Next stop.. Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road. We got up early and picked up Margaret. She was amazing! Shane was first up and drove her out of Melbourne to Torquay for us to have a quick stroll along the beach and some breakfast.

Our first proper stop off was at Aireys Inlet where we had a look and walk around the lighthouse there (made famous from the TV programme ‘Round The Twist!’). Legendary! From here it was where the Great Ocean Road began.

After stopping off for photos at the sign we embarked on our journey. After telling Shane that I wanted to drive part of it he immediately pulled over into the first turning straight away and told me it was my turn! I didn’t care though, as from here on in it was me and the old girl. Now I have to say I haven’t driven an automatic car or driven abroad before but it didn’t matter. She was good to me! After the first 5 mins I was settled and had realised how enjoyable driving could be again. Driving into and out of gridlocked Canterbury or driving up the m6 to Liverpool didn’t quite cut it compared to this. Driving along the windy roads of the Victorian Coast with the blue waves crashing into the cliffs edge was an experience I wont forget in a hurry and absolutely loved. So much so I hogged the driving till we arrived at the 12 apostles! Before that though we made a stop off at Maits Rest to have a wonder around the rainforest at Otway National Park.

We arrived at the 12 apostle formations and parked up in the afternoon after making good time (Margaret can move when she wants to!) Had our pictures here at the blowy shores, as well as at Loch ard Gorge and the Razorback formations. By this time we were starving and pulled up at a small town along the route called Port Campbell for some much needed fish and chip grubbage. It was here where we first gave thought to where we would be staying – big mistake!

With Adelaide around 6 hours away and us all shattered we looked at the map and decided to try our luck somewhere local for a place to get our head down. After much deliberation (not! I chose the place with the weirdest name) we ended up at Warrnambool. Everywhere else along the road had no vacancies (being Jan 2nd!) so when we found a motel that had vacancies and was fairly reasonable we had to go in. What a shocker! It was clean to be fair to it but im now able to say after stepping inside it ive been to the 70s. The décor was atrocious, the seating was plastic garden furniture, mine and Nicks bunkbeds looked like they had been hammered together 10 mins earlier with fence posts (and could collapse any minute, step-brothers (the film) stylee) and the table cloth was tissue paper. It was soo bad, we absolutely loved it and had the funniest night! Went to a drive through liqor store (so cool!) and had some booze watching Edward Scissorhands on a fuzzy black and white TV. Happy days!

We then woke up early (6am!) to enable us to get to Adelaide by the afternoon as we had more cricket match tickets. This country is enormous! The trip was pretty uneventful, except for seeing a few wild kangaroos, stopping off for an iced coffee (apparently only sold in the state of South Australia) and playing the game ‘count the dead people’. Again a South Australia thing where they hammer a black post into the side of the road to mark a fatality. Pretty grim game I know, but I also know your itching to find out who won…… Me! My guess of 42 was the closest (and highest) although after the 43rd, 44th and 45th we could be bothered to count anymore.

Im now at Shane and Christine’s house in Adelaide where ive met their lovely dog Jazz and had a bbq before catching a cricket game. Just got back from it now so if this post is…

A) Absolute jibberish
B) Too long
C) Incomplete
D) Full of typos

Then im sorry but im pretty hammered.

Next post will be at the end of my stay in Adelaide and hopefully sober. So far (after 1 afternoon and evening) it contains a story about me and Shane getting into a bit of a pickle with the Police, but getting away scott free. Winner! It was Shanes fault anyway.

Love and Man Love. x (x x x )