopped at various memorable sites - Lorne Teddys lookout, Apollo Bay and Cape Otway lighthouse. This is also called the Shipwreck Coast and when you see the Ocean you can well understand why so many ships were dashed on the rocks. The Lighthouse dates back to 1848 and often this was the first sight of land after leaving Europe to come to Australia.

 The Twelve Apostles are the most impressive Apostles I have laid eyes on. They are limestone statuesque and glorious rock formations which stand proudly as the sea pounds their sides.

 I love the Aussie signs which dont mince their words - you may fall and DIE it says !

Close by is London Bridge as it is called and Loch Ard Gorge named after a clipper ship which ran aground in 1878. The Gorge is part of the Port Campbell National Park.

We finished the day in Port Campbell on fish and chips before travelling back into Melbourne via Camperdown, enjoying the lovely valleys and hills of the hinterland and the Otway National Park.