I’m referring to the Great Ocean Road that stretches for 150 or so miles southwest of Melbourne along the coast of Australia.  It is, by far, one of the most beautiful places on Earth.  We flew into Melbourne and rented a car for the drive south, meandering along the coast.  Lorne was a charming town with a beautiful beach.  Our daughter had fun running and laughing and getting herself completely sandy, even in the chilly weather.  It was maybe 16 degrees C while we were there, and we were not really prepared for that.  We’d been told to expect much higher temps in Melbourne and that it might get down to 20 along the coast.  It was much colder but we layered our clothing and were fine.

Beach at Lorne, Victoria

My favorite little place for breakfast was on the main street and my favorite dish was their Green Eggs and Ham, which was scrambled eggs with a pesto sauce and ham.  It was so yummy I ordered it the second day too!  When I remember the name of the cafe, I will definitely update this post, but for now, just look for a nice open cafe, kinda funky artwork, a coffee bar right in the middle up front and green eggs and ham on the menu!

Our main activity was to do a quick hike at Erskine Falls just outside of town on Erskine Falls Road, then we drove down the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles.  It was absolutely stunning.  I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Erskine Falls, Lorne, Victoria

The Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles, I think there are eight still standing.  The others have collapsed and have been washed out to sea.

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria Australia

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria Australia

It’s a lot more crowded there than you would imagine based on photos.  There is a large parking lot and tiny visitors’ center and if you miss it, you will have to drive quite a ways before you find a good place to turn around.  Then you have a walk of about a quarter mile to get out to the ocean side, part of your walk is through the tunnel under the highway.  The outlook and park area is well maintained, but I was really surprised there was not more stuff at the visitors center.  I expected at least a small cafe, but they only had vending machines stocked with the normal junk food offerings.

Crowds at the Twelve Apostles, Victoria Australia

The above are some highlights from an overall very good trip.

I would definitely recommend a trip to Lorne, and the Great Ocean Road is worth the drive down from Melbourne.

Day 4: We drove up to the Freycinet National Park to spend several nights at the Freycinet Lodge.  Apparently they are in the middle of upgrading the cabins, and we were very lucky to have been given a newly renovated “test” cabin. It was much bigger than we expected and had two bedrooms instead of one.  This worked out fabulously for us as we were able to put our toddler daughter down for naps in her own bedroom and still have the rest of the cabin available for our use.  The cabin was very well appointed and we loved the spa bathtub, especially after the long hike over to Wineglass Bay and back (see Day 5 below).  We’d heard that their cabins had become a bit rundown, but given the outstanding location, we decided it would suit us.  So we were quite pleased to have the newly renovated cabin.

Beach at the Freycinet Lodge

Freycinet Lodge at Sunset

We drove around the peninsula a bit and stopped near Bicheno to take this photo near the Blowhole.

Day 5:  Hike to Wineglass Bay:  we decided to do the 3 hour return hike to Wineglass Bay.  It’s a steep hike on a well-kept trail up to the overlook where the below photo was taken.  Then it’s a steep hike down a less well-kept trail to Wineglass Bay itself.  If you are not in good physical condition or if you aren’t used to bushwalking or hiking, then this hike might not be the best option for you.  Adam got to carry our toddler, Buttercup, in a hiking baby-carrier backpack on this hike, so he got quite the workout.   We had a short picnic at the beach.  We would have liked the rest to be longer, but a squall came over the hill just as we were eating our lunch and started pouring rain on us.  So we packed up quickly to get off the beach and back into the relative protection of the bush on the trail back.  The squall passed after about 20 minutes but we were glad we had packed up to return because when we got back to the carpark, the rains came again.

Wineglass Bay

Day 6: On Wednesday, we did a driving tour of Freycinet Peninsula, including the Cape Tourville Lighthouse and a visit to the Freycinet Marine Farm for some fresh Oysters.  There is a nice, easy walking path around the lighthouse with stunning views of the Tasman Sea.  The pathway was stroller friendly, which is always nice, even when we opt for the backpack carrier instead of the stroller.

We also stopped off at the Freycinet Marine Farm for some fresh oysters that were plucked from the beds that morning.  They had several options for preparation and we tried about three different kinds.  My favorite was the Oysters Kilpatrick.  I also ordered the grilled scallops, which were fresh and delicious.

Day 7: The last day of our trip, we drove to Launceston, stopping to enjoy central Tasmania along the way. We stopped at Campbell Town, where Hwy B34 connected with Hwy 1 for a not-so-quick lunch at a local cafe.

Hiked Cataract Gorge in the early afternoon, followed by a drive up the Tamar River Valley and finally a flight home to Sydney.

Cataract Gorge, Launceston

Springtime in Tasmania is September through November, and it’s gorgeous.  Flowers and trees are all in bloom and the countryside is awash in vibrant color.  We took our trip in mid-October, spending three days in the Hobart area, three days in the Freycinet National Park, and a final day in Launceston before heading back home to Sydney.

Day 1: we arrived mid-day on Friday, arranging this so we would be able to tour Australia’s oldest brewery, Cascade Brewery, established in 1832.  Tasmania is known for it’s excellent beer, and the brewery tour did not disappoint.

Day 2:  Salamanca Market day.  Every Saturday since 1972, an open-air market is held at Salamanca Place just off the waterfront.  We did a ton of our Christmas shopping, stocking up on hand-knit scarves made from Tasmanian wool, wooden chopping block sets with matching cheese knives – all made from Australian woods such as Jarrah and Spotted Gum, and even picked up a hat for myself since mine was left behind in Sydney amid a rush of last minute packing.  The blocks-long market is flanked by shops in the old converted warehouses that line Salamanca Place, many of which showcase local artists and their wares.  The old rock quarry behind the warehouses has been revived with shops, cafes, and sleek apartments overlooking the square.  We followed our shopping tour of the markets with a walking tour of Battery Point.  This area is filled with tiny lanes and 19th century cottages of this old maritime village – try finding Nanny Goat Lane, a steep walking lane connecting St Georges Terrace and Quayle Street.   After lunch and our walking tour, we headed to beautiful Parliament Square nearby to sit in the grass, relax, and people-watch along the waterfront.

Relaxing at Parliament Square

Later in the afternoon, we drove up to snow-covered Mount Wellington for a gorgeous view of the city.  I would recommend this as an early morning drive as we had many clouds to contend with and had to wait in freezing wind for a brief moment when the clouds parted so we could get the view we’d driven up to see.

You’ll find plenty of dining options in the Salamanca area, as well as, along the waterfront.  That evening we opted for dinner at Mures Upper Deck for fabulous seafood.  Our only two complaints were our table and the extremely slow service.  When we called for our reservation, we were asked if we wanted a table with a view of the waterfront.  We, of course, happily accepted.  Our table was right near the entrance and the door to the kitchen.  There was no view of the waterfront, only a loud clock above our table that chimed every hour on the hour and quarter hour.

Day 3:  We drove to Port Arthur for an extended tour including a boat ride around the harbour. Enroute we stopped at a couple of wineries, then stopped in Richmond, site of the oldest bridge in Tasmania, for a snack and a tour of the town center before continuing on to Port Arthur.

Convict Built Bridge in Richmond

There was an old-fashioned Lolly shop in the town square, so I stopped in for a few treats.

Lolly Shop in Richmond

Port Arthur was where the worst of the worst criminals were sent for their sentence of Transportation – many for crimes as bad as stealing a handkerchief or a loaf of bread.  The grueling past of these unfortunate men and women has been washed away over the years and what remains is a hauntingly beautiful national park preserving what is left from those Convict Days.

Port Arthur, Tasmania

Well, really just planning for it. We want to take a trip to Melbourne, Australia and what started as a plan for a weekend trip has grown into a trip of about six days so we can also drive a bit down the Great Ocean Road and see the Twelve Apostles rock formation.