The Coastal Road

Agra is believedsite of an ancient Hindu Kingdom, but the city
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December 25, 2004:
I had a pleasant last few days. After I wrote you about the Penguin parade, I took off to do a little tour around Phillip Island. I went to this area called the nobbies where they have a huge fur seal population (stinky) and a bunch of breeding seagulls. The seals were on an island much to far away from the coast to see with the naked eye. But you could still smell them. Evidently there are more than a thousand on this little island just 1km off the coast and the smell is overpowering. The seagull nests, however were right next to the path and I saw some really cute puffs of feather which I think were baby gulls.

Journal Continued:
Then I drove around the peninsula and made my way to a little town called sorrento from which I took the ferry across the Melbourne bay to an adorable town called queenscliff. I didnt have to drive far before I found myself in Torquay, where Melissa (dive buddy) and her family live. I called them up and arrived at their house to find her, her husband, her sister, her brother in law and a passle of kids (well really only four extremely charming kids). It was christmas eve and there was chips and salsa and margaritas a flowing. Just my idea of a good Christmas eve. We sat around and chatted and laughed.

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Then we all went to have thai for dinner (the big xmas action was to take place the next day when the grandmother and mother and father and aunt and cousins.... you get the idea... were to arrive. So the evening was really pleasant and mellow. I liked that very much cus then I didn't feel like I was intruding. In fact, they were so welcoming I felt really comfortable there. We all stayed up until about 1 in the am... the kids chose to camp out in the backyard, so I even had a room all to myself. In the morning, I slept through the big un-wrapping thing... I was going to get up, but then I thought that it was best to be well rested before getting back on the road.

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When I did get up, there was a little present for me!!!. One from santa and one from melissa's daughter. She made me a pretty little bracelet with some of her new beads and santa left me some jelly beans (jelly belly) That provided a good deal of entertainment because we played... close your eyes and guess the bean. Meanwhile, while we were busy with that, Melissa was preparing a feast of great summer fare. There were spring rolls (not fried), veggi sushi wraps, cold turkey slices, a spring salad, and cool rosted veggies. It was a perfect light summer lunch. Just what I needed to get me on the road in fine form. By the time we had dinner, the whole family arrived and everyone was so nice to me, and joking and chatting. I really felt like I had been invited into the manger. I don't know if this is across the board, but the Aussies I have met seem really welcoming, even to an "ugly" american.

After lunch, I got back into my mobile home and headed west along the great ocean road. It is so much like the coast road in cali that I really felt at home. Particularly since the weather is coming out of the Antarctic, so it was quite cool today.

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The fauna is very similar with the eucalyptus trees along the coast and the colors. The cliffs and the mountains along the coast are also very similar. The major difference is the color of the water. The water here is like the aquamarine of the Caribbean. It adds an element of tropics to what would be the pacific coast highway. The other big difference is that there are koalas that live in the eucalyptus trees along the road. I saw a few in the distance high above me. There were likely a lot more, but I was driving... I had to keep my eyes on the road and not in the tree tops. I also saw a little red fox. I got a picture of him before he ran off. He was really cute with the red fox bushy tail.

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After driving very slowly along the ocean road, I found myself in Appollo Bay in a small comfortable little hostel. I had a pleasant dinner and then a wonderful stroll along the beach just before sunset. The sky was just glorious with puffy clouds of pink and blue and purple. The sun set behind the mountains and behind cotton candy clouds and rays of brilliant white light shot out behind the clouds which were lined in silver. On the opposite end, the water reflected the reds and blues and the waves looked sometimes golden. I rounded the bend and there was a full moon. It was like the icing on the cake to see that after such a pretty sunset.

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For a while I stayed on the levy which was built to protect the sailboats in the harbor. The waves crashed on the levy and shot ocean spray high into the air... with a full moon behind it and moonlight glimmering on the ocean beyond. Behind all of this were gray green rolling hills dotted with bunches of trees and cows and picturesque houses. Could it have been more picture perfect?

December 26th, 2004:
This morning, I woke up bright and early to start on the last leg of my driving adventure! I took off and headed to the first stop, Otway nmational park.

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There were two really great hikes there that I did. The first took you down to the beach and over cool rock formations that have been cut out by the sea. I was standing and looking at one rock wall and I touched it and a bunch of sand fell away into my hand. I then looked up and saw an embankment over my head... I quickly stepped away. There was also this place where the water had cut a deep path into the rock, making a really deep and really cool pool. If it had been warmer, that is where I would go. It was protected by a row of breakers at one end and the water was crystal clear.

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You could see way down into the depths of the pool. The second hike was a really peaceful hike in the rainforest with giant fern trees all the way along and eucalyptus that had grown the size of the California redwoods. Amazing. It was already cool this afternoon, but with the rainforest surroundings it was downright chilly.

Stop 3-- the Gordon's steps which take you a hundred steps down onto a white sand beach that gives you nice views of the first of the 12 apostles. The 12 apostles are the remnants of the cliffs edge that have been washed away and isolated from the new cliffs edge. They stand there, in the middle of the water, like columns.

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Some are quite slim, others are pretty fat, but none will last long with the water swishing and swashing. Already, one coastal road Icon, the london bridge has lost half of itself. It was a double arched pathway... the first of the two arches from the shore gave way and now the london bridge isn't a bridge anymore.

Stop 4-- the 12 apostles... from this vantage point you could see 9 of the 12. If you want to see the other three you have to take a helicopter ride. I decided... I got the idea. Still seeing all the columns in a row with the blue water whirling around was amazing.

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Stop 5 -- Loch Ard Wreck. In the late 1800s a ship headed for some port city lost its way in the mist. When finally the mist cleared enough, they found themselves headed for mutton bird island (another apostle like thing that happens to be HUGE and enough space for a colony of birdies to live). They wrecked and all but two passengers and crew died. Most bodies washed away, but they found 4 bodies and buried them in a cemetary overlooking the arch. The two that survived the wreck, were washed into this deep gorge into the land from the ocean. It could probably be a movie, it sounds exciting.

More exciting still were the cool caves that the waves have created, there was a blowhole about 100 yards from the coast that was created when a cave through to this area had been carved away for centuries.

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Evidently, the cave went another 100 yards inland underneath where I was standing! I stayed in this area about 3 hours wandering around.

Stop 7 -- Melbourne. I was really worried about getting to the hostel ok. I hadn't had any directions -- I just had to wing it. I did pick up a city map and figured out a good way to get to the hostel. Most amazing, it was really easy. I haven't toured around yet, mostly I am doing fun things like sleeping and doing laundry and showering. I am trying to recuperate before the NZ portion of the trip.

Today should be a big day of checking out all the sites. Already, I am enthusiastic. I just walked back from the place that I parked my car for the day and it is a great vibrant city. I hear that it is a lot like San Francisco but with better weather and warmer waters. Who knows. Ill find out as much as I can today. Funny though, when I tell people where I am from, they get really excited. San Francisco has a a good rep the world over.

December 27th, 2004:
Today I took it very easy. I got up late and wandered around town which is very nice. It is very English with pretty cathedrals and fancy government buildings. I did a long walking tour through the old part of town and then as it started raining, I dashed into the Gaoul-- Melbourne's old prison where many an infamous character was housed and hung. It was like visiting Alcatraz. Supposedly it was the THING to do when you only have two days. I also went to the royal botanical gardens and saw heaps of northern california plants. Funny that!

I am glad that I am having a couple of relaxed days in Melbourne, though to be honest I would rather be in Sydney. Melbourne is actually quite cold.

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They keep saying that it is unseasonably cold... but I think a place that is 60 degrees and windy and sporadically raining EVER during the summertime is not the place to move to from SF. They seem to be similar climates. By 6ish in the eve, I was ready to call it a day. I thought about going out to a pub, or something like that, but to be honest, I think that I am just going to go to read and then sleep. I spent about an hour writing postcards -- so that is done. I packed and reorganized -- so that is done.

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Frankly, I am downright exhausted after almost a month of hopping from room to room every day. I think that I needed a break. I am trying to get rested so that when I get to NZ, Ill be raring to go.

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