6: Princetown 2014

Well! the first part of the Great Ocean Road from Lorne to Apollo Bay certainly lives up to its name, every bit beautiful, majestic and breath taking. Looking out to a land fringed southern ocean on the edge of our continent is an awesome sight.

Overcast weather continued during our journey this morning, never the less we still enjoyed the picture postcard scenery. A slow drive at 40kl most of the way with plenty of parking bays to slip into to take in the view or to allow faster traffic pass by.  From Apollo Bay the road heads into tall timbers and rain forests, also picturesque.

Slingshot ran out of gas, so off to the next nearest garage, people are so helpful just when you need it most, a fellow popped out of the blue to offer assistance in replacing the new gas cylinder.
Assistance gratefully accepted with a smile and warm hearted thank you.

Stopping at Lavers Hill after a very long haul up, I decided to top up my petrol tank. A bit thirsty asking of $1.79 per ltr so filled just half a tank. Whether its as dear further along, I do not know?

We were making for Princetown Recreation Reserve and arrived at lunch time, missing lunch altogether as we busily set up our camp for the next 2 nights.  Happily paying $10 per night (no power) and looking forward to settling back with a good book for a few hours after the sun finally appeared. This is bliss.....

As I stated, it is a long weekend here in Victoria but you could not imagine how many caravan/campers and backpackers are here before us.  Its a really big spacious area so no real problem finding a spot, we parked near a clump of bushes that divides the area. I actually reversed the caravan on a right angle right where I wanted it. Gave myself a high five for that one. Just one little scratch on the car where the metal box met the bumper bar.

 

5: Melbourne, Lorne 2014

Ruby met a friend this morning, could it be Babe? While we were waiting for Slingshot to have her free shower in the garage, Ruby and I took a walk and came across the pig, it came rushing out of the bush, on the other side of a fence I might add, toward that little brown ball of fur, scaring her and me.  Really! It did want to join us on our side of the fence. 

The showers were lovely after spending yesterday afternoon, at times in a dust storm, kicked up by fast traveling cars on the dirt road we were camped beside.

Literally jumping into the morning rush hour on the freeway we continue on   toward Melbourne, relying on the GPS for direction but not actually having whole hearted trust it, we made a few mistakes along the way but finally arrived for the pickup right on time. 

Slingshot was a little frazzled by the experience of tram verses car/van.

So we got the heck out of there and headed out of town toward Geelong on the Surf coast Hwy to meet the Great Ocean Road at Torquay then Angelsea for Lunch.

 

Rain started to fall so there were not many coast photos taken along the way. We checked with wikicamps for a spot to camp for the night and it came up with a place a few kls inland from Lorne.   
After traveling along, up and down some pretty big hairy hills we find the spot, but not for campers, only allowing tents.  

The tent site is about 200 mtrs walk in from the parking area.  We set up in the car park anyway and took the chance of being told to move on, thinking we were too buggered to look any further. So having plenty of space and time to practice our reversing, a mean feat for us both but we did well eventually, we settled in……

It wasn’t long before others campers arrived, back packer vans, tent campers, girl travelers sleeping in their cars and the largest motor home (if you can call it that) parked next to me.  Believe me I felt very safe, with what I first thought was an armored truck.

We're hoping to get a spot in Princetown Recreation Reserve tomorrow, another free camp site, it’s a long weekend here in Victoria so we’d better arrive early for a spot. If we are lucky enough we could leave the vans parked and take the Xtrail and drive to Warrnambool and back for a day trip, it would be much easier for parking at lookouts.  I’m looking forward to clear weather tomorrow for great photos.

4: From Kalkallo 2014

After some problem finding another spot, wikicamps came up with Kalkallo, a garage and truck stop. We are parked away from the garage on a grassy block of land and after speaking to a local, tells us people do stop over night here so we settled in early and enjoyed the time out of the drivers seat soaking up the warm sunshine as the day had become quite cool due to the wind.  Good sleeping weather coming up tonight but it looks like we're in for hot weather again in a day or two.

Tomorrow, the pick up will be at about 9.30 in the morning so heading to the free shower in the garage, after filling the petrol tanks. By that time we hope the Melbourne suburban traffic has calmed down and we don't have too much trouble while towing. In one end of town and out the other, heading south.

 

 

 

3: From Winton 2014

Our next overnighter was planned for Everton, a small town with free camping near a river. The trip was all down hill, looking back seeing the beautiful bare undulations on the side of the mountains was just mind-blowingly unusual, a sight I'd never seen before.

Couldn't find the camp site so continued on to Wangaratta for petrol. 

We are now camped at a truck stop at Winton after sailing past Glenrowan, it was getting late and I was worried that evening was approaching quickly.  We were pulled over for breath testing, which was a god send as I asked where was the closest place to camp the night and the lovely police officer directed us to this spot. The caravan parking area supplied flushing toilets, water and under coved bbq's. I couldn't figure out what the signs meant, am I not allowed to deposit my rubbish?  

There is a short 10 minute walking track advertised so Ruby and I took the tour and found some sheep in a paddock, she busied herself barking at them through the fence and they ran and corralled themselves into a corner as far away as they could from a little bundle of noisy brown fur. Very funny to watch.

I travel with small, soft yellow earplugs, they came in handy here as the freeway is not far off.

Set off about 9 this morning, figuring we need to get closer to Melbourne. Stopped at Euroa for morning tea. This is a lovely leafy town that I could settle down in, if I was much younger.  Lunch is a blur, can't remember where we stopped or what we ate?