Melbourne-Day Two

6:00 am, up and getting ready for the Great Ocean Road tour! We had a quick breakfast at the hostel, which was much better than the one in Cairns. I don’t know how toast and cereal can be better, but it was for some reason! You know you’re in Australia when they’re a bulk-sized container of Vegemite next to the bread on the counter. I went for the jam instead. Speaking of jam, I’ve learned how they don’t say jelly unless it’s for Jello-O. So every time we say ‘PB & Jelly’ sandwiches, Aussies give you a strange look. By now, they’re used to it, but at first they think you’re saying you put peanut butter with Jello-O on a sandwich. Oh the little differences in lingo! After breakfast, we met up with Kay, a girl from St. Cloud Minnesota, and Derick, a guy from LA. They came to Melbourne for the weekend as well so we ended up spending some time with them which was nice to have other friends along. We were waiting for our bus to arrive and were anticipating a big tour bus like a  Coach or Greyhound. Instead, a small shuttle-like bus shows up and the driver gets out, wearing army pants and huge penguin slippers. He introduced himself as Paul, the tour guide who was on his last tour ever, and we hopped on the little bus. We would be spending 12 hours on the road, and Paul seemed like a fun guide to spend that time with. He told us a few fun facts about the buildings around Melbourne. My favorite fact was that the Flinders Train Station was a mistake. The blueprint plans got mixed up and somehow the Melbourne building was being built in Mumbai and vice versa. I’m so glad he mentioned that because the first thing I said when I said the train station was how aesthetically strange it looks with the Skydeck tower in the background. I thought ‘how could the city planner not see how odd this building looks smack dab in the middle of the most contemporary looking street.’

 

Our first stop was Bells Beach which was 40 minutes out of Melbourne. We took in the gorgeous sights of the cliffs meeting the ocean’s waves as we sipped on some warm Milo with the group. It was super windy, but the rain held off all morning and the sun was shining. It was nice to have many short stops along the way, because the winding roads and changing altitude might have been overwhelming otherwise. Paul chatted to us about everything we could have wondered about the famous road. It was a war memorial after WWI that gave 3,000 people jobs to work on. Completely created by hand, no machines were used in 1917 when they started all through 1934 when it was finished. No fatalities occurred during the creation of the Great Ocean Road as well! There were a few houses built along the steep hillside, but it was nothing like the hills of California where they are spoiled with hundreds of homes. I get the feeling that nature is respected here and people would rather live in small, compact neighbors than spoil Australia’s natural beauty.

Next stop was Koala’s Cove, which was a little rest stop with a cute shop where we all got ginger beers- (non-alcoholic, by the way). They helped settle our stomachs from the hours on the road. This was one of my favorite stops, because of the birds there! It was exactly like I experienced ten year ago at an eco park in Melbourne. The colorful birds flocked to us and landed anywhere and everywhere. They were a lot more painful than I remember though, which their sharp claws and feisty beaks. Also, they were pretty heavy, especially when they landed on your head without you seeing them coming! Strips of color were everywhere as they flew from person to person. So fun! There was also a koala nibbling on the gum tree in front of the shop. We learned that no animals in Australia carry rabies, but they can carry Chlamydia. Imagine getting scratched by one and trying to explain to your partner you got the STD from a koala!? Strange, strange.

It costs $2,000 to rent that room!

Back on the bus, Paul mentioned all the encounters he or people he knows have had with snakes in Australia. The fact that the most poisonous snakes in the world are frequently spotted around the area hasn’t seemed to bother me at all. I guess if I see one, and if I’m not smart enough to avoid it, and it bites me, then I’ll worry about it.

We stopped a few more times at different lookout points and just stared in awe at the beauty. The ocean was so much more aqua than I remembered, and it felt like the most vast ocean I’ve ever seen. I could just feel the great white sharks happily swimming in the colder, deep waters out there. It was a nice thought. Speaking of which, Paul mentioned how the most fatalities from an animal in Australia is from the common bee! So back off, shark-haters. :)

There were fields of dead Eucalyptus trees up on a hill that we passed, and we learned how koalas actually kill the tree after eating their leaves. I wasn’t aware of how flammable and toxic Eucalyptus oil is, either! The only animal that can eat the leaves are koalas, because they develop an enzyme that can break down the toxic oil.

After 11 years of drought in the 90’s, Australia had many forest fires that affected hundred of kilometers of forest land. Now, forest fires are used to control re growth along the coastal areas and we passed by an area that had a controlled fire a week ago. There was already new growth and green sprouts coming from the ground!

For lunch, we stopped at the famous Apollo Café and enjoyed delicious meals with the group. I got fish and chips, which I seem to get a lot here. I enjoy it so much because it’s not fried fish, it’s just grilled and one fillet with a few spices. There was a Greek waiter there and he came up to me and asked me what I was. I never know how to answer that in Australia. American? Half Greek? I settled for I’m from American, but I have Greek heritage. His face sparked up and he started talking to me very quickly in Greek. It was so fast and with such vigor, I couldn’t understand a word he said. He just laughed and gave me a very flirtatious smile. I went back to my lunch. After the hour, we headed back to the bus, and I was given another very intense smile and wave from the waiter as I left the restaurant. Maybe I was the first Greek-looking person he’s seen there in a while or something. Either way, it gave everyone else something to laugh about.

By this time, we were so satisfied with the day so far, we almost forgot we still had to see the Twelve Apostles! Our next stop was a rainforest walk for about 45 minutes. It was a nice change of pace, enjoying the lush trees and nature. For a moment, it felt like we were in Cairns, besides it still being cold enough for a winter jacket.

 

Finally, we arrived at the Twelve Apostles lookout, and had a brief walk to get to it. Here, it was absolutely freezing and so windy that we had to bundle up as much as possible and try the mind over matter attitude. As we walked around a corner, the amazing sight came into view and we all lit up with excitement. It was the exact image you see on a calendar or desktop background, only way more stunning. I wonder if there’s been noticeable change since I was there years ago. Now, there are 7 or 8 rocks left (it’s debated upon), and they are eroding more and more every day.  The limestone rocks are over 20,000 years old and the soft rock is no match for the strong current of the Southern Ocean. As the rain started to pour down, we barely noticed as we were still in awe of the strong but gentle rocks against the horizon. Prior to 1970, they were called the Sow Piglets, and were later changed from a vote to be called the Twelve Apostles. There is no biblical reference behind the name, but the people felt it was a majestic name that matched the wonder. After forty minutes of enjoying the moment and taking as many pictures as possible, we left the picturesque sight and headed to the Loch Ard Gorge. 

Loch Ard Gorge

Equally as majestic but less famous, the Loch Ard Gorge was my favorite stop. It was just so incredible to see the strength of the water against the rocks, carving out the particular design of the current. We could walk down to the water, so of course, we did! It was still rainy but again, the weather wasn’t really a factor on my happiness level which was sky rocketing. A lady asked if we want a picture of us girls, so we all posed in front of the ocean. Right as the picture was taking, the tide suddenly came up and got our feet soaking wet! It was a priceless moment she said and the rest of our tour group was cracking up at the look on our faces. A little in shock, and a lot in wet shoes, we laughed off the utter freezing feeling we now had. Another 40 minutes passed, and we hopped back on the bus with one stop left. 

The London Bridge

The famous London Bridge that fell down. However, the story behind it is what makes it famous. There was a married couple enjoying their day out on the rock structure and the bridge fell and crashed into the ocean. They were stranded on the rock with the ocean far below them, and luckily the man had a phone and called 000 (911). The Melbourne police helicopters were being worked on that week, so they had to find a news team to come out and rescue them. After the big rescue, the reporter tried to interview the two and found them to be extremely ungrateful and rude. So, she did some researching and found out that the couple was married, but not to each other. Later that month, the story was on national news and their partners found out about the affair. If that’s not a sign to never be unfaithful, I don’t know what is!!

After an amazing day with memorable views, we headed back for the three-hour ride back to the city. One of my favorite things to do is look out a window on a quiet ride back, so I was more than content. Even though we were a bit tired from the long day, we decided to get revived and go out on the town again. We were all craving Mexican food for some reason, so we asked the front desk if he knew of any good places. He kind of laughed and said that since there are no Mexicans in the area, there’s not really our kind of Mexican food. Still, there was one place he knew of that was a few blocks away, so we walked that way. It was packed, as we got there at 9 pm and sat down. We realized it was Cinco de Mayo the next day so that was probably why. When I say I am grateful for (American) Mexican food, I mean it! The chips and salsa consisted of a small bowl with 8 chips in it and about three tablespoons of salsa. Hah. I ordered a quesadilla because the burritos were $19 with no sides. My quesadilla was basically four little triangles on a tiny plate. It was tasty, but I just laughed how unsatisfying our Mexican craving was. At home, the meals are so big we have leftovers for days! Here, the proportions are consistently snack-sized. I sound so American right now, I know…but we were hungry! :)

After our meal, we headed back to the main street when a very drunk Aussie guy asked me where the ‘Falindas Terrian Stadium’ was. I figured he meant Flinder’s Train Station, so we pointed him in the right direction and told him good luck. He was shocked when he heard our accents and didn’t want to believe that Americans were telling an Aussie directions, etc, etc etc. After a quite annoying 10 minutes of walking in the same direction (we had to get back to that main street as well), we decided to take a side road to avoid him. Well, 45 minutes later we realized we were one block up from our hostel’s road the whole time, so that’s why we never saw it. We ended up back at the Captain Cook’s Cottage area, and had to walk back around town, again. Usually I’d be up for this many kilometers of walking, but after a 12 hour tour, sub par Mexican and lack of sleep the night before, I was ready to plop my head on a pillow right then and there. Another while later, we saw the more-incredible-than-ever sign for Greenhouse Backpackers and called it a night!