Bits & Pieces - The World & Me: Melbourne, Australia 2013

05th August 2013

Waking up from our beauty sleep, it’s a brand new day again. Our breakfast was prepared by Denise. There are a few combinations to choose from the menu. Not very fancy but just a simple westernized breakfast.

Information of Morning Markets in Mornington

Tea and Coffee Table

Cereals and Jams

Muesli with Yoghurt, Banana and drizzled with Honey

Sour Dough Toast spread with locally made Raisins
& Honey Breakfast Cheese topped with strawberries

Blueberry Parfait

Today is the start of our 2 days Great Ocean Road adventure. We are going to drive from Mornington Peninsula to our 1^st stop in Apollo Bay which most probably will take up the whole day. During the 1^st leg, there are several interesting towns waiting for us to discover.

First in line – Geelong, the gateway to Great Ocean Road. As we drive along Port Phillip Bay, it seems like a must to stop at every beach in sight. Almost 2 hours have gone by before we reach Geelong Tourist Information Centre. Guess what, Geelong Waterfront is just minutes away by walking. How can we miss it??

Geelong Street Map

We were handed a flyer by the Tourist Information Officer and it wrote:

“104 painted wooden sculptures, called Bollards created by Artist Jan Mitchell, placed around the arc of Corio Bay, from Rippleside Park to Limeburners Point, tell the affectionate history of Geelong.” – By Baywalk Bollards

Hunting down all the 104 Bollards definitely sound interesting but not to my family. We managed to only capture a few of them surrounding North.

“North consists of seven cement objects resembling sails or fins that vary in size, created by Mark Stoner. It is said that no two fins are positioned on the same plane and by moving within and around the sculpture the profiles change quite dramatically.” – Official site for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Another top ten things to do in Geelong includes a ride on the antique Carousel which has been restored. You can buy a ticket and go back to your childhood days. The waterfront itself is a magnificent panoramic view, from Cunningham Pier to the yacht dock.

Geelong Waterfront - North

Geelong Waterfront - Cunningham Pier

Geelong Waterfront

Geelong Waterfront

Geelong Waterfront - The Carousel

Geelong Waterfront - Yacht Dock

Bay Walk Bollards - Geelong Bath Swimming Club

Bay Walk Bollards - Volunteer Rifle Band

Bay Walk Bollards - Steam Captain and Sail Captain

Bay Walk Bollards - Victoria Baths Swimmers

Bay Walk Bollards - Sailor and Woman

Click to find out more.

Credits : Geelong Australia

After a short stop for photos and information gathering at the Geelong Tourist Information Centre, we embark on our Great Ocean Road journey, vroom vroom vrooooommmm…….!!! The Great Ocean Road drive is one of the world’s most scenic coastal touring routes, spanning 243km along the stunning coastline of Victoria’s south-west. Our next stop is Torquay – the official start point of the Great Ocean Road and Victoria’s surfing and beach worship capital. But first, ‘nurse’ the stomach. We were starving and chop-chop settled for a simple but not so cheap roast chicken lunch at Torquay.

Torquay

Chicken Schnitzel

Scalloped Potato

Whole Roast Chicken

After filling our stomach, we continued on our journey. There are plenty of scenic lookouts along the Great Ocean Road (GOR) drive. You can easily spot a brown sign along the road indicating an upcoming tourist site. The first stop is Bells Beach – an internationally famous surf beach. Every year, the Rip Curl Pro Surfing Competition takes place here. You can really see quite a number of surfers here despite it being winter now. From far, at the lookout point, the surfers looked so tiny and my sis was wondering and asked: “Why are there so many swans in the sea?”. Hahahaha, my blur sis!

Bells Beach

Surfers at Bells Beach

Bells Beach

Next up is Anglesea and as suggested in the website and by the Tourist Information Centre staff, we took a detour to a nearby golf course which is well-known for having wild kangaroos lounging under the trees surrounding the greens. We were fortunate and managed to catch a glimpse of some wild kangaroos.

Wild Kangaroos at Golf Course

Feeling satisfied, we drove back to GOR and continue our journey. Our next scenic lookout is the Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet. The Split Point Lighthouse, known as "The White Queen" to the locals, is still in operation and it offers some of the best views of the coast, making it a must see as you travel the GOR.

Ocean near Split Point Lighthouse

Split Point Lighthouse - Tea House

Split Point Lighthouse - Private Residency

Split Point Lighthouse

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Credits : Split Point Lighthouse

Shortly after Aireys Inlet, you will come to the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch, built as a tribute to the soldiers from the World War I who were engaged in the construction of the Great Ocean Road. The memorial arch provides a great photographic opportunity for travelers entering Lorne.

The Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch

The drive from Lorne to Apollo Bay takes us through winding roads along cliff tops, up to breathtaking headlands and down onto the edge of beaches. As planned, we managed to arrive at our accommodation today, Comfort Inn The International, before dark. We booked a family suite with 1 Queen Bed downstairs and 3 single beds upstairs. This room is the best deal of all the rooms that we have booked.

Comfort Inn The International

Comfort Inn The International - Queen Bed and Living room

Comfort Inn The International - 3 Single beds

Comfort Inn The International - TV console

Comfort Inn The International - Kitchen

Comfort Inn The International - Stairways

Comfort Inn The International - Toilet

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Credits : Comfort Inn The International

The main street was just round the corner from our hotel so we strolled along the lane in search of dinner. As my mum is not a fan of western cuisine, we had Chinese food for dinner again.