Kicked off the trip by catching the ferry from Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula to Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula – and settled in for a few days at Ocean Grove.
It was a shock for Vern to realise there are actually amazing surf beaches outside NSW 😱… Bells Beach was stunning, and great to see that it is still pristine countryside all around – luckily the developers of the Gold and Sunshine Coasts haven’t been welcomed there…
Vern was very happy to relive fond memories of his surfing days, watching the surfers tackle the waves at Bells … if he only had a “mal” to join them. 🤣
Torquay, Lorne and Barwon Heads are very cool beachside towns, while around the bayside is home to some pretty impressive food and wine purveyors. The fish tacos at “Fishos” in Torquay were great…
And who knew that Portarlington is the mussel capital of Australia? 😋
Merle was in heaven, and after lunch was the perfect time to check out a few trendy boutiques… Looks like the guard dog at one of the shops had enjoyed a delicious lunch as well! 🥱
No trip to the Bellarine would be complete without visiting a winery or two…
Or first stop was Jack Rabbit, right on Port Philip Bay, where we got the feeling lunch might have been a bit expensive – considering the two helicopter landing pads for lunch guests… 😬
On to the beautiful Scotchmans Hill, where they make some delicious chardonnay and pinot noir…
Perched high on the hill and with some beautiful weather, our next stop was the stunning Apollo Bay. The caravan park that was to be home was in a great position…
The almost deserted beach was a great place to walk…
And at the end of that walk was the fish co-op, where we discovered that Apollo Bay is the lobster capital of Australia… Yay!
After all their recent indulgences, Vern and Merle needed some exercise, so they headed up into Otway National Park to a rainforest walk at Maits Rest – which was beautiful, serene and also cool on a very hot day. Huge Myrtle Beech trees towered throughout the area, with some over 300 years old. A must see for anyone travelling through the area…
Meanwhile, our little Aussie neighbours in the gum tree at the caravan park were friendly and not fussed so much about the concept of after lunch exercise!
What a view of the sunset we had from our campsite on our last night at Apollo Bay…
The drive from Apollo Bay was jaw dropping with the well-known scenic views of the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and the Bay of Islands. Photos really don’t do this coastline justice, it really is quite magical.
One thing on the Great Ocean Road that surprised us was that, around tight, twisty and narrow roads with sheer drops into the ocean, there were a number of signs reminding drivers to drive on the left side of the road.😱
You would think these signs might have been better placed at the start of the Great Ocean road trek (or even at the Airport) and not half way through – but hey who knows… 😬
Our next stop, Port Fairy is a very pretty town with beautiful old houses and a lovely harbour. The weather was clear but there was a wind blowing straight in from Antarctica… 🥶
I think Merle was a little upset that she couldn’t go for a swim… 🤔
Stay tuned for the (hopefully coherent) next update from Wine Country! 🍷🍷🍷
How good! Looks like you guys are having the best time!!
And the food looks unreal 🤤🤤
Yes we are having a wonderful time!
Missing you guys, of course xx
Loving all the pics. Wow!
Thanks – glad you appreciate all our hard work… 😓😂
Great photos. Pleased to see the wine, food and fun theme continuing …..
Love following your trip and look forward to the next instalment.
I think the wine part of the theme may be more pronounced over the next few weeks in SA… 🤔🍷😜