I had eagerly awaited to hit up the Great Ocean Road all semester after hearing about the breathtaking views and affordable means of accomplishing such a trip. A group of 10 American friends, 1 Australian Clancy, and I rented a enormous 12-seater white van and the excursion began. We left St. Mary's late on Friday and immediately hit the road with copious amounts of PB&J, goon and enthusiasm. After a couple hours of driving, we hit Bells beach for a nighttime beach adventure. Although this beautiful beach would have been ideally viewed during the daylight, we were fascinated by the moonlit cliffs and horizon. In addition, there was a bizarre phenomenon occurring in the sand. When we would jump on the wet shore, bursts of glowing teal phosphorescence would radiate from our feet. It was the coolest little thing, and something that I have certainly learned while traveling the globe is a fact that completely correlates with one of my favorite films, Zombieland: "Rule #32: Enjoy the little things." We then passed the iconic Great Ocean Road sign, and found a cozy little oceanside plateau to camp out on for the night in Lorne.
The next morning we awoke to one of the most beautiful sunrises that I have ever seen in my entire life... and a half eaten sneaker that I had foolishly left outside. Cheeky shoe-eating dingos! After some PB&J's, we piled back into the van. We passed by Cape Patton, and chilled out with some roadside elegant kookaburras and napping koalas that were buzzed on eucalyptus. The Great Ocean Road quickly began to remind me of the Palos Verdes Peninsula with the super windy roads and gorgeous panoramic views. I distinctly remember feeling comforted as though I were right back home. We stopped for lunch in Apollo Bay where we enjoyed the calm beaches and a major highlight-- my first Kanga Sanga (Karngaroo meat Sandwich). Honestly, I have to say that Kangaroo tastes like steak with a fishy zest and a less than charming aftertaste. But nonetheless it was a super fun experience! You know that they say, when in Rome... or Australia?
Later that night we the GOR's most recognizable natural monuments, The Twelve Apostles. Of course, now there are only about 8 of these massive islands of eroded cliff, but they have still maintained their original numerical name. We enjoyed viewing these beautiful wonders from a number of viewpoints, both traditional and adventurous. Something about the apostles was so calming, that we seriously just let the time tick by as we scoped them out. They were extravagant. That night we camped out not far from the apostles and spent the night hanging by the campfire and stargazing for shooting meteors... I mean stars.
The next morning we awoke early to see some nearby kangaroos in their natural habitat right outside of our tents. We hit the road early to see the Loch and Gorge, Blowhole and London Bridge. Unfortunately, this is where our trip ended as we turned our gargantuan bus/van around to head home. It was truly a trip for the books, and we all happily returned to UniMelb with sand between our toes and a true spirit of adventure.
More to come as I play blogging catch-up. Cheers!
