MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
The Great Ocean Road, running 300 kilometers west of Melbourne, is considered one of the world's most spectacular coastal drives, so today Chris and I took an all-day bus tour along it. (In retrospect, I think the Pacific Coast Highway is a bit more dramatic, but we did see some cool stuff today.)
We started at the surfers' mecca of Torquay, where Rip Curl, Quiksilver, and Billabong surf brands all began, then stopped for coffee at Bell's Beach to watch some surfers in action. Then we drove west along the coast, stopping for a bushwalk in the rainforest, lunch at the resort town of Apollo Bay, and at various scenic locations along the way.
The most famous of these was the Twelve Apostles, which are these huge columns of rock standing out in the ocean, orphaned by the surrounding cliffs. (Actually, depending on who you talk to, there are actually seven, eight, or possibly fifteen Apostles--for some reason, no one seems to agree on the number, although they all admit there aren't twelve of them). Anyway, they make a good postcard photo. We also visited Loch Ard Gorge, rocky site of a famous shipwreck, London Bridge, which looks like, well, you know, and several other rock arches and blowholes.
The best part of the day for me, though, was when we stopped just off the main road in a eucalyptus forest where koalas were just hanging out in the trees! One was in a bush only about four feet high, so you could walk right up to him and watch him munching leaves. What's funny is that it was much closer than you'd ever get to a koala in a zoo. (It's a good thing they don't have any natural predators, because these would have made an easy snack.)
People met today:
The Great Ocean Road, running 300 kilometers west of Melbourne, is considered one of the world's most spectacular coastal drives, so today Chris and I took an all-day bus tour along it. (In retrospect, I think the Pacific Coast Highway is a bit more dramatic, but we did see some cool stuff today.)
We started at the surfers' mecca of Torquay, where Rip Curl, Quiksilver, and Billabong surf brands all began, then stopped for coffee at Bell's Beach to watch some surfers in action. Then we drove west along the coast, stopping for a bushwalk in the rainforest, lunch at the resort town of Apollo Bay, and at various scenic locations along the way.
The most famous of these was the Twelve Apostles, which are these huge columns of rock standing out in the ocean, orphaned by the surrounding cliffs. (Actually, depending on who you talk to, there are actually seven, eight, or possibly fifteen Apostles--for some reason, no one seems to agree on the number, although they all admit there aren't twelve of them). Anyway, they make a good postcard photo. We also visited Loch Ard Gorge, rocky site of a famous shipwreck, London Bridge, which looks like, well, you know, and several other rock arches and blowholes.
The best part of the day for me, though, was when we stopped just off the main road in a eucalyptus forest where koalas were just hanging out in the trees! One was in a bush only about four feet high, so you could walk right up to him and watch him munching leaves. What's funny is that it was much closer than you'd ever get to a koala in a zoo. (It's a good thing they don't have any natural predators, because these would have made an easy snack.)
People met today:
- Pete from Wales, former pop star, traveling the world for six months with his cousin.
- Katherine from Yorkshire, studying to be a doctor, on an exchange program at the children's hospital in Melbourne. (She's only 25, so for god's sake don't tell her she looks 27!!)
posted by John Kuge at 11:43 AM
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