The Great Ocean Road

For my last full day in Melbourne, I decided to book a day trip to go to the Great Ocean Road. 

I’ve briefly heard about it (not sure where or when though), I was informed it’s the “most beautiful coastal drive in Australia”. I feel like these Aussies like to say everything in ‘their’ city is the biggest/best however it was pretty beautiful. 

I was picked up from my hotel at 7:20am and because I was the only single traveller (there’s a shock lol) I was asked to sit upfront and be co pilot. 

We drove out of the city and within 20 minutes, all the 22 other passengers were fast asleep. That was fine as I was chatting away with Chris, our guide. I got to chat to him about so many cool things. He is a trained snake handler (there was a more technical term but I’ve forgotten), he tried to sell it to me that snakes are more scared of us and he made a valid point that although they are venomous, a human could still easily kill a snake. But he obviously wasn’t trying to encourage that, just simply educate me. 

We stopped along the way at various beautiful spots to stretch our legs and take pictures. I adore being by the water, I find it so soothing and therapeutic. Even the most troubled waters can still be incredibly majestic. 

One of the first stops was at the famous ‘Great Ocean Road’ archway. Chris explained the arch has in fact been rebuilt twice. Once because a lorry driver took it out and another time it was destroyed in a bush fire. He explained to us the process of ‘burn offs’, this is where they do a controlled burn in the area. He explained strangely these processes are needed to allow the environment to thrive. 

My favourite stop was when we stopped to find koalas in the trees. Just driving up we spotted four. We got out of the van and got to walk back down and watch the koalas. I’ve wanted to see them in their natural habitat all of my trip so I was so happy. 

We were informed that they have two thumbs on each paw to allow them to grip the branches better. They also sleep for 20-22 hours a day. They eat so much eucalyptus leafs that it takes days to digest and they don’t get much nutrients from the leafs so they’re constantly tired hence sleeping so much. You’d think they’d switch their diets to something more useful. 

When we got in the van again, someone said there was a spider in the back. I stayed calm thinking it would be little but sadly I was wrong. It turned out to be a Huntsman spider. It was pretty big by my standards however I know they get a lot bigger (I remember seeing a picture of one on a friends honeymoon to the Maldives and it was huge!). After me sinking right down into the footwell of the van whilst begging Chris to stop talking and get it out of the van, it was finally released into the wild. 

After that near death experience (ok maybe a slight exaggeration) it was time to stop for some lunch. We stopped at a great tourist spot called Apollo Bay. It was named after a ship docked in the bay for a few days but never came ashore and simply left. The Aussie are not very creative with naming places. 

Next up was the big stop, The 12 Apostles.  When I booked the trip, I was told everyone has heard of the famous 12 Apostles well apparently I must have snoozed through that history (or maybe geography?) lesson. 

When we got to the stop, the first thing I noticed walking along the path was the sign warning us of venomous snakes - great!

This place was so busy! Lots of people trying to get the best Facebook selfie. When I did manage to find a little spot to look out over the apostles I noticed a slight flaw, I only counted 8. Now I get erosion (I vaguely remember that lesson with Mr. Jones) so I naturally assumed that over time some had crumbled into the sea however Chris informs us that there were only ever 9 to begin with. In fact, they were originally known as Pig and his piglets but decided to rebrand (damn those marketing people) to the 12 Apostles. 

Time was pushing on by now so we headed to our next stop. It was crazy busy so Chris decided to take us to another secret spot. The view was incredible and we had the place all to ourselves which was great. 

We returned to the gorge way in Port Campbell National Park. Chris warned us that this was the spot where we could see a snake. There were three beautiful walks to do. The first was down to a gorgeous cove beach. I’d have loved to swim but we didn’t have much time. 

I did do the other walks however I was stomping around to ensure the ground shook as much as possible. I had my eyes on the look out so much for snakes, it actually kind of hurt. The views over the ocean though were beautiful though. I was still so surprised that the nearest land to us was the Antarctic. 

Because we were in the van for so long, I got to hear lots of cool stories from Chris. He was telling me about his adventure expeditions that he’s done. One was kayaking up one of the longest rivers in Australia solo over six months. I was so impressed with his outlook on life and was very shocked to discover he is only 24. It just goes to show it’s your mindset that dictates what you achieve in life. 

The day was fun but pretty tiring. I wasn’t even driving but being co pilot I felt like I couldn’t snooze. I really enjoyed learning more about Australia. I was lucky to get some time chatting to a local with real life experience. 

I’ve loved my time in Australia. I will definitely be back. I’d love to visit a few other places such as Exmouth, apparently the snorkelling there is better than at the Great Barrier Reef. I was disappointed that my trip was cancelled but you make the best out of every situation. 

Moreton Island

We were up early and heading to Brisbane port all before 7:30am. We’d already walked Toby over the park overlooking the river.

We took the ferry over to Moreton Island. We thought we’d done well with our seats up top and ready to spot some dolphins until a heap of French people decided to stand right in front of us. 

After the hour long journey, we arrived in paradise. Whilst we were waiting to get off the boat, I saw s sea turtle pop it’s head up to welcome us. 

Our first activity was sandboarding. I’d never tried it before so it was a bit scary. After a 25 minute bumpy ride into the ‘desert’, we then climbed these huge sand dunes to then slide face first down to bottom. It was pretty scary!!

After a quick lunch on the beach, it was time for our next activity, kayaking. We had these amazing clear plastic kayaks and paddled over shipwrecks. 

The current was pretty tough but we did well and had a blast. It wasn’t the first time Vicki and I had kayaked before so we felt like pros. 

By this point it was definitely time to cool off and snorkel. We had to wear wetsuits as we were snorkelling over the shipwreck sndparts were pretty sharp. 

We had to pulled out to the wreks on a jetski. This was pretty scary as there were 12 of us holding onto a boogie board whilst being pulled out. The current and jet ski pull made it pretty hard. 

We had been told there was so much to see such as sting rays and even a sea cow. We saw plenty of fish (and not the dating app) but sadly nothing too exciting. 

After all a hectic day, it was time to head back on the ferry. It was such a cool day exploring Moreton island. I found out it is the second largest sand island in the World. 

I’ve had such a great time in Brisbane already and there’s still plenty more to discover thanks to my lovely tour guide. 

G’day from Australia

G’day mate! So I’ve finally made it to Australia. It’s funny as Australia has always been a country I said I’d never visit as I thought everything here could kill you. Snakes, spiders, plants... however I’ve heard too many cool things to not visit and met so many awesome Aussies that I had to check it out for myself. 

I was a bit anxious about the flight time but it was fine. Flight to Dubai was nice and easy, 7 hours then a mad dash to the gate to catch a 14 hour flight to Sydney. I was lucky to have a spare seat next to me so I could stretch out and sleep. 

I decided to stay at an Air BnB in Darlinghurst. It’s a great location. I arrived just before mid night and the kind taxi driver waited with me until I made it inside (had to figure out how to find the keys).

After waking up at 5:00am (and requesting a lullaby song to help me sleep from Peter, thank you baby) I managed to get a few more hours sleep before waking up and heading out for a jog. 

This seems to be a holiday ritual now. The first morning I wake up, I like to go for a jog to explore the local area. Sydney was no different and I headed to the botanical gardens for my run. 

The heat was pretty intense even at 8am but it felt great to stretch my legs after such a long time travelling. When I first caught a glimpse of the opera house over the harbour, it was breathtaking (and not just from the jogging!).

I decided to stop in the cafe in the gardens for some breakfast. The usual carrot cake and iced coffee. It’s so nice now being able to eat carrot cake and not feeling sad. For those who don’t know, carrot cake was the only thing I ate after Dean passed away and it was always my ‘go to’ food when I was sad about Dean. 

The gardens were so peaceful although there were lots of people exercising (Tai Chi anyone?) and enjoying the slightly cooler weather. 

After heading back to the apartment, it was time to freshen up before meeting my friend Jo. I haven’t seen Jo since we left school in 2002 so it was a long overdue catch up. 

We headed back to the botanical gardens. This time it was nice to simply wander around and take everything in. We headed towards the opera house and central quay. We decided to hop on the ferry to explore Manley. 

After a 30 minute ride, we arrived in Manley. It was super busy being a Sunday but it was so nice people watching and seeing families enjoying their weekend together outside. 

We headed to a restaurant overlooking the ocean to have some lunch. It was time to start on the Australian wine. I do love my kiwi wine but you can’t beat a good Australian Sauvignon blanc. 

After lunch we took a stroll along the beach and sat on some rocks. It’s been lovely catching up with each other and even hearing some gossip I totally missed at school - I do love karma. 

After a few hours chilling, it was time to hear back to the ferry. On the way back, we had some amazing frozen yoghurt - the flavours here are so good. In general the food is really good. Plenty of choice although a tad expensive. 

Cocktails overlooking the opera house were calling. We watched a storm clouds gather so much momentum. All the smaller clouds were drawn to the bigger cloud, it was majestic. 

The rain came down so fast and heavy. I do have this strange fear of thunder and lightning but thankfully it wasn’t too bad. The sky lit up over the opera house was pretty amazing. 

It felt like we hadn’t stopped all day and by the time I got back to my apartment, I’d walked over 32,000 steps. I was so beat and ready for bed. 

Strangely I woke up again at 5am. Peter (already preempting) had sent me another song (best boyfriend ever!) and I managed to get back to sleep for a few more hours. 

Today I’ve headed to Bondi Beach. It’s a lot quieter today being a Monday and the sea isn’t as rough as at Manley. I’ve been a little bit cautious so I’ve just paddled instead of going fully in, I just keep thinking of all the things that could be lurking beneath... I’ve listened far too much to Daddy. 

I hope you all have a lovely Monday. I’ll be thinking about you all on your morning commute whilst I catch a few more rays on the beach.