The Great Great Ocean Road

Last weekend I took a surprise trip down the great ocean road. A surprise trip is like a normal road trip except you don't know you're going until 12 hours before you leave. Someone had an extra seat in their car, but no space in the first hostel, so I bought myself a tent and sleeping bag (which I'll want to have for my Easter Break road trip anyways) and firgured I'd just find a flat spot.

We didn't make it very far the first day. Stopped at practically every beach we could find along the way, and had a heck of a time navigating TO the great ocean road, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Melbourne. Some of the most gorgeous scenes I've seen in my life, and absolutely spectacular weather. I thought it couldn't get any better... until the next day! I even got to sleep in a bed becuase we found out when we got there that there was a second hostel in Lorne, and it had plenty of space. After a walk around town and down to the pier, we hit the sack.

Half of us got up early on Saturday. I had no idea I could get so frustrated by a group of people who aren't in as much of a hurry as I am. I guess I miss the days of Scouting where I could just walk around banging my flashlight on tent poles until everyone was awake. Saturday was one of the most remarkable sightseeing days of my entire life. We started at a waterfall, where we jumped over the pedestrian fence and climbed up some rocks to get right under it. Then made our way to a lookout of a gorgeous bay. That didn't compare in the slightest to the scene at Apollo Bay. An absolutely pristine beach on a hot day couldn't get more perfect. But thatnks to some insider knowledge we found some farmland open to the public on a steep hillside overlooking the bay, making for some perfect picture opportunities. As we were sitting on the hillside admiring, a white horse comes galloping over the hillside to play with us! Seriously, could you make up a more fairy-tale-like story?! After a while on the beach we start to make our way to the next stop, the Twelve Apostles. These are giant rock formations sticking out of the sea on the southern coast. It started to get a little rainy, but just cleared up enough to take pictures once we arrived. Again we jumped a pedestrian fence to get a better experience, and thank god I did. I cannot describe how empowering it is to stand on the edge of a hundred-foot cliff looking down at fifteen-foot waves crashing beneath with monsterous power. You can feel each one hit. It's no surprise that there were so many shipwrecks here, it's absolutely breathtaking but incredibly dangerous.

We rushed to make it to our hostel that night, and had a quiet night after an exhausting day. Sunday was a long trip home, but there were a couple stops to make it easier. Lochard Gorge near the Twelve Apostles is the site of a famous shipwreck, and a beautiful bay walled with cliffs. We went spelunking for a bit in a cave off to one side of the bay, but you have to run across some rocks in between waves to avoid getting wet. Since it was a bit rainy and cold I had on pants and shoes. On the way out of the cave the water level had risen, and I didn't take much care to look before stepping onto the more shallow rocks. I was totally demolished by a wave! I wedged myself between a rock and the cliff wall to avoid being swept away, but it soaked me from the waist down. Note to self, take sea seriously.

All in all, incredible trip. There's so much more to see, but if I don't see anything else, I'll still be satisfied.