Following the Footsteps: THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD & MELBOURNE

Melbourne the second largest city in Australia, is very much a cosmopolitan city with a Victorian era look. Lots of parks gardens and walks along the Yarra river. Hover two days in Melbourne is enough.
Five weeks in Australia finishes here and it has truly been a fascinating and interesting five weeks. There are still a few places to visit and things to do which will have to wait for another time.

Sky line by the river

a free tram ride round the city

I think the Law courts

Melbourne by evening

The drive down to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road took two days and is an interesting drive. However the gem of the drive ,winding along Victoria`s rugged south coast is truly one of the most spectacular coastal drive. Starting the journey south at a place called Tourquay(most names along the coast are from English towns)and staying for two days at Lorne with stunning beaches and huge waves, watching people surf is very fascinating. The great ocean road passes steep cliffs and winds along lush forest and coastal scenery. The towns along the road are really very small in size and basically cater for the tourists. There are very few people in every town we passed.

The forest in the region are very dense and feature so many different types of ferns and other plants and shrubs that walking in the forest of such density is a memorable experience. It can be frightening and scary too as on many of the walks, leading to spectacular waterfalls,we were the only one with no other person to be seen for sometimes hours. However the track markings, bridges and information boards are extremely good and very help full.

The coastline is continuously buffeted by stormy seas and fierce winds which has resulted in spectacular rock formation and inlets. The most well known formation is the Twelve Apostles and the other names given are The London Bridge and Loc Arc Gorge. Much of the coast line has also remnants of the shipwrecks that often happened 150 years ago to English and Irish immigrant ships.

For me the drive along the coast was the high light of the tour , so much so that we drove along part of the coast twice and spent more time admiring and enjoying the amazing scenery. This drive is a must for any aspiring tourist to the country. Some of the pictures below really do not do justice to the actual scenery.

The Grotto

The London bridge

Loch Arc gorge

rock formation is great to watch

still part of the 12 Apostles

People just offer to take your picture

Part of the 12 apostles

great ocean road

sighting of Koala`s

At the end of the trek this what you do it for

there is me working hard

rivers and forest everywhere

all alone most of the time in the jungle

Hard work trekking in Jungle

Along the great ocean road

After coming back from Fiji, stayed for a further two days in Sydney and where getting ready for another long drive to Melbourne, just under 600 miles.

In Sydney, the time just passed so quickly and felt a little sad when it was time to leave Mahendra`s house who has been so helpful and so welcoming that I have to make more frequent trips to Sydney. We will also miss his son Marcus who was great fun to be with and got along splendidly. Also meeting Ellis in his home town and spending time with him was very good. Ellis , as he has always done for the past 25 years ,will keep travelling the world every year and will see him in London next summer.