Great Ocean Road

We landed in Melbourne on Monday, December 14th, and after a "brief" 2 hour wait with Customs we got our bags and were on our way to drive the Great Ocean Road just Southwest of Melbourne. Jon's parents and Aunt and Uncle who were in town for his sisters wedding all met us at the airport and we took off right from there. The first stop along the road was for lunch in Torquay. This is actually where numerous Surfing Companies first went into business that are now known around the world. You may have heard of the likes of Billabong, Quicksilver, and Rip Curl. They all had modern shops right in a row too which made it feel like an outlet mall, but was really cool to see a town that is famous like that for its surfing. Right next to Torquay is Bells Beach which is famous for the huge surf that rolls in from the Pacific as well as professional competitions that are held there.

After a picnic lunch we continued on the Road west and stopped in quaint little beach towns like Aireys Inlet, and Lorne. The scenery was beautiful along the road, but there was hardly any wind or waves, so all the beaches seemed to be relatively calm from what they could be. The next town which we stopped at was Apollo Bay, and that was where we stayed both the first and second night. The first night was en route to heading away from the city to the end of the road, and the second night was on the return trip back, as the entire length of the road is approximately 250 miles.

The following day was the real exciting one as we saw what is undoubtedly the most famous attraction of the Great Ocean Road, and that's the 12 Apostles. Although apparently once has fallen down recently. The 12 Apostles are tall forms of Sandstone that stick straight up out of the water just yards away from the sandy shores. It couldn't have been a better day to see them either as it was about 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. There is also a famous part of the road called London Bridge, and it too has fallen down...at least part of it. You used to be able to walk from the land all the way out onto the bridge looking structure that juts out into the ocean. The bridge like sandstone is now an island as the part that connected it to the mainland fell into the teal waters below. it actually stranded a couple of tourists on the island when it happened. See the picture below and you can see where the bridge used to meet up with the part that is now an island.

After returning to Melbourne everyone was finishing getting ready for Alexis' wedding (Jonathon's sister). She got married on Friday the 18th of December on a beach just outside of the city of Melbourne. The reception was at a winery and both the ceremony and reception were lovely. Congratulations to Emily and Mike who were married on the same day too, I wish I could have celebrated with you. I'm now staying with Jon's family through Christmas and a few days after before I fly up to Brisbane where I'll be for the majority of the rest of my trip. Brisbane is located right on the Gold Coast of Australia and a tourist area called Surfers Paradise. It's a good thing that my hair is starting to get as long as it is so I can fit in with the surfers when I'm up there working and surfing. I only got a few days in of surfing in Bali, but I think with practice by April I shouldn't be too bad at it. From everything I've read about Brisbane (or Brizzy) it is a very easy place to find short term casual employment. It also is a big advantage that English fluent is I. I mean that I am fluent in English I shouldn't have a hard time getting work either, according to fellow travelers I've spoken too. Merry Christmas to everyone and have a happy New Year. I probably won't be updating this as often as I have been since I'll be in one spot versus traveling around, so please send me an email and let me know what's going on...I love hearing from people.