The Great Ocean Road

Having packed up the car and got some essential supplies i.e. meat and beer, we started out on our first road trip in our new car. On the first evening we made it to Anglesea after a brief stop in Torquay (the surf capital of Victoria). We had a few beers before setting up the tent and cooking a great meal (get used to this sentence). Joe soon realised that the trip would involve a lot of 'silly' pictures when he heard Ellie and Jen begging for their picture to be taken in the loo by a total stranger!

After passing underneath the Great Ocean Road sign (see below) the next morning, the road began to twist and turn as we skirted the coast past numerous sandy bays. We stopped off for lunch at Lorne and had coffee at Apollo Bay before reaching the Twelve Apostles later that afternoon.

The Twelve Apostles were remarkable although there are now only six of them left standing! The conditions weren't the best but we took a stroll along the boardwalk and stopped for a few pictures anyway. That evening we cooked up the BBQ of all BBQs at a nice little campsite in Port Campbell. This was of course complemented with a few beers and the cricket on the outdoor TV.

The first stop on Wednesday was Warnambool where we picked up supplies before heading to Port Fairy for a picnic lunch and lovely cakes from the bakery! In the afternoon we took a slight detour to Cape Bridgewater where we found a gorgeous white sandy beach for a walk. We also ventured further round the Cape where we found a petrified forest and blowholes. That evening we wound up at Nelson where (after passing numerous warning signs) we finally saw a wild kangaroo bounce through the campsite.

In the morning we made the short journey to Mt. Gambier where we had brief stops at Blue Lake and Valley Lake (lakes formed in the volcanic craters of Mt. Gambier - see below). After a long morning on the road we were pleased to arrive at the seaside town of Robe (now in Southern Australia) and had a nice (but windy) picnic. The beaches here were beautiful and covered in white sand with turquoise waters. It was a shame that it was blowing a gale which prevented us from exploring fully.

In the afternoon we had a long boring drive along the Princes Highway. There was nothing except sun-scorched grass and straight tarmac for miles upon miles. However, we finally made it to Middleton on the Fleurieu Peninsula. We decided to stay here for a couple of nights and avoid getting in the car for a whole day!

Having had a really relaxing time on the beach at Middleton we headed into the city of Adelaide on Saturday via a great pie shop at Port Elliott! We enjoyed the afternoon looking around the city before beginning the long journey home.

Our last night of the trip was spent on a campsite at Tailem Bend on the banks of the Murray River. We cooked up a brilliant chili and relaxed with the last of the beers whilst watching the sunset. In the morning we set ourselves up with a full English breakfast before driving the 590km back to Melbourne - what a trip!

We would like to say a big thanks to Ellie as despite her snoring, burping and farting, we really enjoyed her company on this road trip to remember! Check out the ridiculous photos that were taken along the way on the slideshow at the top of the page!

Go Team Volley!