***
Australia 2011
Day 3 - 31st July - Great Ocean Road (Part 1)
This day we went on a full-day tour of the Great Ocean Road, to the Southwest of Melbourne.
Vegemite at the breakfast table. No, I don't get it either.
While waiting for the minibus to pick us up for transfer to the bigger bus (we went on a tour because it was a long route and we only had one day, and car rental closed at 5pm and we had a flight the next morning), I took a few naps of Toorak Road.
"Dainty Sichuan Food", outside Hotel Claremont (our hotel)
I don't trust this place.
Toorak Road
Melbourne is even younger than Singapore (1835 vs 1819). That's damn sad.
There was a fish & chips and sushi bar. Hah.
There was a Californian Asian mother-and-mixed-daughter couple on the tour. Both were in boots and the daughter had liquid paper on her nails. Hurr hurr.
What we were told was possibly the longest bridge over the shortet stretch of water in the world, west of Melbourne. It should be the West Gate Bridge.
The first stop was Bells Beach.
Bells Beach
Panorama
Panorama 2
Steps down to the beach
"No sleeping in vehicles"
I like the cartoons of the various dangerous activities one can engage in here
"The Future is in Your Hands. You can help by: Learning more about the wonderful marine environment"
Wow, a case where Awareness helps!
Painted toilet
Pole House, 1978
The neighbours mocked this guy but in 1983 there was a bush fire and the rest of the town was burned down, except this and a house on the opposite side of the road, so it was like Mad Max.
Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch - dedicated to those who lost their lives in WWI
Workers' memorial
On the Road and Arch
Shameless camwhoring on the beach. Beaches wreak havoc on furry boots.
Shameless camwhoring from a would-be SMU student
Crowded beach
Less crowded beach
Beach Panorama
PRC on a beach in a suit. Yes, there was an all-PRC tour group there at the same time. There were a lot more PRCs than in 2003 and 2004 - but this was only true in Melbourne and environs (not in the north).
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. There was only ever one set of footprints.
PRC tour bus
At about 11am, we stopped for morning tea (strange timing, but go figure) at Lorne. We didn't actually stop in the town, but somewhere after it.
Golden Wattle, the National Flower of Australia
The driver was very proud that there were no chain stores in Lorne, but if chain stores are in a place it's because people patronise them. If you don't like chain stores, don't patronise them and they will close down. Or blame people who keep them in business.
Canoeing
The way down
Chillin
Beach
ASAP Girl (Anti-Social Attitude Problem)
I don't think we were told what this area was called
This was a new bus, yet the awards for Go West (the tour agency) ended in 2007. That said MR said it was better organised than the Greyhound one he had been on the previous day. And there certainly wasn't false advertising, unlike the Greyhound one.