Melbourne

29th May 2011 - 9th June 2011

The flight was another short one and we could see snow on the top of the mountains! Ah! It's going to be freezing! We picked Carole the Campervan up at some random industrial estate and headed straight to Phillip Island to see the penguins! It's so exciting having another camper but it's definitely going to be a lot colder than Straddie Island!

I was so excited to see the penguins but I was totally disappointed. I was expecting some magical experience seeing them come out of the water and waddle up the beach but it had been made into such a tourist attraction that it ruined it. There were flood lights lighting up the beach and a football stand full of tourists (us included!). It was quite cool seeing them fly out of the waves and scurry up the beach and you did get to see them up close but it was like seeing them in a zoo, it didn't feel like their natural habitat although it was. But they were very cute, I suppose nothing is going to compare to feeding the dolphins in Straddie!

It was very cold to say the least over night but we are enjoying camping so much it doesn't really matter. The weather is beautiful and sunny although it's cold so we are happy! Driving around here is so beautiful, the sea looks like glass and as it is so sunny, the colours are amazing. We stopped somewhere East of Phillip Island for a BBQ breakfast in a park then headed to Wilson's Promontory. The drive was beautiful, the scenery reminds us of New Zealand or even Great Britain, it is so pretty I keep stopping and taking photos - shock! Unfortunately the National Park was mostly closed due to the torrential rain and landslides a few months earlier so we only got to see a very small part of it. Squeaky beach and the main sites were not accessible which was a real shame but we did do a two hour walk up to Vereka Outlook. It was so quiet it was almost eerie and it felt like you had a shell held to both ears! There was literally no sound (except for Joe). It gave us a desperate urge to shout really loud but we were too scared! It was the quietest place I have ever been and very beautiful. We also got to see the huge boulders, the signature of Wilson's Prom. We headed North West from Prom country to stay somewhere on the way to St. Kilda. We drove through loads of small towns which were too weird and scary to stop in but eventually had to stop at one of them! We camped at a tiny place called Leongatha and headed off very early in the morning!

We have no sat' nav' so we are just using a road map which is fun! We got to St. Kilda after navigating the city and had lunch at a place called Beachcomber. St. Kilda is very pretty and reminds me of Miami. It is a beach with a backdrop of Melbourne. It was another beautiful sunny day so the water looked gorgeous and there was a haze over the city. After a walk on the promenade we got back on the road and headed to Torquay, the official start of The Great Ocean Road and the surf capital of Australia!

When we arrived we headed straight to Bells' Beach, where the Rip Curl Pro championships are held every year. We were expecting a huge beach surrounded by activity like the ones on the Gold Coast or Sydney but we couldn't even find it! The coastline here is a protected National Park so there are no buildings anywhere near the cliff tops or shoreline, it is in such contrast to the East Coast. There are huge, dramatic cliffs leading into the water interspersed by tiny, deserted bays with green parks covering the cliff tops, there is not a gum tree in sight! Bells' beach itself is so understated. It is very hard to find, we had to resort to the Lonely Planet book to get directions! It is so small and secluded and we couldn't imagine such a major competition being held there, but we loved it! I also love how it was the beach from the last scene in Point Break! When Patrick goes into the sea to die! Ha! Love it! We camped at a huge site in Torquay and were given a spot right on the seafront which in the summer is impossible to get! Although it's cold, we are so happy to see this place out of season.

It really is freezing though! I have so many layers on at night but my bones are still cold! Joe has gradually added more and more layers every night but doesn't want to admit that he needs them! We can't even use each other's body heat as we can't get anywhere near each other due to the layers! We woke up to the sound of waves and a beautiful sunrise so it is well worth it! Having a morning brew with a view like that was lush. We have been so lucky with the weather, it's been clear and sunny every day which makes the temperature bearable and everything look so much prettier. We really love Victoria and would love to see it in the summer too.

After spending some time in Torquay we headed to the Great Ocean Road. The drive was another beautiful one with as tiny winding road carving through rainforest on the edge of cliffs dropping into the sea. It often brought you down to sea level so you were driving inches away from the water. We stopped at most beaches to watch the waves and they were perfect for surfing, Joe so wanted go in! We are definitely bringing a surf board next time (and making sure its summer!). We stopped at Lorne which is a pretty little town with green parks, surf beaches and cool cafes. We had breakfast outside in the sun which was nice as it is much warmer by the sea.

After Lorne we headed slightly inland to see Eskrine falls. There are so many tiny towns around here that look like post cards with grassy hills, bridges over the creeks and a private bay and they have such pretty names like "Petticoat Creek", Joe wants to live here and just surf everyday! But it makes you wonder how anyone can live there as they are so far away from anything!

We stopped at Apollo Bay for lunch and followed the road inland to Cape Otway, eventually reaching the Twelve Apostles. Once again, it was a very touristy location and it felt very unnatural but the view was undeniably breathtaking and worth the drive - although the drive was also worth the drive! The massive rock formations sticking out of the ocean with 10 foot waves breaking beneath them were stunning and it was incredibly warm. The sun on the rocks to the south was pretty as the colours were amazing but the apostles to the north were in shade and had a haze over them which looked majestic. We also stopped at Loch Ard on our way to Port Campbell. Joe got very annoyed with the Asian tourists! He is convinced they hate going on holiday and just see it as a mission to take as many pictures as possible which puts them in a really bad mood.

We got to our campsite and headed straight to the local bar called The Twelve Rocks with another great view. It's so warm that we don't even need our Uggs - the Haviannas are back!

We left early in the morning and headed back to Melbourne, taking the quick, much less scenic route! We got there late and went into the city on the tram. We wandered around and ended up in a bar in Federation Square. The city is very cool. Parts of it remind me of York and Newcastle and others of London. It is much less glamorous and spectacular compared to Sydney but it has a really quirky, cool vibe. There are trams, horses and carts, street artists, live music and literally thousands of places to eat and drink. We went up the Skydeck (which apparently is higher than the Sydney tower) and got an amazing view of the city, it's surprising how close to the sea it really is. Then we walked down Southbank where the trees were all lit up and there were fire blasts coming out of the top of poles - there are so many weird/arty features, like talking bridges and water walls! We ended up going to Nobu which is a Japanese tapas restaurant. The food was incredible and the view of the lit up street so cool. There is so much 'hustle and bustle' in Melbourne, it always seems busy and there is so much going on, it has a great atmosphere. We went to a bar called Colin's Quarter afterwards which was right by our tram stop. We got home late after a few ciders and I was unwell during the night. Unfortunately on my way back from the toilet I got into the wrong campervan (they looked exactly the same!) and nearly scared a man half to death. Luckily he didn't fully attack me and I wandered back to our van leaving him to shut his own door - oops!

On the Saturday we went into the city again and did the MCG tour and the National Sports Museum. Joe was very excited by this! It was very interesting and we got see the entire building including the dressing rooms, warm up rooms and the members lounge. Afterwards we went to Fed' square for a drink while the international jazz festival kicked off - free live music! Everyone is very friendly here, if they see you reading a map they will come over and offer directions! We ended up at Collin's Quarter again and went outside to get our tram three times but had missed it every time! Fourth time lucky!...but three $20 rounds down!

On the Sunday we went to the Victorian Markets. It was very similar to Eumundi and I bought a hippy bag! Once again we hit Fed' square for some drinks and live music - we love Melbourne!

On the Monday we drove to Belgrave and went on the Puffing Billy steam train through the Dandenong Mountains. It was beautiful scenery and you can sit on the side, hanging out of the train, it was loads of fun but very cold up there! Then we headed North East to the Yarra Valley wine region. We got lost a lot and ended up on dirt tracks - Carole was not impressed! The weather has turned but we really don't care as it was good for the scenic bits! It doesn't need to be sunny to enjoy wine tasting!

We booked a wine tour and there was another couple on our tour (Kirsty and Dave) who were also staying at our campsite. They were junior doctors who had spent a year in NZ and survived the earthquakes! The wine tour took us to loads of wineries and we tasted about ten wines in each place! We visited Dominique Partet, Coldstream Hills, Torkar, Chandon and Innocent Bystander and had an a la carte lunch which was lovely! It was a bargain of a day! We were obviously quite drunk and bought a bottle of sparkling pinot noir from Chandon and we took it back to K&D's camper! Me and Joe went out for dinner as it was out last night in Aus! L

After a stressful day of cleaning the camper and washing our clothes we eventually got to the airport. Joe got so drunk that I had to make him go and be sick so we could get on the plane! Then he proceeded to collapse on the plane and be carried back to his seat by the Malaysian attendant! Needless to say the journey home was not a pleasant one but we made it safely to Sam and Helen at Heathrow and they made us a lovely dinner and gave us their bed! It was amazing to sleep in a warm bed for the first time in two weeks and have a duvet for the first time in six months!

We are very sad that our adventure is over- for now. But it has been the best year of our lives - so far. Thank you to everyone who has put us up, put up with us and helped us out! We are so excited to see our gorgeous family and friends!

All our love from around the world and back again,

Elle and Joe x x x