Erskine Falls were nothing compared to Doubtful Sound. To be honest any waterfall that would compare would have to be pretty spectacular.
Teddy's lookout just above Lorne did offer us quite a splendid view over the beginning of the Great Ocean Road which encouraged us in our driving venture that was ahead.
The Great Ocean Road had our attention for most of the day. We followed the B100 wherever it went and made several stops en route at designated tourist spots.
At Maits Rest we saw some very intriguing myrtle beech trees which had contorted as they grew over the years and we saw some mud chimneys which were created by crayfish type creatures. Although we were on the lookout for swamp wallabies at Melba Gully State Park none graced us with their presence today.
Before going on to a Melba Gully State Park we stopped at Apollos Bay for elevenses. Our second short walk was in to a rainforest at Melba Gully State Park to see Big Tree which was advertised as being a messmate of 27 metres in circumference. In reality it was a three hundred year old messmate whose roots were 27 metres in circumference, not its trunk, so it was a bit of a con and was much smaller than the New Zealand kauri trees. We got to see some marvellous insides of fallen trees which I have not seen before.
Further along the Great Ocean Road came Gibsons Beach which was shortly followed by the Twelve Apostles. These were very popular tourist attractions so naturally I lost my patience quickly and was surprised to find that Ian had become an attraction himself sporting his Drifters t-shirt displaying the Johannesburg to Nairobi overland safari. The sea was creating some nice patterns in the sand as the surf hit the beach which I photographed while Ian entertained.
Soon after the Twelve Apostles came the Arch which was a very attractive limestone arch. The day had definately begun to get hotter and it was really quite uncomfortable at this point.
Our next stop, only a couple of kilometres further on, was London Bridge. I joked with Ian that it got is name by falling down and was shocked to find that in 1990 indeed London Bridge had fallen down into the sea below. Though it had already been given its unfortunate name some time before. Still today there is a very impressive arch carved into what remains of the original London Bridge. Here there were also some amazing today patterns being created by the surf arriving on the beach.
Our final stop along the Great Ocean Road amid the sweltering heat of the day, only 31 degrees apparently, was the Grotto. The Grotto, unlike the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge, was created by a sunken swamp that collapsed into the sea leaving a remarkable hollow and arch on the coast. The sun was becoming too much for us so we refused to leave the coolness of the air conditioned car again until Port Campbell where we stopped for another snack.
As we left Warrnambool we left the Great Ocean Road which, now we have driven the entire 300 kilometre length of it, could be said is fairly scenic but no great amazement. There were some beautiful untouched bays to look down upon and a few sharp cliff edges but unfortunately I just don't find Australia anywhere near as stunning as New Zealand. I had hoped that the Great Ocean Road would prove to be outstanding but I wouldn't rush back to drive it again.
Just outside Warrnambool we reached the entrance to the one way system leading through Tower Hill State Game Reserve which was advertised in our guide book as being home to friendly grey kangaroos, falcons, emus and koalas. Our first view was of some ash layered rocks and then a very familiar view of what seemed a bit like Ngorongoro Crater with soda lakes at the bottom of the crater. We descended along the road half expecting to see wildebeest and gazelles, only it was much more like the Serengeti than we had first thought, there were no animals to be seen anywhere! It was deserted! We passed by a picnic area and saw an emu wandering through the car park but chose not to stop. Sadly the road soon took us out of the reserve so it was all over with a bit too quickly. Dissatisfied, I spotted the entrance again and drove straight back in again, not giving Ian much time to object. This time we stopped at the picnic area and parked the car. We were told that there were several koalas in the nearby trees and one of them was quite young. We got out of the car and spent an hour photographing emus and koalas which was a wonderful experience. One of the koalas was particularly low down on one branch and very awake, eating, so he gave some excellent photograph opportunities. Another yawned in his lazy, sleepy state then remained motionless for the rest of the time I was there.
We arrived at Mount Gambier Gaol at 21:00 [Editors Note: it was actually 20:30 but more of that later...] having passed some Wilson lookalike rabbits along the roadside and many kangaroos as we entered into South Australia. Some of the kangaroos were really very tall and they proceeded to bound away into the forests as cars passed them by. I succeeded in not hitting any which was the object of my driving this afternoon!
Our total distance travelled today from Lorne to Mount Gambier was 457 kilometres.
The accommodation I arranged for tonight is in an old jail. As it turns out it is exactly as advertised, a gaol that was built in 1866 and operated continuously until as recently as 1995. It is still very much a gaol and certainly hasn't lost its authenticity or for that matter its charm, what seems like charm to a non-inmate anyhow. It's wonderful to see from the inside what it must be like in a prison without going into an operating one with real prisoners. I joked to Ian that the 'governor' should install a search light and operate it when dark for added authenticity! It's a marvellous idea to open it up as a youth hostel. I am very pleased that the owners decided to do so.
It was lights out at 23:00 [Editors note: really 22:30] but we had the privilege of turning the lights off ourselves..
Copyright 2003 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.