Right, this will be long as there is a week to cover. You have been warned.

Day 1 - We picked up the van from Melbourne to discover that plastered across the side was 'Doof Doof' (as in the noise the van makes) however, anyone who went to Watsons will realise how ironic this. Doof Doof did run well though and we made it all the way with no problems. Before leaving the city we made a quick pit-stop at the local Aldi for cheap food and then set off down the road. The first point of call was Torquay which is the birth place of such brands as Quicksilver, Rip-Curl, Billabong, etc. After a quick look around the big stores we went to find a place to park for the night, unfortunatly we later found out we missed the seconds shops of all the surfing gear which was a bit gutting. After a bbq in the rain and a meal in a playgground we got ready for our first nights sleep, the van was suprisingly spacious but still a little cosy. A good nights sleep however.

Day 2 - In the morning we went to have a look at the surfers at Bells Beach (one of the most famous surfing locations in OZ) which was pretty amazing, they were all very skillful and it made quite good entertainment to sit down and watch them for a while. Afetr a small bush walk we arrived in Lorne where we all (note ALL of us) stole as shower in the female bathrooms of a campsite...Feeling refreshed we took a walk along the beach to the local boating and fishing club where we were welcomed with open arms. They had a cheap pool table, even cheaper drinkls and free chicken! The barmaid recomended a place to sleep in the bush so we set off out of town down a dirt track. We got to a bridge that had a few 'unstable' warnings but banking that our van was less than 2 tons we quickly went across. Alls well as we lived to tell the tale but a wee bitty scary at the time (especially as i was driving!). Great place to sleep as it was in the middle of the rainforest with no-one else.

Day 3 – Had breaky (Ozy word) with a couple of Kookaburras and then went for a 3 and a half hour bush walk to waterfalls and canyons, was great fun and brilliant to see. Back across the danger bridge and down the road we got to Kennett River to see; Koalas, Parrots, Kookaburras and a dead kangaroo. Off down the road again until a wee stop for a photo where we meet a tour bus with a girl from Edinburgh on it! Pilled into the van for the last drive of the day down to Apollo Bay and a quick dinner of Dim Sin (cheap Chinese food).

Day 4 – Had breakfast in the local park when disaster struck, Coralie left her bag and jumper by mistake on the table for 10 mins and when we came out of the toilets it had been nicked. Absolutely gutting as it had her; Ozy bank card, Visa card, camera (all pictures from her travels), $200, International drivers license and hairbrush. A total pain but someone did later find the remains of the bag and the police have sent it on to Adelaide. The loss of her drivers license also meant she couldn’t drive Doof Doof, to be honest I was quite happy about that as I love driving the van. However it was a little gutting as we realized there was still about another 550km to go…We got going about lunch time and stopped at a deserted local beach and then a suspended walk through the rainforest which was amazing (if a little over-priced). We set up camp beside the 12 Apostles and had a wee look before bed hoping to see the sunset, it was a bit cloudy so we didn’t see the sunset but it was impressive all the same. It was this night in the van I realized my sleeping bag is shi…not very good. I was freezing half way through the night but pilled jeans and jumpers on me for a bit of warmth.

Day 5 – We got up VERY early in the morning to see the sunrise over the Apostles but again the clouds prevented this so all we saw was a slightly darker version of the day before. A bit gutting. We got back to the van to be told to clear off from the car park or be fined, so spurred into action by the prospect of losing money we set off down the road. We stopped at loads of cliff look outs and saw some fantastic sights, have a look at the photos to see what I mean. After all the stopping we had a bit of road to cover so drove straight to Portland and stayed there for the night. 

Day 6 – The next day we realized we had been a wee bit too relaxed as we had 450km to cover in 2 days so we got driving. Stopped a couple of times to have a look at some sights, have a tasting in a winery (vineyard to you and me) and go for a quick bush walk. Stopped in a great place for lunch when we got lost, the middle of the road. It was a dirt track that we took by accident and since it wasn’t busy we just parked and unpacked and only had to move twice for amused Ozy’s in Ute’s. We spent the night in Robe (a very pretty little coastal town) and slept beside the marina.

Day 7 – Got out of Robe after a relaxing breaky to find that there are far less tourists once off the Great Ocean Road. We got many a wave from friendly drivers and realized there is some sort of campervan code as any other van we passed gave us a small nod. We didn’t stop much other than for a winery tasting and a small walk in some farmland, during our walk a friendly farmer pulled up and we got chatting and after a couple of minutes the three of us pilled into the front seat of his Ute to go and feed some calves. It was really nice of him and he then gave us a lift back to the car. We drove into the night and stopped in a small town out of Adelaide called Hahndorf where we made a small fire and ate the last of our food and drank the remainder of the alcohol.

Day 8 – Got going early in the morning and dropped the van off in the city after leaving our bags in a hostel. We left Doof Doof after a tearful goodbye and had to walk back to hostel, we had a fantastic time on the road and I can safely say that all three off us are now hooked on campervans.

After that ramble (far too long) I better be going, lots to organize and people to see so will update this thing again soon but hopefully with not so much writing.