Up with the rise of the Sun, it was time to get myself ready for today’s excursion: destination Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road 😎
In a last-minute turn of events, my originally planned excursion was cancelled for some reason by the original tour operator. Reading between the lines, I think they basically didn’t have enough folks going to make it worth their while 😂
Anyway, with the help of the lovely Karina from ATS Pacific – and a couple of alternative destination options later – I was back in business with another tour operator! Just goes to show that on any Adventure Vacation, you have to be flexible enough to “roll with the punches”; much kudos to Karina for getting the whole situation turned around so quickly, too 😎
As with anything, a good start means being prepared – which, in this case, meant a hearty breakfast as a key ingredient. Heading down to the One Queen for 6:30 am, a buffet order of Egg, Bacon, Hash Browns, Toast, a large Flat White and a glass of Orange Juice felt like the right thing to do! 😁
Here’s something I find interesting. My all-you-can-eat buffet-style breakfast was $25 AUD (~£12 GBP), and it was really very tasty: eggs were not cooked to be unrecognisable, the bacon was crisp without being cremated, and the bottomless coffee/juice was totally drinkable! In a Hotel in London, say, it would have been £25 – as in over double the price – if I was lucky, and I’d wager it wouldn’t have been half as good! If I’d have been in a hotel in New York, San Francisco, or Chicago, for example, it would have probably cost a lot more! Go figure!?! 🤷🏻♂️
Departure
With the premise of “beating the crowds”, this particular excursion – provided by Autopia Tours – does the whole experience in reverse: the drive to the 12 Apostles first and then making stops along the Great Ocean Road on the way back. Total time circa 13 hours.
Boarding our trusty, air-conditioned steed, ably guided by our tour leader Jacob, we headed out from the Immigration Museum into the wild blue yonder! Actually, today it was more “wild” than “blue” as, though still very warm, the weather heralded the promise of rain as we paused for refreshments and a “comfort break” at a small picnic stop just outside the little town of Winchelsea…some hour and a half from our starting point.
Those who’ve read my Melbourne post will recall I visited the Immigration Museum and discovered it’s almost slap bang next to the Vibe! The Autopia pickup was much closer than my original! Bonus! 😎
12 Apostles
Our first major stop was the 12 Apostles. Originally named “the Sow and Pigs” – but later changed under the pretext of better marketing 🤷🏻♂️ – these are a series of limestone stacks created by the erosion of the coastline over the years.
For anyone who’s ever been to Durdle Door in the UK county of Dorset, some striking similarity would be observed. In fact, if it weren’t for all the gorse and scrubland, the wildlife, and the promise of the various creepie crawlies within – one would have been forgiven for thinking they had stumbled upon the Jurassic Coast!
Obviously, no remarketing opportunity would be complete without a good yarn, and the story of the shipwrecked cabin boy and the damsel that he rescued makes for a fitting tale. Sadly, he didn’t win the hand of the distressed damsel in the end as, although she lost her entire family in the shipwreck of the Loch Ard, she apparently felt that he was too far below her station! There’s gratitude for you!
Our heroic sea hand apparently went on to lead a full and fruitful life, returning to the sea and eventually becoming a captain in his own right. After many years of life on ocean waves, the story goes he eventually went down with his ship…though nowhere near Australia, thankfully!
The Great Ocean Road
If you do it the “right” way round – though who’s to say what’s right and what isn’t 🤷🏻♂️ – then the 12 Apostles can be found at the end of the Great Ocean Road.
The Great Ocean Road is a road, yes – connecting the various towns that are dotted along the coastline. But it’s also a war memorial: dedicated to the 3000 returning Australian Sailors and Soldiers of the First World War (1914 – 1918), many of whom helped to build it.
As I say, the purpose of the road is to connect the various coastal towns, which, before the creation of the road, could only be reached by continually crisscrossing back and forth from the main highway inland. As it winds 253 Km in length, it passes alongside forests and bays…
…home to tropical flora and fauna, aquatic life, and the likes of this cute little fella – who is, apparently, neither cute nor cuddly 😳 – inhabiting the lofty heights of a venerable Eucalyptus tree.
Contrary to popular belief, Koalas are basically vicious little creatures that will attack you as soon as look at you! Most of them are also riddled with sexually transmitted diseases, which is one of their biggest killers! 😳
Returned to Sender
Heading back inland, and with a few comfort breaks en route, we finally arrived back into the city a little before 8 pm. As is almost always the case when I’ve spent some time by the sea, as I walked through the door of my room at the Vibe, I was pretty certain in the knowledge that it wasn’t going to be too long before I was bidding a fond farewell to the day. It had been a fond day, too, with some great banter and great travel companions, and sure enough, within the hour, I was fast asleep 💤
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