31st August - Time to tackle the Great Ocean Road. Warrnambool was still windy when we left but as we got further along the road, the weather improved. It was still windy but the clouds cleared. Our first sightseeing stop was Bay of Islands. Cindy, at the Tourist Info told us this was her favourite spot and it didn't disappoint. It's actually quite breathtaking - not just being hit by an icy wind, but the scenery! Port Campbell for morning tea then The Grotto and then Loch Ard Gorge. It was here in the mid 1800's that the Loch Ard had been shipwrecked and everyone was killed except for 2. Next stop - The Twelve Apostles. Another famous icon ticked off the list. They do it really well here with a visitor centre and a walkway under the road to the viewing site. We camped at Blanket Bay in the Great Otway National Park. Such a beautiful place. Hard to believe it was free.

1st September. The gorgeous towns of Apollo Bay and Lorne are ear marked for future visits. This part of the Great Ocean Road really hugs the coast now and has a real European feel to it. No wind made the sea really flat and it just sparkled. After a quick stop at Bells Beach we farewelled the coast and headed inland through Geelong and on to Ballarat and Creswick Regional Park for a free camp. From Creswick, we drove through some excellent country towns like Daylesford and the very big Castlemaine finally stopping at Bendigo for a look around. Bendigo is one of the larger country Victoria towns (like Ballarat) and in the gold rush days of the late 1800's, large mining companies poured money into the town and there are some beautiful buildings still there as a testament to the wealthy times. Of course, most are pubs but it gives Bendigo a really good feel. We did the Talking Tram tour which cost $16 and took around an hour. The old tram goes through the town pointing out points of interest. Great architecture here - with the ulta modern buildings next to the old but not lookikng out of place. Fuel, food and off to Eaglehawk for free camp in the Greater Bendigo National Park. We camped at Notleys Campground - nice and flat with plenty of green grass and fireplaces. Time for some secondary roads to Echuca. We decided to give the main highways a miss and drove through small one horse towns like Dingee and Prairie - still not ready for the trucks and fast cars that go hand in hand with the main highways. We have now travelled just over 10,600 km.

Two nights in Echuca - time for washing and a cruise on the Murray in an old paddlewheeler. There are two main parts to the town - the historic precindt and the regular shopping and commercial area. The old pubs like the Bridge Hotel and the Shamrock have been restored lovingly and are great places to visit. The weather while we were in Echuca was just lovely - nice and warm, clear blue skies and no wind!!