TIME ELAPSED SINCE DEPARTURE : 26 WEEKS
DISTANCE TRAVELLED : 12, 100 KMS
THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
After getting off the Spirit of Tasmania, we turned left to head west. That means squinting into the afternoon sun. First stop was Peterborough which is a bit of a dreary hamlet situated on the Great Ocean Road near the 12 Apostles (Sooz: Which is anything but dreary!). I have not been to these parts since I was a lad living in Melbourne (thus sometime before 1984) and Susan has not been west of Apollo Bay. I must admit that I was not jumping out of my skin to re-visit these parts but I can declare that it has been a joy to see the sights and learn of ones that I never knew about. To wit, Mutton Bird Island. Who knew about it? But there it is, one of these spectacular ‘rock stacks’ like the Apostles, but this one has a covering of scrub and grass and sits a stone’s throw off the coastal cliffs amidst the raging waters of the southern ocean and every evening a spectacle occurs. It’s the home to somewhere between 15,000 & 50,000 Mutton Birds (aka Shearwater’s). The number of them depends on which brochure you read, but there are lot’s of ‘em! Not sure why there is such a disparity in the numbers – you would reckon some scientist type would get it to within the nearest 5000. These birds have a routine like the fairy penguins. At dusk, they return to their burrow where a chick is waiting to be fed. As we sat there watching the sun set and the large waves pounding the cliffs (while sipping some wine 
), these birds suddenly appear en masse. They swoop and circle for a while before landing at the burrow that has been theirs for life. These Mutton Birds are one of those animals that have a migratory pattern that leaves us humans scratching our heads. Around April, they say ‘ooo-roo’ to Australia and head off in a northerly direction that takes them near the Bering Strait before they decide that they should turn around and go back south. Thus a 35,000 km flight concludes where they can cover 600 km a day and hardly flap their wings such is the structure of their bodies that enables them to glide forever. And just to make the whole story even more remarkable, they abandon their chicks after a couple of months and let them fend for themselves while they start this trip and then those chicks make the same migratory flight a month or so later relying solely on instinct to get them there & back. Up until this point, those babies had hardly flown. When they were abandoned, they couldn’t fly at all. You’re kidding ref!
There are more great sights along this coastal stretch – Lockhard Gorge where a shipping tragedy occurred, London Bridge (which has fallen down!), The Razorback, Thunder Cave, Bay of Islands etc all of which are interesting formations caused by relentless wind & waves along this rugged coastline of soaring cliffs. (Sooz: FYI – The Great Ocean Road, the 12 Apostles and the entire area is spectacular! For those who have not been here, it is a rugged coast with towering cliffs and monoliths. The ocean did not let us down either with huge seas and swells creating an even more rugged and dangerous atmosphere.)
Indeed its all very spectacular and worthy of it’s global recognition.
To test our resolve, Victoria piled on a blast of winter while we were there with very strong winds and cold temperatures. 70 kmh wind and 14 degrees that felt like 8 degrees with the wind chill. And rain. Thanks for all of that, but as a reminder, it was summer (and we did not pack mid-winter type clothing.)
PORT FAIRY
Just down the road a bit from Peterborough is a town called Koroit that happened to have the National Sheep Dog trials happening. Our arms did not require twisting to call into there on our way to Port Fairy. To watch those dogs in their element doing what comes naturally is a joy. It’s just as good watching their ‘masters’ who, with a brief whistle or the subtle lifting of an arm can get these dogs to turn the flock in different directions or get the willing dog to chase after strays and herd them with the rest of the dumb sheep. I say dumb coz a few of them attempted to literally run through a wire fence, resulting in legs and heads getting tangled in wire. (Sooz: It was touching to see some of the rookie dogs just starting their training. Some were so eager to herd the sheep, they would take off too soon only to get called back or shaking with excitement.)
On our way out of Koroit we called into Tower Hill which is the remnants of a volcano from thirty thousand years ago and now has a lovely park in the crater. The park has koalas and emus etc and it was there where we got chatting to a couple from Israel who had been touring Aust for 6 months. Really nice couple who had a nine year old son. Now talk about a small world, but after chatting we learned that while they were in Sydney, in Bondi, their boy had a tennis lesson from a local coach. His name is Brian Gaitz. Well, he happens to be the brother of our dear friend Glenda Gaitz who is married to Vic, our shark scientist buddy and they live in Balmoral. Incredible. Miss you, Vic & Glenda!
What an absolute gem of a little town Port Fairy is. Historic, charming, pretty with many restored old buildings from the 1800’s, a lively food scene and obvious wealth. Just lovely. It was a shame that Victoria’s weather was rather ordinary, but at least the rain had stopped, the wind had eased and the temp had crawled a bit higher.
We were pleased to meet Rob and Kellie for the first time – they were our neighbours at the caravan park we stayed in and were from Adelaide. The four of us went to view the nightly Mutton Bird arrival and we both hope that we get to see you guys again, one day. (Sooz: Shame the Mutton Bird colony at Port Fairy is not the size as on Mutton Bird Island, but it was a good night with new friends.) Best to you both Enjoy your travels to NSW!
On our way from Port Fairy to our next destination we stopped at Cape Bridgewater to check out the Petrified Forest, the Blowholes and the local seal colony that finds groups of both Australian and New Zealand fur seals sharing a large rock platform in relative harmony. This is apparently an anomaly (that different species co-habitat like this). Can you imagine a team of Wallabies and All Blacks living together? It was a 2 hour walk along a track on a headland that was pretty steep in parts and took you to the highest point of any sea cliff on the Victorian coastline (140 meters high). It turns out that these cliffs are the remnants of an ancient volcano crater that was a monster, and Bridgewater Bay (that the cliffs and beach run along) is a large and beautiful crescent shape. From the top of the cliffs you can see and imagine this natural geological formation.
Along the way there were a couple of huge wedgetail eagles that were circling and diving close to a a herd of sheep and a large mob of kangaroos (looking for a joey?). These two ‘wedgies’ were seriously big – the biggest I had ever seen. Their wingspan was incredible.
We both noticed that the tap water in these parts tastes ………. different. There is something about it. It’s just not as ‘nice’ as what we are used to.
NELSON
Can you tell me where Nelson is? (don’t cheat by looking on Google maps). It is a seaside hamlet with 200 people right on the Vic/SA border. Thus, given the number of inhabitants, there is not much there… but there is something about it. I could have spent a very lazy week there quite easily. As it turns out, we had 3 nights in what was a naturally bushy caravan park that made you feel like you were remotely camping. There is a very nice river (called Glenelg) that enters the ocean at Nelson and it winds its way toward the coast through some pretty country. The local pub is the sort of place that is unpretentious but where you could easily sit and drink 6 schooners and feel pretty good about it. Up river a bit is a cute little place that is smaller still called ‘Donovans’ (population 50?) and we spent a nice couple of hours fishing in the river from the local jetty. No luck, although later in the day we tried again closer to Nelson where Sooz managed to catch the only fish for the day, a juvenile Toadie! (Sooz: Leigh is being very nice – check out the photo – I think it is the smallest fist ever caught!)
ROBE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
On the way to Robe we stopped at SA’s second city, Mt Gambier. I hadn’t been through Mt Gambier for 40 years and I was duly impressed with what we saw (so was Sooz) . Nice looking town! Green, presentable, interesting, some lovely old buildings. (Sooz: I really like Mt Gambier. It has a population of about 30-35,000. The centre of the city was really bustling while we were there – – it just feels nice.) Naturally, we stopped to have a look at the famous Blue Lake and we hit the sweet spot. At this time of year (summer) it’s at it’s bluest and boy, was it blue! A really attractive cobalt blue that is deeper blue than the sky and with a certain luminescence. This is apparently caused by some sort of natural phenomena due to warmer weather working with the brew of minerals that naturally occurs in the water. Super attractive, I have to say.
If you don’t already know, the lake sits in a volcano crater that’s about 300 meters across and is 75 meters deep and is close to the middle of town. There is a viewing platform and nice parks around it. And around town are all manner of other not-as-famous smaller lakes and sink holes and caves! The sink hole we chose to visit was about 50 metres across and perhaps 30 meters deep but was intriguing because it was like a collapsed, thriving garden. We decided not to stay too long in case the ground we were standing on also collapsed or exploded in a molten shower but a mental note was made that perhaps this place requires a visit for a few days, in the future. (Sooz: Incredibly – the Sink Hole we visited was directly in the middle of the CBD – Kind of like in Rome where you can see ruins in the centre of the city.)
Robe was featured on the ABC TV’s series of Backroads which we watch and that was what made me want to visit it. It’s a nice town with a harbour, marina and a long ocean beach with fine sand but I dunno, I wasn’t as impressed as I wanted to be. Mind you, the relentless, cool southerly winds that blew every day doesn’t help a man’s mood but despite that, I found it to be kind of ……. empty? It’s got some nice old buildings, a bit of a trendy main street and a fascinating history of Chinese boat people arriving by the thousands in the 1850’s and then walking some 500 miles to the Victorian goldfields. They did this to avoid an immigration tax had they instead chosen to land at a Victorian port. A monument recognising their valour (or tax-dodging prowess) is situated by the waterfront that looks like the typical Chinese archway that you see in Chinatown. But overall, I personally found Robe to lack something that I cannot put my finger on. It is a little barren in parts. (Sooz: It is hard to describe what Leigh and I are referring to. Perhaps we struggled, as due to the weather conditions, there are some lakes dotted around which really ponged. I am sure its not always so smelly, but it did not help the local atmosphere.) I am in the minority however as Robe is a super popular place for both Melbourne and Adelaide residents to visit and there is quite a bit of building going on in the form of new housing.
By the way, a big thanks to Phil Mumford, the ‘Doc of Shock’, who helped me iron out some electrical problems with the caravan, via a phone consultation 😊
VICTOR HARBOR, SA
NO, I have not spelt ‘HARBOR’ incorrectly, although my American wife may step in here and a vigorous debate might start. It’s the correct spelling for the place and a plaque in the town admits that an error was made when it was named but we all carry on regardless.
The other interesting spelling issue in these parts is with Lake Alexandria which is part of the Murray River estuary. Or, at least I have always thought that it was called Lake Alexandria. From when I have been old enough to learn about where the Murray spills into the sea, I have called the large lake “Alexandria”. WRONG! It is Lake Alexandrina, with an ‘n’ near the end. So I now need to undo 50+ years of error which may take 10 years of practise. Old habits dying hard, etc. While on the subject, we visited the ‘mouth of the Murray’ one day and it was all quite fascinating to learn about the many locks and ‘barrages’ that start there and go all the way to the Hume Dam, some 2000km upstream near Albury, NSW. A barrage is like a weir that allows control of the water flow and all controls are flung wide open at this time due to the volume of water coming downstream from the floods experienced 2 or 3 months ago in QLD, NSW & Vic. There is no flooding down here at the mouth however, proving that the system that was put together in stages over the last 80 years, works! Just ask the seals that were laying around sunning themselves and swimming whilst asleep without a care in the world. And the Mouth of the Murray is swarming with thousands of birds of all kinds associated with the sea. Quite a spectacle.
Anyway, a very nice & historic place Victor Harbor is and so is quaint Port Elliot just up the road. These two well-presented seaside beach towns are found on the south side of the Fleurieu Peninsula and are favourite destinations for Adelaide people. Can’t blame them. Too bad the ocean water temp is so cold. But speaking of beaches and returning for a moment to the mighty Murray, I have never before seen the sight that greeted us when we first stepped onto one of these beaches (and again on other local beaches). The Murray floods have washed thousands, possibly millions of mostly carp out into the sea where the salt water has killed them and they have then been washed up onto the beaches. It’s a 30km stretch of coast where the dead and dried-up fish are piled up in some places or thickly scattered in others. Near the mouth of the Murray, some of the beached carp are full size (60cm) while at Victor Harbor they are (were) all juveniles. Probably not a bad thing really. Bloody carp. An enterprising bloke would scoop them all up and sell them for fertiliser.
Just offshore from Victor Harbor is Granite Island which is attached to the mainland by a 500 metre causeway that you can walk along or choose to take an ol’ Clydesdale drawn cart that the horse pulls along tram tracks. We walked and the rocky island is a refuge for fairy penguins and has some nice views along the coastline. We also experienced some excellent views on a sunset visit to ‘The Bluff’ which requires a 20 minute climb up a rough track that is quite steep in parts with loose gravel. We took some wine and such was the very pleasant experience on a warm night that we left the return trip back to the car a little late. The state of the track mixed with the failing light and warmth of a couple of wines led to a very trepid stumble back to the car. Victor Harbor (there is that spelling again) has a pretty village and 3 good pubs and we gave all of them a trial one afternoon.
We spent our penultimate day touring the lower section of the Fleurieu and visited a couple of secluded beaches, one of which is voted into S.A.’s top 10. Second Valley beach is a pretty cove with white sand and a jetty and a snorkel in the cool waters (we wore our wetsuits) might allow the spotting of a Leafy Sea Dragon, but no such luck. Nice spot!
ADELAIDE
The forecast for our first three days was uninviting. 39 degrees on the day of arrival, then 40 then 41. (Sooz: That is 102F – 106F) Fortunately, the park we chose to commence our Adelaide experience is high in the Adelaide Hills at Belair National Park. It is at a bit of altitude and is quite beautiful with abundant shade from established gum trees and is a couple of degrees cooler than down in the city. Still, it was bloody hot and was uncomfortable at night and our caravan air-con unit is not as quiet as the standard domestic type in a house. The whole van gives a bit of a shudder when it clunks on and off! Still, it does work well. We spent one of those mega-hot days in the car driving around the up-market Adelaide suburbs (Unley, Toorak Gardens, Norwood, Dulwich, Nth Adelaide etc). Very very nice and you have to love the typical local architecture with sandstone blocks and contrasting cornerstones. We took a detour to throw ourselves into the waters of the St Vincent Gulf at Glenelg beach.
We happily explored the Adelaide Hills that is attractive & bushy and more extensive than I knew. The gorgeous town of Stirling lives up to it’s name and is a green, shady, rather upmarket delight with a fantastic pub! A walk through the National Park next to our caravan park allows the spotting of kangaroos and koalas – we found 5 of the latter. I dunno what it is about Susan & koalas, but she now calls herself the ‘koala queen’ as she has an eye for them and spotted 4 of the 5, and as a reminder, back at Raymond Island in Victoria she spotted 12 of the combined 15 that we saw! (Sooz: A girl has to have some talents!)
We had to do a wine tasting while in the Hills and the Bird-In-Hand winery has a $10 tasting session which gives you a sample of 5 different wines. We were given seven generous ones – including two from their top shelf. I probably shouldn’t have driven back to the caravan.
After four nights at Belair NP, we moved to a beachside caravan park at Seacliff. This is a demonstration of Adelaide’s size – it took 20 minutes to drive from the outskirts in the Hills, through the suburbs to the beach, while towing a caravan. Imagine driving from the Blue Mountains to Manly or the Dandenong’s to StKilda, in 20 minutes.
The water temperature at Adelaide’s beaches is a comfortable 22 degrees so we have been swimming and are very happy to finally have some warmer water to play in. And I have to say, Adelaide has plenty of nice beaches! And clear water! (Sooz: Just no real waves at this time of year.)
It was great to have a visit from my old house-buddy Rae ‘Rails’ Lawson. She & I shared a place in Melbourne in the mid-eighties just before I left to live in Sydney. She has been living in Adelaide for 13 years. A great gal and her and her man Steve and us had a ripping night at the Adelaide Lawn Bowling Club in the city. They invited us to be part of a wine tasting event that had reps from about 15 wineries and lots of samples! Consequently, the standard of the bowling disintegrated as the night progressed and the size and quantity of the samples sampled, increased. I felt a bit fuzzy the next day. We have since played with Rails & Steve on a couple of occasions including a pub lunch in McLaren Vale and having them over to ‘our place’ for a pile of Sooz’s famous ribs. They also had us to their place for dinner and we had another night out at a Greek restaurant at Henley Beach near where they live.
Sooz has been offered 3 weeks of work with JLL, her Sydney employer and therefore our time in Adelaide is being extended. Well, they wanted her for 6 weeks but she said she could do three which they accepted. If she accepted the six weeks, it would impact too much on our timeline to be at various places on a seasonal basis. So she is toddling off to the city for 5 days a week while I am a trailer-park home-husband. Maybe I will grow a mullet, buy some uggies and get some tatts? Unfortunately, the timing of the extended stay coincided with the two-week Adelaide Fringe festival and the Adelaide Cup long weekend. Adelaide Cup long weekend?? Who knew that Adelaide also stops for a horse race? Sorry Melbourne, you just lost some of your significance. Sydney – time to have a holiday for your Cup! Anyway, putting these festivities all together meant a shortage of accommodation options. The caravan park we were in (at Brighton Beach) could only extend us for 5 days as then the aforementioned long weekend occurred and they were all booked out. And so was Belair where we were the week before. Uh oh……. Houston – we might have a problem.
After making some calls and dropping in on some potential options, we managed to find another park at Christies Beach for 3 nights, but had to move sites during that time, and then we moved to Marion – still within Adelaide suburbs. That’s where we are at the time of writing and this will be home for the next 13 days.
During this time we will be going to the opening season’s AFL game at Adelaide Oval between Port Adelaide & Brisbane (it’s coincides with Susan’s b’day – aren’t I just the romantic type? I personally think it is a terrific b’day present) and we are heading off to see the Soweto Gospel Choir as part of the Fringe Festival. THAT’S her b’day celebration event . (Sooz: Bday celebrations went on for several days, as they should!)
Addendum : the AFL game at the Adelaide oval was brilliant. A good place to watch footy. And I also booked a mid-week behind-the-scenes tour of the ground which I really enjoyed. I also visited Port Adelaide’s spiritual home at Alberton and came away impressed with their culture. I like seeing the grounds of sporting teams so while cruising around I popped in to inspect Norwood, Sturt and Glenelg’s home grounds who are all in the SANFL Aussie Rules comp.
(Sooz: Meanwhile, I was working away in the city, helping amazing clients sort out their office fit out disaster. I was also working with … Al Green – no not the singer, he’s dead, the basketball player. Al moved to Australia after a short stint with the Phoenix Suns and went on to win two Australian NBL Championships with the Adelaide 36ers.)
And a big cheerio to Rob and Kellie from Adelaide who are a lovely couple that we met in Port Fairy six or seven weeks earlier while they were also travelling. Nice to have a night out with them in their home town.
All up, we have come away loving our time in this very pretty and classy ‘mini-city’ as Susan calls it. We both agreed that we could easily live there – it felt very comfortable.
GREAT OCEAN ROAD TOURIST PARK, PETERBOROUGH : 4/10 (Like the town,
the caravan park is rather dreary. We should have stayed in Port Campbell)
Sooz: Agree – Peterborough should not even be called a town. Port Campbell, on the
other hand, is a lovely little historic town with a great atmosphere, a sheltered
bay, a few shops, a choice of places to stay and things to do.
PORT FAIRY HOLIDAY PARK: 9/10
KYWONG CARAVAN PARK, NELSON 7/10
ROBE HOLIDAY PARK 7.5/10
NRMA VICTOR HARBOR HOLIDAY PARK 7.5/10
BELAIR NP CARAVAN PARK, Adelaide Hills : 8/10
BRIGHTON BEACHFRONT HOLIDAY PARK, Adelaide: 9/10
CHRISTIES BEACH TOURIST PARK, Adelaide: 9/10 Sooz 8/10
MARION HOLIDAY PARK, Adelaide : 9.5/10 Sooz: 10/10 ( when will Leigh give a 10/10??)
That was a great way to spend my lunch break reading all about your adventures in SA. Flinders Ranges is also on my bucket list and now Innes NP! Those pics were amazing!! All your pics, descriptions, and stories are wonderful. I felt like I was right there with you two! Happy Trails…until we meet again! 🙂