Grape Escape - Australia

December 2013 - January 2014
A 48-day adventure by The Travel Bug
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  • Day 2

    Oz Attack

    December 16, 2013 in Australia ⋅ 26 °C

    Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
    Monday, December 16, 2013

    'G'day Mate' is common parlance in this neck of the woods, or so I was led to believe and to my disappointment I have yet to hear it. We arrived in Adelaide at 9pm local time, after a long but straightforward journey from Wilderness Lodge, via Christchurch and Melbourne.
    We have both felt the travelling today and have tried to have a reasonably quiet day, so not a vast amount to report.
    We have pottered around Adelaide, which is an attractive and very liveable city without strong fireworks, if you get my drift. The Sebel Playford,where we are staying, is heavily Art Nouveau in style, so very much up my street. We did have a slight surprise on checking in. The young receptionist beamed and said that on our tariff, anything we chose to do and consume within the hotel was covered by Trailfinders! How ghastly that could have been for them if we had chosen to dash upstairs and drink the minibar dry! All sorted out this morning, sadly a mistake in their paper trail and only a packet of peanuts eaten. Story of my life!
    There is more sign of Christmas here, but obviously nothing fresh in plant material or trees due to the heat. It does seem really strange seeing Christmas decorations in the heat; oddly out of context. We were surrounded by young things partying last night, as we had a drink in the bar and instead of velvet and sparkle, it is frilly pieces of nothing in all hues. No black, red, purple, green. We naturally fitted in like a dream. I kept expecting someone to suggest we went home to our Horlicks! Fortunately, we appeared to be invisible as of course happens when one reaches a certain age. It does have it's advantages!
    It is 30 degrees today and predicted to climb to 40 by Thursday, so certainly warm, but a dry heat, so pleasant. We move on tomorrow up The Great Ocean Road and so our Australian adventure begins proper.
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  • Day 3

    Day One of the Ocean Road

    December 17, 2013 in Australia ⋅ 15 °C

    Robe, South Australia, Australia
    Tuesday, December 17, 2013

    This is a driving week, as we are on the move every day, gradually travelling up The Great Ocean Road. The first section between Adelaide and Robe certainly left a lot to be desired scenically. There is the similar wide open road, few cars and people, as in New Zealand, but that is where the similarity ends. We had not travelled many miles out of Adelaide before the differences between the two countries manifested themselves. Somehow you become very quickly aware of the vastness of this land and it's strange almost threatening aura. It was very hot today (around 35 degrees ) and the landscape had that bleached out look, where even the blue sky seems to loose its intensity of colour and land and sky seem to merge into a heat haze. The ground is bone dry, water courses are dried up and even the cattle were huddled together under whatever shelter they could find. This went on for mile after mile, even when we reached the coast. We stopped for a coffee at a small town that appeared more Wild West than Australian and I wandered into the information centre and got chatting to the male volunteer. He offered me a map, which I accepted enthusiastically, at which point he grinned and said. "Are ya sure y'know which way up to hold that gal-reckon I'm wasting my time- you Sheila's have no clue with directions!" I suddenly felt I'd arrived in Oz! You'll be pleased to hear I held my tongue.
    The second half of the journey ran along the coast and the salt lagoon that stretched for miles, landlocked by gigantic sand dunes. We visited a Pelican colony, most of whom seemed to be out for the afternoon and eventually made our way into Robe. About ten miles beforehand the landscape had started to change; hills came into play, vineyards appeared and limestone outcrops created some interest. This is not called The Limestone Coast for nothing and when we arrived in Robe we finally began to get the picture. There are lovely limestone cliffs, worn clints and grykes and magnificent arches in the rock. A lot of oohing and ahing from me, but possibly less enthusiasm from PL who was far more interested in the cricket score from the WACA. It was bad news when we eventually did catch up with it, apart from Stokes' century. All is lost. Goodness knows what we will face at the MCG! Suddenly a gorilla suit has its appeal for its anonymity, although in 100 degrees of heat it's questionable.
    Robe is a charming small town of about 800 permanent residents that will swell to 11,000 over the summer break period. All is relatively quiet at the moment, with the exception of the flies. I need more corks!
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  • Day 4

    Fairy What?

    December 18, 2013 in Australia ⋅ 17 °C

    Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia
    Wednesday, December 18, 2013

    An unusual name for a town, particularly in Australia! In truth, it is now more of a large village than a port or town, but it owes its name to a Captain Wishart who sheltered his cutter 'Fairy', for the night in a storm and on daybreak found himself anchored at the mouth of an excellent river. He named the site Port Fairy in honour of his tiny ship. At its peak in the 1850s Port Fairy was one of the busiest in Australia, exporting wool, gold and wheat back to England on the great sailing ships that docked here. It is of course a shadow of its former bustling self, but is full of old world charm, with many of the original buildings in tact and carefully restored. We are staying in a beautiful boutique hotel called Oscars Waterfront, whose veranda is on the river. At first glance the building would appear to be a tiny English Manor House, until we heard that it was built only 30 years ago as a holiday home for a wealthy Melbourne family, only to be sold some 15 years later and converted into a hotel. The family have apparently built something bigger on the beach. My, how the other half lives!
    It was a long journey up from Robe, with several stops along the way. Mt Gambier was particularly interesting, being constructed around the crater lakes of three extinct volcanoes, one of which is a startling electric blue. There are many caves and sinkholes in the vicinity due to the underlying limestone bedrock.
    It is a coastal drive and the further we progressed along the coast, the greener the landscape became and ultimately the more attractive. The sea is vividly blue and a great deal of the countryside is now a National Park. It was scaldingly hot today, around 35 degrees, and should be hotter tomorrow. Phew!! We called into a small cafe at Nelson for a drink and break and witnessed the following exchange between two local 'mates'. " what d'ya reckon to the new landlord then." Long pause. " Likes his fishing.......pretty friendly..... talks the leg off a chair". What a great turn of phrase, I look forward to more, but I'm still waiting for the 'Gidday' and all I keep getting is 'No worries!' It's epidemic.
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  • Day 5

    The Great Ocean Road

    December 19, 2013 in Australia ⋅ 29 °C

    Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia
    Thursday, December 19, 2013

    Noel Coward coined an excellent phrase in one of his iconic songs, which you will all know:
    "Mad Dogs and Englishmen Go Out in the Midday Sun", and never were truer words spoken today.....
    It was a short journey to Port Campbell our overnight stop tonight, which enabled us to tarry a while along the way. The temperature was already up to 30 degrees when we took breakfast out on the verandah this morning. The view over the river and Port Fairy was a lovely start to the day and breakfast sumptuous. Poached pears in cinnamon syrup, homemade toasted muesli and Greek yogurt, followed by a freshly cooked main course of real imagination. Peter had roasted tomatoes on rye toast spread with rocket pesto and rocket topped and I had the hot cakes with caramelised bananas. Yum yum! We took our leave with regret and will definitely be back if we are ever this way again. Remember Oscar's in Port Fairy and similarly Ann's Place in Robe. Both first class. After a wander round Port Fairy we set off towards Port Campbell and the beginning of the The Great Ocean Road proper.
    We stopped at Tower Hill, (Victoria's first National Park just before Warrnambool ) and it is a fascinating place, the sort I have been waiting to see. It is an enormous volcanic crater some 4 kms across. The swampy floor is punctuated by conical hills called scoria (ash eruptions) and after a good rain they become Islands surrounded by a shallow lake. The inside of the crater is now a wildlife reserve and the native vegetation has been allowed to re grow, having being decimated by slash and burn techniques in the years of early human settlement. We saw Emu a plenty and lots of bird life which was a thrill and apparently there are kangaroos, echidna, koalas, wallabies etc under normal circumstances. When we arrived the temperature in the crater had soared to 41 degrees and any sensible 'animal' with the exception of the mad dog English types had long since gone to ground in cool vegetation! However, we only had the one chance and decided we would have to give one of the shorter walks a go. Hot wasn't the word for it and yes, we were mad, coming back in my case like a large overripe strawberry. It is a stunning Park and I'm sure in cooler conditions there would have been more to see in terms of wildlife.
    Eventually we moved on, having sat in the air conditioned car for 10 mins to recover a degree of cool and once we hit The Great Ocean Road Proper there were lots of scenic coastal lookouts to take advantage of. Mind you, you do have to run the gauntlet of the million and one killer flies ready to dive bomb you the minute you emerge from the safety of the car. They even manage to get under my wide brimmed hat and large sunglasses. It is still limestone bedrock, so the coastline is absolutely spectacular and I expect we have even more to come tomorrow.
    Port Campbell is something of a one horse town, without the historic attractions of its Fairy cousin, but it is packed full to capacity with people determined to enjoy the weather and the coast. We are told there will be a slight relief tomorrow, the temperature should only be 30 degrees!
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  • Day 6

    The Shipwreck Coast

    December 20, 2013 in Australia ⋅ 14 °C

    Apollo Bay, Victoria, Australia
    Friday, December 20, 2013

    What a difference a day makes! We woke up this morning to overcast skies and 18 degrees and there it stayed. It was a bit of a relief if I'm honest, Pathetic Poms that we are!
    The stretch of coastline between Port Campbell and Apollo Bay is perhaps the most dramatic of the Great Ocean Road. All around Port Campbell is National Park and we kicked off stopping to view the Loch Ard Gorge and The Twelve Apostles. The title of the the Shipwreck Coast is well deserved, as many ships foundered off this treacherous coastline during the C18th & C19th centuries. Treacherous it may be, but it is also sublimely stunning. Geologically, it is mind blowing. The limestone bedrock is faulted at right angles to the coastline with the result that the erosive process has carved out a fantastic spectacle, full of arches, coves, stacks, pinnacles and gorges. We spent a long time just gazing in wonder and when we ventured down onto the beach of Loch Ard Gorge the sheer carved cliffs around us were breathtaking. Loch Ard was one of the sailing ships that sank, in this case, in the mouth of the gorge. The vessel had successfully made the voyage from England and anchored off the coast in mist, the passengers and crew celebrating their safe passage, only to drift on to the rocks overnight. Two teenagers survived. There are some 300 wrecks up and down the coast and to this day, it is not to be trifled with. The Twelve Apostles are the big draw that everyone heads for and they are a fantastic sight, although one can only actually see eight in one go, as the other four are obscured by the headland. Equally interesting to me was the beautifully adapted flora growing on the cliff top. We were seeing it in bloom of course which helped, but it is a tapestry of texture and colour in such a windswept, salt laden atmosphere. Mother Nature at her most inventive.
    The countryside from here becomes greener and rolling and I started to almost feel that Derbyshire was around the corner with limestone crags beginning to appear. Before I could feel too much at home, we started to climb towards the Otway Forest and into the mists of time. Here the road leaves the coast and we had in our minds to stop at Melba Gully to walk the rainforest, but as we approached we were sidetracked, as there in front of us stood the perfect English house and garden and it was open to visitors for the princely sum of five dollars per person. Gobsmacked wasn't the word. We turned into the drive and honked as requested. Around the corner came a greyhound closely followed by a lady called Virginia, togged up in a silage covered boiler suit. 'Don't get downwind, this isn't a perfume for the faint hearted!' was her initial greeting. I recognised a fellow plant fanatic instantly and we had a wonderful hour exploring her and Bob's eleven acre garden. There were roses, peonies, delphiniums, hollyhocks, lilies, azaleas, camellias, Cornus kousa, and controversa, magnolia grandiflora, dahlias, poppies, sweet peas, fuschias, fruit of all types, an ornamental vegetable garden and so I could go on. We were flabbergasted to see this classic English garden thriving in South Australia and as we stood there mesmerised, three red parrots flew towards us cackling argumentatively, as if to underline the juxtaposition. Virginia explained it is all due to the local microclimate. It is wetter, cooler and wind protected. Whatever it is, the garden is a total labour of love for this couple and they offer Bed and Breakfast. A hidden gem undoubtedly and a wonderful surprise. I almost felt we had been led there by a hidden hand.
    Once we had managed to tear ourselves away, the Great Ocean Road descended back towards the coast and Apollo Bay, our destination. We had had a tip that if we followed the road down towards Cape Otway, there is a strong population of Koalas living in the eucalyptus forest and we may be lucky enough to spot one. It seemed like a good idea and so we dutifully turned off accordingly. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Peter drove slowly and I had my eyes pinned on the trees. I knew that the Koala is often to be found asleep in the fork of a gum tree during the day and after ten kms or so that is where I spied one. In truth it looked like a grey furry football jammed in the fork of the tree about 50 ft up. 'There!' I yelled. Peter jumped a mile and narrowly managed to avoid knocking down the tree in question and we carefully emerged from the car so as not to startle our quarry. We have seen our first (and possibly only) wild Koala and it sealed a day of great diversity. The camera chose to run out of battery at this point, but he is still there in my minds eye and that's where he will stay, slumbering quietly in his tree.
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  • Day 7

    Mornington Peninsula

    December 21, 2013 in Australia ⋅ 17 °C

    Fingal, Victoria, Australia
    Saturday, December 21, 2013

    The weather has continued in similar vein today with the addition of rain this morning. Definitely feels like home! It has been a travelling day, so not much of moment to report, apart from one thing late on.
    This morning we drove the rest of the Great Ocean Road through Lorne, Airey's Inlet, Angelsea and Torquay, which sadly have little to recommend them. Great Yarmouth on a good day was my thought. They are predominantly seaside resorts particularly famed for their surfing beaches and will be packed with youngsters after the Christmas break. The schools have now broken for their long summer holiday and so families will be heading for the beach, as they do the world over.
    The real attraction on this section of the road is the drive itself, as it hugs the coast all the way, with forest growing down to the sea. The idea of it's construction was to emulate the Big Sur in California, as the Australians feel this is just as spectacular. I will have to reserve judgement on that until we have driven them both. However, it is certainly eye catching even in the rain. It is also some feat of engineering and was constructed after the First World War, by returning servicemen. During the Depression many old soldiers had fallen on hard times and were employed to build the road as a memorial to their fallen comrades. We passed under the poignant wooden memorial arch they constructed and you could almost feel the weight of souls bearing down on you.
    Using the Car Ferry we crossed Port Philip Bay (Melbourne Harbour) from Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. The later is a smart, expensive but relaxed outer suburb of Melbourne, with something of the Cape Cod feel about it. Only about an hour and half from the city it is obviously the haunt of wealthy locals and we are staying on a very smart Golf Resort called the Peppers Moonah Links. There are two championship courses here, designed by Peter Thomson, five time winner of the Open Championship. I will upload the view from our balcony. I am sitting out here whilst penning my daily travelogue to you. It is quiet and relaxing and the only noise is birdsong. Lovely. We had a late lunch in the equivalent of the Spike Bar, which being a Saturday was busy. I didn't take too much notice when another group of four players came into the bar for a drink, amidst much congratulations, as one of them had made a hole in one. Peter nudged me and said under his breath ' Do you recognise the chap in the yellow top?' It took me a minute, but then I realised it was Geoff Boycott and he had scored the hole in one on the 16th. He was accompanied by Gladstone Small (ex cricketer for those who have no clue!) and two Aussies who were obviously hosting them. Peter had a word and they were very cordial. Interestingly, cricket was assiduously avoided. Now there's a surprise!
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  • Day 8

    The Penguin Parade

    December 22, 2013 in Australia ⋅ 26 °C

    Cowes, Victoria, Australia
    Sunday, December 22, 2013

    The journey today was quite short by our standards and we arrived on Philip Island by lunchtime. We are staying in Holmwood guesthouse in Cowes. The former is superb and another to add to the list. Philip Island is tiny and you can drive round it in a couple of hours. It is pretty, with a gorgeous coastline yet again and seems to be modelled on a tiny Isle of Wight, as there is a Ventor and Rye. It is twinned with its English counterpart you may not be surprised to hear. We had a close encounter with Koalas this afternoon, but as part of a conservation project this time. That viewing in the wild will still be the highlight for me, even though we were much closer this time.
    This evening we have been to the Penguin Parade. This is a natural nightly event as the Little Blue Penguins come ashore to their burrows in the dunes behind the beach. We did have our reservations about going, as it is a huge managed tourist happening and I must be honest it was a circus. The spectators gather on wooden benches arranged in an amphitheatre. Half of Asia was there and they cannot sit still, be quiet or refrain from photography, which is one of the conditions.
    The first penguin waddled up the beach at 9.03pm and they just kept coming in rafts(the technical term for a group of penguins apparently!). They are tiny, about 6 ins high and it is such an effort for them to waddle up to their burrows they have to keep stopping for a snooze. The chicks rush out to greet them calling vociferously for their parents. Some of the more aggressive youngsters will attack any passing adult and get short shrift for doing so I can tell you. I wish some of the human parents were as strict with their misbehaving young ! It was an amazing phenomenon to witness and only spoiled by the bus loads of tourists who clearly have it on their itinerary, but have no clue what they are to see and are not interested either. After the first twenty penguins had hit the beach, loads of the audience just jumped to their feet and made for the exit
    We did enjoy the spectacle, but our fears were somewhat justified. Think carefully before going. .
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  • Day 9

    Melbourne Ahoy!

    December 23, 2013 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
    Monday, December 23, 2013

    I am sitting writing tonights's journal in a little flat in St Kilda and it lovely to have a small home from home, if only for a week. Don't faint, but we have finally unpacked the suitcases - a Christmas present to one another you understand. There is a gin and tonic gently clinking at my elbow and an old 'Yes Minister' on the TV. Lost none of it's magic! Couple of old fogeys or what? Don't answer that, it is the season of goodwill after all.
    We left Philip Island this morning to drive to Melbourne and the suburb of St Kilda particularly.
    St Kilda is on the coast of Melbourne Harbour some five miles south of the city centre. It is a seaside village in essence, well serviced by the tram system and has a quirky, relaxed almost louche feel. We may be lucky to escape without some iron work or a tattoo sleeve at the very least. In short I think we will be very comfortable here! We had to return the car to the Avis depot in downtown Melbourne this afternoon and once the task was accomplished had time for a walkabout, which only reinforced the feeling.
    Of course we are here primarily to see the remarkable resurgence of our National Cricket Team. We can only hope for a miracle. All seems set to implode if the chat is anything to go by. The thought has been mooted that Peter may be slightly reluctant to sport his MCC tie which has winged its way here and will be de rigeur, naturally. If you should happen to see a chap in a gorilla suit with glasses, a panama and sporting a blood and custard, you'll know you have found your man. His charming companion will be wearing a large straw sun hat and extremely dark glasses.
    Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I will be quite lost without my annual fix of stuffing the Turkey. For the first time in 35 years someone else is stuffing it for me, namely the chef at the MCG.
    If I can get over the guilt I will try to enjoy it!
    Happy stuffing.
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  • Day 10

    Christmas Eve in the sun

    December 24, 2013 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
    Tuesday, December 24, 2013

    Well this is it, the day of manic preparation , the storm before the storm, except for here in Australia. The cafés are packed, the beaches are suddenly sporting Christmas trees fully decorated, guys bicycle past dressed as Santa Claus, the sun is shining and that is probably the big difference in approach. Christmas here is a late bloomer and lighthearted. Climate matters.
    St Kilda is an eclectic mix of style which blend seemlessly together; Edwardian villas, Victorian theatres, Art Deco mansion blocks with contemporary highlights. Our small apartment is attached to a late Georgian cottage of pure Jane Austin charm and built in 1864. Fawkner and nearby Havelock Street are are both of that genre and Fawkner Street has a particular claim to fame. It's most famous resident was one Dulcie Markham, a gangsters moll, who married Leonard 'Dedda' Lewis in her Fawkner Street abode. A week later they were both run out of town by the police for their involvement in a double killing in Dulcie's house. How's that for coincidence. I'd be willing to bet that another Dulcie has not lived here since, until now.
    Sleep well. Happy Christmas!!
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  • Day 11

    And so this is Christmas!

    December 25, 2013 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
    Wednesday, December 25, 2013

    It has been thirty something in the shade today and as such a typical Aussie Christmas.
    We had our first glimpse of the MCG today as we were there for Christmas Lunch . There is a reciprocal arrangement between The MCC and the MCG, hence we were able to see inside the pavilion and which is pretty smart, in thoroughly modern style; quite unlike Lords of course, but none the less very interesting The Dining Room seats around 400 people and has a glass wall overlooking the pitch, so whatever you may be doing you will not miss a ball. Apparently, the men's cloakroom has the same feature, but from the waist up, you'll be relieved to hear!
    We were very well looked after and had the opportunity to wander round after lunch and have a look at the pitch, which is a drop in. Both teams had practised there earlier in the morning before having their lunch in a different part of the ground.
    It was a beautiful evening on our return to St Kilda and out of curiosity we took a walk down the Main Street and along the beach promenade. To our astonishment it was heaving, with people just everywhere. The beach was still wall to wall. Even a German would have had a job to place a towel! There were BBQs and picnics at every vantage point and I think you can safely say the Aussies do things differently. More light hearted and casual, which should not be a surprise, as they do have that reputation. It was an eye opener just the same, but fun. I think the fact that everything is so different, has taken our minds off the fact that we are half a world away from all that is dear to us. A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS DAY TO YOU ALL.
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