Vic-torious Adventures

Over the past couple of weeks, we've followed the coast around from Phillip Island to Port Fairy, experiencing everything the Surf Coast and the Shipwreck Coast have to offer.  Nothing but the vast Southern Ocean separating us from Antarctica!

Phillip Island or is it the Isle of Wight?

Two islands on opposite sides of the world, both with their main town named Cowes, both major motorsport hubs, and places of incredible natural beauty. The only difference penguins instead of red squirrels (and a tad more sunshine here).

Above: The Pinnacles at Cape Woolamai

Below:  A resident Woolamai Wallaby

Mornington and Melbourne Meet-Ups

We loved our stay on the swanky Morning Peninsula, visiting the posh little towns of Sorrento and Mount Martha. We are grateful to our friends Rick and Cathy for being tour guides, taking us to a fabulous winery in Red Hill, Arthur’s Seat, and Heronswood Gardens in Dromana.

Above: Big smiles after a fabulous lunch and wine tasting

Below:  View from Arthur's Seat and the historic house at Heronswood Gardens

From our camp at Mornington, we also ventured into the big smoke of Melbourne for a lovely lunch catch-up with ex-Pandora colleague and friend forever, Tania, and her darling little Dalia. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t our friend, but we had fun exploring the bougie arcades.

Whatever Happened to Harold?

A hike to the Nepean National Park on the end of the Mornington Peninsular was totally worth it.  We had a blast in the WW1 tunnels and pondering the mystery of what on earth happened to Harold Holt, the Australian Prime Minister who vanished while swimming here in 1967.

Was he really a Chinese spy whisked away by a submarine? Was he taken out by someone with a better aim than Trump's shooter? Or did aliens beam him up? We decided he was probably just a snack for the big finned fishies lurking around these parts.

Above: Wot!  No Harold!  But at least we found his memorial

Below:  One of the many WW1 tunnels at Nepean Point

The GREAT Ocean Road

Torquay – quite different from Torquay on the Devonshire South Coast of England. This place is a shrine to surfing.  We camped next to three breweries and surf factory outlets - beer and bargains - a dangerous double whammy. It was here that we caught up with our good friends Tim and Helen from Collaroy. A fabulous was night was had by all!

Above:  Torquay foreshore

Below:  Another town, another brewery to check out!

Rip Curl's National Head Quarters

Hells Bells!

Bells Beach is Australia's surfing mecca, famous for its powerful waves and stunning natural amphitheater. It has a rich surfing history dating back to the 1960s and is home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world's longest-running surfing competition.

The big swells that roll in from the Southern Ocean create perfect conditions for high-performance surfing.   Legends like Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, and Layne Beachley have competed and won here.

Big Things – The World’s Biggest War Memorial

The Great Ocean Road is considered the world's largest war memorial. It was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 to honour those who died in World War I.

Stretching about 243 kilometers (151 miles) along Australia's southeastern coast between Torquay and Allansford in Victoria, it offers breathtaking of rugged cliffs lush rainforests, and beautiful beaches. It's more than just a road it's a journey through history and nature!! 

Critter of the Week – Otway Black Snail (Carnivorous Snail)

We took an amazing hinterland detour from the Great Ocean Road into the Otway Ranges.  Our short hike into Maits Rest, was like walking through an enchanted forest with gigantic ferns and towering Myrtle Beech trees.  It also the home of Carnivorous Snails, endemic to the Otway rainforest.

Unlike most snails, the Otway Black Snail feeds on other snails, slugs and worms.  Maits Rest was a beautiful spot to explore and witness these unique creatures in their natural habitat. 

Word of the Week – Cheeeese

Dating back to the 19th Century, Australia’s oldest dairy processor is located near Warrnambool.  It makes COON cheese (now known as CHEER - don't get me started on that!) and other big cheese brands.  

We also found ourselves saying "Cheese" multiple times while taking photos of all the grockles on the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is a major tourist destination, and we can see why!  So glad we came here at the end of the summer.

Stacks of Fun

Embarking on the ultimate road trip that is the Great Ocean Road is like stepping into a natural art gallery.  The limestone marvels on the route are insanely awe- inspiring.

Besides the 12 Apostles, our other fave limestone stacks were the Loch Ard Gorge, named after the shipwreck, that occurred there in 1878; London Bridge (which is, indeed, falling down); and the Grotto, a picturesque sinkhole that creates a stunning natural window to the ocean.

Lost in the Bush

While hiking through the scrub on a coastal path, we were on high alert for snakes, so we were gob smacked to stumble upon this little cutie. There were no Eucalyptus trees as far as the eye could see, so maybe it was lost or just having some "koality" time sightseeing like us!

Camp Life – All Mapped Out

With just a few more weeks left on our Holway ‘Round adventure, our little map is looking a bit worn out from all the meals, card games and route planning!

Sapphire and Seal

Summer in Sydney

After Adelaide, we decided to hoof it back to Sydney fairly fast to make it home in time to celebrate Charlotte’s 22nd birthday.  Next followed Christmas at home on the Northern Beaches and a wonderful summer reconnecting up with all our friends in Sydney.  During the break, we squeezed in a cheeky camping trip with Kirstie and Charlotte to the Hunter Valley and tried our hand at shucking oysters on the Hawkesbury.

Oyster Shucking on the Hawkesbury

Winmark Wines, our favourite Hunter Valley winery

Rainforest Retreat Treat

With the Sydneysiders going back to work and school, on 29 Jan we decided it was the perfect day to hit the road again.  Our first stop was Depot Beach Campground in Murramarang National Park.  After weeks in the big smoke, it was a tonic to chill out with the kangaroos on the beach, take a hike through the rainforest and dive into a book gifted to me by our dear friend and author, Keith Buckley.

The Sapphire Coast – What a Gem

The quaint seaside town of Narooma may be small, but it is exceptionally hilly!  It's the perfect place to walk off those Christmas calories.  We camped on a hill with sweeping views to Montague Island and loved the walk out to Mill Bay with its crystal waters.  At the boat ramp, it was wonderful to stumble across a seal sunbaking and periodically lifting its flipper to say "hi"! 

Just down the coast is beautiful Bermagui.  We called in for a coffee and a catch up with our friends Brien and Mary.  It was great to share past and future travel plans and hear about their passion for pickleball which could well become my new hobby.

As we journeyed further along the Sapphire Coast, we got another caffeine fix at Tathra, had lunch in Eden, home of "Old Tom" the Killer Whale, before stopping in Mallacoota for a few nights.

Mallacoota was badly impacted by the harrowing Black Summer bushfires in 2020 when thousands of residents and holidaymakers sought shelter at the boat ramp as the fire front approached the town.  There is only one road into the town, so we can see how terrifying it must have been for everyone.

Above:  Mallacoota's beautiful coastal walk

Below:  Bushfire scars

We stayed just out of town at Shady Gully and were lucky to camp next to a Lyrebird which had the incredible ability to mimic the sounds of other birds.  He woke us up nice and early each day, serving as the perfect natural alarm clock.  This allowed us to enjoy some fantastic coastal walks before the heat of the day set in.

Ants in our Pants – and Everywhere Else

After Mallacoota we decided to hit another National Park, this time Cape Conran.  Unfortunately, it was here we got infested by a gazillion ants.  When we arrived at our next stop in Lakes Entrance, we spent hours meticulously removing all our gear, cleaning and spraying everything to get rid of the little blighters.

Toilet Humour

The caravan park in Lakes Entrance was immaculate, but there were signs and rules about absolutely everything.  Steve took this photo in the men's facility (it wasn't in the ladies).

Word of the Week – Flippin’ Eck

In search of a glorious sunset, we took a walking trail called Hummocks Walk that leads from the southern end of footbridge to the eastern pier of the entrance to the Gippsland Lakes.  There are historic relics of cottages and machinery depicting Lake Entrance’s rich past, but it was the spectacular sight at the jetty that really stopped us in our tracks.  

While we were watching groups of seals do their thermoregulation thing with their flippers in the air, pods of dolphins arrived on the scene.  We then got to witness a fish feeding frenzy by dozens of seals and dolphins.  Steve and I were in awe of what we saw and agreed it was the most magnificent marine show we’d ever seen.  All completely natural, and only the two of us to witness it.

Big Things – Big Chair

A Wild Time at Wilson’s Promontory

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any wilder, Wilson’s Promontory upped the stakes with wild weather and wild snakes!  As it was raining, we decided to take the drenching in a rainforest, so hiked around Mount Bishop and the Lilly Pilly Gully and spotted our first Eastern Tiger Snake.

As the weather cleared, we came across another “Nope Rope” nicely camouflaged in the scrub.

You Can Take the Girl Out of Somerset, but …

You can’t take Somerset out of the Girl!  So, Gurneys Cidery was the perfect place to escape the rain and snakes!  Just like us, the Gurnett Family emigrated from Somerset, UK, about 20 years ago.  They missed their local tipple, so decided to make it themselves.  We sampled 6 varieties, and Rhubarb and Ginger was my absolute favourite.

Critter of the Week – the Pygmy Possum

We’ve had so many amazing animal encounters this week, but the critter that takes the crown has to be this little cutie.  He hid from the storm under the flap of our canvas on our first night in Shallow Inlet.  On our second night there, we heard a strange splashing sound from our wastewater bucket.  The poor thing had fallen from the roof and almost met a grim fate in dirty dishwater.  What a way to go!  

We dried him off, warmed him up and called Victorian Wildlife Rescue.  We were surprised they answered the phone as it was close to midnight, but they did, and after seeing the photos, they told us it was a Pygmy Possum and asked us to make a cosy bed for it and see if it survives its rough ordeal overnight.    Relieved that they didn't ask me to perform CPR, we named him “Fellamelad” and lined a Bunnings Bucket with a fluffy duster.  

After an anxious night, Fellamelad seemed much perkier in the morning.  After a follow up call in the morning, we got the green light to release him.  Alls well that ends well.