Monday we took to the Great Ocean Road.   I have seen photos and heard a lot about it so now was the time for us to do it.  

A little bit of a history lesson here kiddies, I didn't know these facts so will share them;  the Great Ocean Road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to those soldiers who gave their lives in WW1.   It is 243km long, stretching from Torquay to Allansford, is Australian National Heritage listed and the worlds largest war memorial.

The morning was overcast; a bit patchy really with the sun poking through now and again.   The road isn't all that flash, it must carry an awful lot of traffic, and was a bit up and down.   All a bit ordinary to start with, but soon travelling close to the ocean and stopping at beautiful ocean-side towns of Anglesea and Lorne.

The road took us high on cliffs, right on the edge of the ocean, with amazing views east and west.   We were in and out of the car when we could park safely with the van on.   The coast is very rugged and stunning, the road giving plenty of places for slower vehicles, caravans etc to pull over and let anyone behind pass if they wanted.  

We had just come down a small hill, down around a bend, just before a small bridge when Bill spotted an incredible, most unbelievable sight.   Now I know I go into all sorts of exclamations and wonderment on the odd occasion, but this actually left me with no words, only sounds!

There, slightly below the road and on the ocean frontage and rocks, were thousands;  I do not lie, thousands of rock/stone piles that were totally man-made.   There were a few people wandering around in absolute amazement as were we.   I have seen cairns in many countries, particularly in desert areas where nomads tend to roam, but never in all my travels around the world, have I ever seen so many stacks as this in just one place.   The incredible part is that no idiot has demolished any of these, which spread over a big area – I hope the photos do them justice.

Some of the stacks were very inventive and designed as girls, using seaweed as hair etc.   Very arty!

I added to a couple of stacks to leave my mark.  

Had a great lunch at Apollo Bay, (still no pies for lunch), and continued west.   We really had no idea of where we would actually stay the night.   It all depended on the weather.   We knew it would improve somewhat over the next 24 hours and then be cloudy and showery in the days thereafter.   We wanted to see the coast and take photos in the best weather possible so just carried on to Cape Otway Lightstation.   A great light house, very significant in that it is the oldest lighthouse on mainland Australia, and has played a really important role in maritime history.

It has been operational since 1848 and perches on a cliff, 80 metres above sea level where Bass Strait on its eastern side, collides with the Southern Ocean to the west.

This area and further west is shipwreck alley, but Cape Otway certainly seemed to claim the most.   There is a gap between King Island and Cape Otway of 90 km.   Sounds a lot but apparently so hazardous are the seas that at least 18 ships went down here, before the lighthouse was built, including a convict ship in 1835 where 250 souls were lost and in 1845 when an immigrant ship wrecked with 399 souls lost.   King Island wasn't known for its cheese, beef and seafood then, just for the ships wrecked nearby.  

The grounds and surrounds of the lighthouse, including cottages, the 1859 Telegraph Station and accommodation etc are beautifully kept.   The Telegraph Station was built to house the first submarine telegraph cable. What!   In 1859?   I find this fact amazing – it linked Tasmania and the mainland.   The morse code equipment is still in place.

When the cable failed it was then used as a signal station - this building, with its attached accommodation is well worth seeing with all the original signal flags still furled in the proper place in a large wooden cabinet and honestly restored.

We climbed the lighthouse stairs, dammit I forgot to count them, and onto the level of the massive lead crystal lens (installed in 1994) which is solar powered.

We stepped out onto the balcony, having been advised to put our hats and sunglasses in our bag, and certainly it was pretty blustery!   Fantastic views all around.   The whole experience was awesome.