Day Eighty Nine - October 3rd, 2013
The Great Ocean Road
Warrnambool to Apollo Bay

The wind had died off slightly last night, but the rain lashed down upon the tent and we had another pretty restless night. However, the sky was blue when we unzipped the tent, and we excitedly got going with the hopes that our first day on the Great Ocean Road would be kind to us.

We checked out and hit the road, following signs to the Great Ocean Road, the largest war memorial in the world, built by returning soldiers after WW1 to commemorate their fallen comrades, and to link the small rural costal towns and provide a route for the timber trade. As soon as we saw the ocean, we knew the road would be spectacular, but we didn't know just how special the journey would be. Our first stop was the Bay of Islands, full of roaring waves crashing upon marooned islands of land which once stood as one. Next up, The Grotto, a magical place where the light twinkles on the ocean as it does its best to destroy more of the sandy looking rock. The hole that has formed gives a view out into the restless water beyond.
London Bridge used to stand as a platform over to a lone stack stood high above the water, but in 1990 two tourists were left stranded as the walkway collapsed, and had to wait a number of hours before they could be rescued by helicopter. Now all that remains is the island as a reminder of the power of the perilous sea crashing below.
We moved on to The Ridgeback at Loch Ard Gorge and Thunder Cave, where the water creates a tremendous boom as it pummels the inside of the cave. The storm we have been experiencing for the last few days has riled the ocean up, and we are seeing it at full power - an awesome demonstration of nature at it's worst and best.
Elliot had scoped out the best place for koala spotting at Cape Otway, so we headed straight there following the inland road. We weren't disappointed; as we drove down the street lined with gums, we started to see the furry shapes high above. We pulled over when we saw a group of people to determine the commotion. A koala, low in it's branch!! A good 20 minutes passed as we watched these furry critters in their natural habitat - one of which had a baby on her back!

We continued on to Cape Otway, built in 1848 and the last standing original lighthouse in Aus. We climbed the steep handcrafted stairs and took in the magnificent views from the balcony. The tour guide told us a brief history about the lighthouse and it's use right up until 1994 when it was replaced by a much more cost efficient solar powered counterpart. We had a cake in the cafe and then pressed on. Driving up the same stretch of road, we came across a new huddle of people. I jumped out and was rewarded by a face to face encounter with a truly cute koala who descended from his tree and plopped onto the grounds just two feet away from me - it was incredible! A day I'll never forget. We came into Apollo Bay and fell in love with it's rustic seaside charm, booked into a Big 4 for $30 unpowered, set up camp and meandered into town. The beach is spectacular and Elly couldn't be happier to be back by the ocean. He bought a surfboard repair kit in the first surf shop we've seen since Seventeen Seventy for a ding in his board, and a new stick of wax. I guess my days as number 1 are numbered.

We ate our dinner in an exceptionally loud camp kitchen (roll on Monday and the end of the school hols!) and fought for space at the hob. We took advantage of the electrical sockets and charged up all of Elly's gizmos. It's a clear night but FREEZING! Hopefully we can sleep through tonight without the elements crashing down around us!