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Epic World
  • Eric Schaefer
abr. – ago. 2016

Epic World

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Hamilton, New Zealand

    16 de junho de 2016, Nova Zelândia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We stepped into a JRR Tolkien novel today with a visit to Hobbiton. The set for the Lord of the Rings movies has been maintained as a tourist attraction. The experience was a lot of fun. The guides were very knowledgeable and attention to detail on the set is just astounding. There are trees that were built and painted leaf by leaf just so they fit Peter Jackson’s vision. There is a full team of gardeners that keeps the set in perfect order. We were toured through Hobbiton with stories of movie production and ended with a beer at the Green Dragonn Inn.

    Heading back towards Hamilton we stopped at an event called Field Days. We have seen advertisements for it and went to check it out. It ended up being a giant Farming Festival with all types farming equipment. We took in a few shows and sampled a lot of food in the food building.

    After a full day we headed into Hamilton and met up with my friend Richard. I had met Richard on my Contiki tour of Europe back in 2006. It was great catching up and fun to see a familiar face on the trip. We headed to the Good George Brewery again, but this time the downtown location, and reminisced about our Europe experience and questioned him on what to see in New Zealand.

    What a great Day! We finished off campervaning in Morrisville for the night on route to the Pinnacles Trek.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Kauaeranga Valley

    17 de junho de 2016, Nova Zelândia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Today we started our final multiday trek in New Zealand. We were doing a 1 night hut trip up to the Pinnacles in the Coromandel region along the Kauaeranga Valley. Our route was via Webb Creek and return via the Billy Goat Track. After a 40 minute drive along a bumpy gravel road we arrived at the trail head and began our ascent. The trail is a well-defined track that was developed in the 1900s for packhorses transporting natural resources through lush forest. At a leisurely pace we ascended to 800m in 3 hours. The trail slowly wound its way upward. It was a lovely afternoon with clear blue skies and perfect hiking temperatures. When we arrived at the hut we dropped off our gear and continued on for another 40 minutes up the actual Pinnacles. This part of the climb was actually really fun with some ladders and scrabbling. We arrived at the top and had the peak to ourselves for an hour as we took in the incredible views and enjoyed a beer and reminisced about our experience in New Zealand. Slowly other hiker joined us at the top to catch the sunset. We opted to head back down before the sunset as it was getting cool and we didn’t bring headlamps.

    The hut at The Pinnacles was huge. It held 80 people and you have to book in advance as it regularly fills up. We lucked out and there were less than 20 people. We enjoyed a night of card games and chatting with some American girls. It was a lot of fun. These multiday treks have definitely been the most social part of our trip.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Cathedral Cove

    18 de junho de 2016, Nova Zelândia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    The hike down was a bit quicker but we had to ford a river at the bottom. Luckily the water levels were low so we could just hop across some rocks to keep our feet dry. It was still early in the day when we finished so we drove out to Cathedral Cove. The place was actually really busy with tourists and the lighting was not very good for photos. I think catching a sunrise here would be really cool. On the way out, we took a quick detour to Hot Water Beach but had just missed low tide. What is neat about hot Water Beach is that you can dig a hole in the sand and it will fill up with hot water from thermal activity below. All you need to bring is a big shovel. We saw a bunch of people digging down looking for hot spots but they are harder to find with high tide.

    There aren’t many free places to stay in Auckland so we stopped in Pukekohe about 45 minutes outside of Auckland. It was another night of All Black’s rugby which we enjoyed it at a local bar and headed Rosa Birch Park for some freedom camping.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Auckland

    19 de junho de 2016, Nova Zelândia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today we final hit Auckland, our last stop in New Zealand. As recommended by many people we headed to Rangitoto Island for the day. It is 1 hr ferry ride to the Island. The Island was created by a now dormant volcano and features a giant crater that you can climb. We underestimated the size of the island and were only able to explore a small portion of it. The island itself is a large scenic reserve with no permanent residences. As such, we were limited by time and tied to the ferry schedule. The last ferry left around 4pm so we were rushed to see as much as we could. The environment on the island is similar to much of Iceland; volcanic rock trying to grow plant life. We explored some caves and made the trek over to Wreck Bay. Wreck Bay was pretty cool. It was a dumping ground for old derelict ships that Auckland wanted to hide from view.

    Returning to Auckland city centre, Richard came up from Hamilton to join us for the evening. He toured us around the city centre and we had Sunday Roast at a local restaurant. Not the nicest venue, we spotted cockroaches during the meal. The highlight of the city centre was definitely the Viaduct. The Viaduct is a well-developed waterfront area. Filled with restaurants, museums and large yachts, it was fun to explore.

    Finishing the night we headed into a campervan park for our last night with the van as there were no free spots within the city. The park was kind of sketchy and the owner seemed to be really annoyed that we arrive after 8pm.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Auckland

    20 de junho de 2016, Nova Zelândia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It’s our last day in New Zealand. We are a little sad about it but are ready to move on to the next part of our trip and get a break from hiking. We checked out of the RV park in the morning after cleaning the van and it turned out the cranky lady at the front desk was really nice and originally from Canada. We had a nice chat.

    Onward to Mission Bay we spent a nice morning walking along the coast which was filled with beaches and parks. It was a really pleasant Auckland suburb to hang out in. From there we checked out Eden Hill which is an old dormant volcano crater in the middle of the city. The surrounding views were excellent and it was a great final stop.

    We had a few more places to walk on our list but couldn’t fit them in as we had to return our camper van. We headed to our hotel and proceeded to empty and do the final cleaning of the van. The last stop was to top off the propane and gas before we returned. Of course we got lost on the way. The only time in the 7 weeks in New Zealand!

    Our hotel was only 20 minutes from the van drop off so we walked back and began sorting our gear for the flight. It’s scary how much stuff we have to lug around without the campervan. We also enjoyed the smallest large pizza I have ever ordered. The pizza was literally the size of personal pan pizza. I guess this is why no one in New Zealand was overweight. Lastly we enjoyed our first shower in many days. Boy did it feel nice.

    Goodbye New Zealand. Australia, here we come!    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Sydney

    21 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Our Australian adventure has begun! An early flight took us directly to Sydney where we picked up a SIM card for our phone and learned how to use the transit as we would be staying for 5 days. We had booked a shared AIR B&B in Sydney in hopes that we might get to know some locals. The one big issue we have with AIR B&B is sometimes you are not able to drop off your bags on arrival and have to wait until the check-in time. This was one of those situations and we ended having to kill 3 hours in a nearby park waiting to check-in. Our luggage was just a bit too heavy to lug around. In the end, our host had just left us a key so we could have just dropped off our stuff which was annoying.

    We were staying in a suburb call Bondi Beach (pronounced “Bon-die” by the locals) in a small 4 bedroom bungalow. Finally relieved of our bags, we were able to walk down to the beach and explore the area. We really loved the feel of Bondi. It has a hipster/surfer feel with lots of cute shops and bars. The beach is beautiful and there are always surfers in the water. This is a very sought after location to live. One of our plans for Sydney was to take some surf lessons. As we wandered the waterfront strip we found a surf school and signed up for some lessons. The weather was still kind of cool, in the high teens, so we would have to wear wetsuits. After strolling the waterfront we headed to Bondi Junction to find an Aldi grocery store to pick up food for the week. Some tasty hamburgers would be our first treat.

    Our AIR B&B host was actually out of the country but we met one of the 3 roommates on return. He was a nice guy but I think we were getting in his way a first date he was having as we kept bothering him with questions about where things were in the house.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Sydney

    22 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We enjoyed a nice sleep-in this morning. Surprisingly, we both found the campervan bed quite comfortable but a real bed was a nice change. I started the day at a local barbershop. Time to shave off my beard. I had my first straight shave. What a difference, I look so young now.

    Our first surf lesson started around noon and it was a lot of fun. Full wet suits were worn as it is now winter in Australia. Interestingly, the water was warmer than the air. We learned the basics about rip tides and how to pop up on the board then we hit the water to practice in the white wash. Conditions were good and we both got up a few times with the help of the instructors. We enjoyed it so much we signed up for two more lessons.

    In the afternoon we walked north from Bondi along the coast up to Watsons Bay. It was a beautiful walk. The coast is very rugged with high cliffs dropping off into the ever expansive ocean. From Watsons Bay we had a great view of the Sydney Harbour. At the end of our walk we caught the sunset and stopped off at Watsons Bay Boutique hotel for a beer and brownies. It had a high end beach club feel and we liked it there. From there we caught a bus home.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Sydney

    23 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Another beautiful day in Sydney. We headed downtown for a free walking tour. Our guide showed us around the city centre and finished at the Waterfront where we had an amazing view of the harbour and Sydney Opera House. We learned all about the history of the city and how it was established by prisoners. Sydney is a big city with over 4 million people living here but it didn’t feel very busy compared to Toronto. It is a very expansive city with lots of different suburbs to explore. Interestingly, the population density is only 372 per square kilometer compared to Toronto’s 4,149 persons per square kilometer.

    We headed back to Bondi for our 3pm surf lesson and strolled the Bondi strip again before heading home for the night.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Sydney

    24 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We had original planned to head to Manly today but the weather was overcast so we changed it up. Instead we headed back to The Rocks to check out some museums. The Rocks is a downtown district that was once a slum and now has been largely gentrified and contains museums and shops. Along the way we stopped for a quick coffee and as we sat the weather brightened up so we changed our plans again.

    We were already at The Rocks so we walked a couple block to get to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the iconic landmarks in the Sydney Harbour. It has amazing views of the city and harbour and was filled with runners. From there we headed to the botanical gardens followed by Observatory Hill, Darling Harbour and China Town. We didn’t plan our route very well because we crossed the city a few times. On the way back to Observatory Hill we took a break at the Lord Nelson for a beer. The Lord Nelson is a really old brewery that had an English vibe and was packed with people. Sydney is a great place to walk around. It has so much waterfront space because of the size and shape of the harbour. They have really done a great job at making the waterfront accessible to people.

    Observatory Hill had some nice views and a museum that we skipped. Darling Harbour felt very new and was filled with high-end restaurants and tourist attractions. We finished the day off by walking through Chinatown and enjoyed some tasty kebabs before calling it a night.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Sydney

    25 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    It was a cold windy morning but we had to drag ourselves out of bed for an early 8am surfing lesson which we weren't looking forward to because of the weather. Luckily, the water felt like a bathtub compared to the air so it wasn't that bad. The rip current on the other hand was super strong and we kept getting washed down the beach and doing a big sushi circle. It was definitely the most challenging conditions yet. After 3 lessons we were regularly standing up in the whitewash and working on paddling in. There is definitely going to be more surfing on this trip.

    After a little planning session we threw in some laundry and headed for a coffee at Lox Stock & Barrel. We popped back to the house to hang the laundry and then headed to the Bondi to Coogee walk which heads south from Bondi Beach. This walk as very popular. It follows the rocky coast past several public beaches. Each beach has it’s own surf club. Surfing and beach swimming is very popular here. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any volleyball in Australia which I thought would have been popular. We stopped along the way to watch surfers and finished up at the Coogee Beach where found a good fish and chip place for a quick bite.

    After a bus ride home we packed for the next 2 weeks. We had planned a little mini vacation and had decided to leave half our luggage behind in Sydney so we could travel lighter.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Uluru

    26 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We caught an early flight to Uluru and picked up our rental car. We would be car camping for the next 4 nights with our tent. The car rental fee was outrageous but I guess that’s what happens when you book last minute. They also cover only 400km and charged for any overage which was certain on our trip since we anticipated driving 900km. The plan was to spend today and tomorrow exploring Uluru.

    From the airport, we drove to the Ayers Rock Resort which was a small resort town with tourist accommodations a couple restaurants and a town square with a sizable grocery store. After checking in to our campground and setting up our tent we attempted to find butane for our little stove. Chance would have it that we couldn't find it anywhere and butane is not something you bring on an airplane. We checked all the gas stations and shops and decided to worry about it later as Uluru was calling.

    Short on sunlight, we headed to Uluru and were only able to fit in short walk on the Mala track. Uluru is around 863 meters high and surrounded by flat desert. It was amazingly tranquil walking around the base when you weren't surrounded by tourist. I was also surprised to see so much water around the base, a few oasis and lots of puddles. It was really nice to just sit and listen to the wind blow and the birds chirp. I had expected very flat and dry dessert surrounding the area but it was much greener than I expected and had lots of low scrubs and brush.

    The place everyone goes when at Uluru is to watch the sunset. As the sun sets the Uluru glows a vibrant red and is just exquisite for pictures. The thing to do is bring wine and snacks and enjoy the show. We missed the memo on that and wish we had our campervan with us. Many people turn the Uluru experience into a road trip from Darwin. The place was packed with families and other travelers.

    We headed back to camp and were not sure what to do for dinner. The campground had a few flat panel BBQs available so we decide to make grill cheese sandwiches. Yum! If only we had some ketchup.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Uluru

    27 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Hey we found an abandon butane with a little left in the kitchen area, HURRAY! This will suffice until we get to Alice Springs

    Today’s plan was originally supposed to be a couple short walks at Uluru but we made good time and also fit in Kata Tjuta. The morning started with an early drive to Uluru for a sunrise. It was less awe inspiring than the sunset. It think the coolest part is when the sun hasn’t come up yet and you start to get an orange glow on the horizon about a half hour before the sun appears. After we did an easy 10km walk around the base. It’s perfectly flat so it really is easy. We would have loved to climb Uluru but it’s actually against aboriginal law, it’s not technically illegal but is seriously frowned upon. They still haven’t removed the handrails that go up the mountain but we didn’t see anyone climbing it. Surprisingly, a lot of people have died on this this mountain. Largely just not paying attention and walking where they shouldn’t as it is not technically challenging mountain. The other strange thing is you can’t take pictures as you walk around the mountain. The mountain acts like a canvas and tells aboriginal stories through the caves and divots and rocks. I couldn’t see them, it just looked like rock to me.

    After the 10km loop we picked up and drove 50km to the Valley of the Wind, Kata Tjuta, for another 7km hike and finished off with a short gorge walk. This walk was a bit more scenic but didn’t have the same spiritual aspect to it. With all the walks completed we caught the sunset at Kata Tjuta and headed back to camp.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Kings Canyon

    28 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today we started our drive across the outback. We drove to Kings Canyon which was above 4 hours away. The roads were perfectly straight and flat which was stark contract to New Zealand’s windy roads. It was a beautiful sunny day and the red hues of the desert were really coming out. We arrived at Kings Canyon and set out for a 10km hike around the canyon rim. The walls of Kings Canyon are over 100 metres high, with Kings Creek at the bottom. Part of the gorge is a sacred Aboriginal site and visitors are discouraged from walking off the walking tracks. The gorge kind of felt like a mini grand canyon. There were serval oasis pools that we were tempted to jump in but of course they were all off limits. Along there rim, there were several sections that felt like you were in a Star Trek movie on another planet. There was also no shade along the walk and it was quite warm so we took our time so not to overheat. The trailhead had many warnings trailhead about dehydration and sunstroke. I can imagine how brutal this hike could be in peak summer.

    From Kings Canyon, we backtracked a short distance to our camp for the night. It was a strange assortment of animal farm/campground in the middle of nowhere. Gas prices were ridiculous but when in the middle of nowhere you have no choice. We grabbed a beer at the cafe and ended up cooking our dinner over a fire. I think this is our first fire on this trip. It was nice stay, just like car camping back home. Oh, and we also got up close to feed some camels.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Alice Springs

    29 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    From Kings Canyon we had to back track 100 km to get back on route to Alice Springs. It was long 6hr drive that we filled with an audio book. We decided to take a break from Lord of the Rings and started the Eric Larson book Devil in the White City. The drive was uneventful but the speed limit was 130km/h which speed things up.

    On arrival to Alice Springs we explored the small city center and found a suitable bar to enjoy a beverage before we started gathering supplies for our Larapinta trek. Alice Springs is an odd town in the middle of nowhere that has a large population of 28,000. It is very touristy place and it is the jump off point for exploring the outback. We decided that to make better use of our time we would start the trek a day early and begin the following morning after dropping off our car. The campground we stayed at was part of an RV park and had some rather interesting characters.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Larapinta Trail, Alice Springs

    30 de junho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Larapinta Trail
    We packed up camp this morning. Everything we had with us was coming on the hike plus an additional 3.5 litres of water each so our packs were really heavy and wouldn’t get much lighter as we would regularly have to refill our water.

    Dropping off the car and getting to the trail head was a bit of a hassle but we ended up being dropped off in town and walked 3.5km to the trail head. The first day took us from the town centre to Telegraph Station to Wallaby Gap. It was 17 km of flat walking in the hot sun. We did climb a small ridge right before camp that gave us our first good look of the MacDonnell Ranges. The trail conditions also got greener as we went along. A lot more vegetation than we expected. I thought initially it was going to be more of a stark desert walk but it was far from that. We didn't run into anyone along the way but shared our camp with 3 other individuals. One was finishing his 12 day trek and had done the whole trail. The other 2 we would run into multiple times further up the trail. Everyone we met on the trail was Australian and most were trying to do the whole 230km trail or as much as possible.

    Didn't sleep very well the first night. I think our bodies we overly fatigued. The next day we got up for sunrise and set out from Wallaby Gap to Mulga Camp. The trail was flat again today but long. We walked 26km in total and find the trail really hard on the feet as the sole of our feet are getting quite sore. The rocks are unforgiving. That night was the only day we were bothered by a few mosquitos. Otherwise, the trek was pretty much bug free.

    Day 3 we travelled from Mulga Camp to Miller Flat. It was 18km. For the last 4 km we elected to take the high ridge route that took us up and down a 400 meter ridge. The climb and descent we very technical and you really had to watch your foot placement. Lots of lose rocks and scrambling. This is where the track started to get fun. The views at the top of the ridge were worth the extra effort. We camped at Miller flat at the bottom on the ridge. We were all by ourselves it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere for the first time, it was great. We were located in a flat surround by high mountain ranges. The nights have been very quiet. I would have expected to hear more sounds.

    We awoke to a beautiful sunny day. It was chilly last night, got down close to 0. The plan was to head from Miller Flat to Brinkley Bluff via Standley Chasm. Today’s walk started with creek bed walking which actually sucks because it is so easy to roll your ankle on all grapefruit sized round rocks. The creek came to a head and we had a fun up a small canyon which was really cool. On arrival at Standley Chasm Rebecca was able to treat herself to a coffee as this is a popular tourist spot that people can drive to from Alice Springs. After a nice break we hit the road to climb up to Brinkley Bluff. The climb was rated very hard and we were a little nervous but ended up being much easier than the prior day’s high ridge route. Rebecca was practically running up the hill after getting a coffee. The last kilometre was tiring but what a campsite! Situated 1,200 meters up at a high point in the surrounding ranges we really were camping on the top of a mountain. We arrived at camp early and had a long afternoon to relax. These are usually the times I injure myself while bored. I passed the time by making a table and chairs out of rocks. 15km hiked today.

    4 other people enjoyed the Bluff with us that night. We had crossed tracks with 3 of them in the prior 4 days and enjoyed a final sunset and chatting.

    The wind picked up a little through the night and shock the tent but was relatively calm overall. A clear morning revealed a final perfect sunrise. We retraced our tracks back to Standley Chasm. An easy 10km downhill. Could practically run without any food or water in our packs. It was interesting planning for this trip because we had to consider water consumption and where each fill up spot was located. We were probably more hydrated on the first day of the hike then the entire 3 month of this trip.

    We were picked up in Standley Chasm and walked into town for a beer. We finished the night at the tavern beside our camp ground.

    All in all a really great trip. We both kind of wish we did the whole trail but it’s probably better we only did 5 days as I am limping pretty good.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Adelaide

    5 de julho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We slept in and did our laundry before hopping on the shuttle bus to the airport. Our flight to Adelaide was delayed 30 minutes. The flight was 2 hrs and we arrived to a cold and drizzly afternoon. We spent some time booking a wine tour at the airport but were disappointed we wouldn’t have time to visit Kangaroo Island. Our final destination was Glenelg, a beach suburb of Adelaide. In the summer months I could see how popular it must be. We took a quick stroll before settling into our hostel for the night. The hostel reminded me of my university residence. It was an old building converted into hostel. We even had an old sealed up fireplace in our room.Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Adelaide

    6 de julho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After an early breakfast of toast and jam we caught the tram into the city. Our first stop was the central market. It was just like the St Lawrence Market. Top quality meat, cheese and produce. After we wandered the streets a little we along through Rundel Mall, a pedestrian shopping street. We haven’t really bought any souvenirs on this trip as we don’t want to carry it around for 3 months but some items have been tempting. After further aimless walking we stumbled across the South Australian Museum which happened to have a free guided tour just starting. It was actually really interesting and our first Museum on this trip. It covered dinosaurs to aboriginals and everything Australian. I personally liked the old elevator shaft that was turned into a giant squid exhibit. On each floor you would see a different levels of the ocean and the squid. We headed toward the river next and looked for a place for lunch. Beer and wings it was. Tasty but to greasy. We headed back to our hostel for a break and took another stroll around Gleneg before sleep.Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Hahndorf

    7 de julho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We were really excited about our planned bus tour for the day. The itinerary included 3 wineries, lunch and a stop at the German town Hahndorf. The first 2 wineries were somewhat interesting with their history and their cellars but we didn’t love any of the wines we tried. The 2nd winery was moving towards a self-sustaining model and generated 50% of its own electricity from solar panels. The third winery was really tacky but they did fill us up on German cuisine. There was supposed to be a splendid rose garden at the third stop but it was the wrong season. In the end our favourite stop was Hahndorf where we wandered around and bought fudge. It was an original German settlement that had kept up the German character and was filled with German food, cuckoo clock and the like.Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Warrnambool

    8 de julho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    It ended up being significantly cheaper to rent a car and drive to Melbourne from Adelaide. Since we wanted to rent a car and drive the Great Ocean Road anyway it was the easy decision for me. The drive to our first stop on the Great Ocean Rd end up being 6-8 hours including a 1 hr detour for a road accident. Along the road today we passed many wineries and would you believe it Hahndorf. We really could have skipped the tour yesterday and just did the wineries ourselves.

    We ended up in Warrnambool, the start (or end) of the Great Ocean Rd, for the night. We found a cool hostel to stay at near the waterfront. It had an interesting social vibe that would have been full of surfers in the summer. We enjoyed a couple of Victoria Bitters in the common area.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Apollo Bay

    9 de julho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Started the day with a 12km return walk along the beach towards a whale watching spot. Unfortunately no siting’s. We did however see an interesting site of horses being trained to walk in water along the beach. From there we hit the Great Ocean Rd. The Great Ocean Rd is a scenic road that follows the ocean and was built by veterans as a memorial after the World War I. The limestone cliffs run along the coast line and drop away to sandy beaches or rocks below. Along the way we stopped at many scenic lookouts and ended up at the famous 12 Apostles. 12 rocks that at one point had been attached to the mainland now jutted out independently off the beach. The crowds at these site were crazy. Hordes of tourists with cameras in hand. Even with the crowds it was hard not to appreciate the beauty. At the main lookout, there was a short walk that led us to a long stairwell down the cliff face. We arrived at a more secluded beach and enjoyed watching the waves in the setting sun.

    From there the road took us to Apollo Bay for the night. The days driving was only 2 hours but with all the lookouts it took all afternoon. We ended up in a strange accommodation in which we shared a common kitchen and living room space with 2 Italian guys. It was strange because the motel was empty but they put us in the same room. After walking the main drag we stopped at a bar for beer and live music.    Leia mais

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  • Eric SchaeferEpic WorldEric Schaefer

    Melbourne, Australia

    10 de julho de 2016, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Drove to Melbourne today. A couple stops on the way but mainly driving. We stopped for a quick hike to see a waterfall and spent an hour in the small coastal town of Lorne. Lorne was pretty little one street town right on the beach. There was a lifeguarding competition going on so we watched for a while. They really take their beach clubs and lifeguarding seriously here. It’s really developed into a sport. Back on the road we finished off the great ocean Rd at Blackmans Brewery in Torquay. Their cider was the best we sampled.

    We continued our drive to the Melbourne airport to drop off our rental car. After a short bus ride to the city center we checked into our hotel. We did a little binge TV watching before venturing out for some Malaysian food. We’ll explore the town tomorrow.    Leia mais

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