Hello again!
Nine days ago we picked up our campervan from Jucy rentals in Botany Bay, ready to start our adventure. Now i could spend forever talking about everything i did and the places i've been too, so i'll try not too go on for too long. I will add photos of all the places we stopped, but i'll make each place a separate post and include more photos.
First of all, after getting some supplies from a supermarket, we headed into the Royal National Park. Our first view of the roadtrip was honestly quite breath taking.
We stopped a couple of other times throughout the park before joining onto The Grand Pacific Drive, which took us across Sea Cliff Bridge. Before finally heading to our first planned stop, Kiama Blowhole, very behind on schedule. Because the sun was setting fast we decided to go straight to our planned sleeping spot, but we got lost and didn't arrive in Huskisson on Jervis Bay until 10pm meaning we had no chance in getting a camp site for the night and ended up having to pull up in a carpark.
After a surprisingly decent nights sleep, we were awoken to the sound of a kookaburra perched in a tree. When we had pulled up the previous night we were surrounded by water, but by morning the tide has gone out and we were parked up next to a white sand beach that stretched for miles.
Mollymook was next on our list, with a lovely yellow sand beach. Two minutes up the road and we were in Ulladulla. Searching for a place to stop on our map, we came across a place called Pebbly Beach. And am i glad we did decide to go here. When we arrived, after what felt like miles of dirt track roads, we stepped on the beach only to find it scattered with wild kangaroos. We spent a good couple of hours wandering around the rocks and watching the animals. Once done we headed straight to Narooma to find a campsite, this time with luck!
Day 3! We drove to a little town called Bermagui and found a naturally formed swimming pool carved into the side of the rocks. It was yet another beautiful place. Then to Meribula and through to Eden, the last town before crossing the border into Victoria. Greeted to a bush fire.
Towards the end of the day is when things start to get exciting...
We decided to go and see the big sand dunes in Croajingalong National Park, by the Thurra River. But our van isn't sounding so good so we pull off to a campsite in the middle of nowhere called Tabooma. Were we actually brake down. The only plus side was that the sunset was stunning and lit the sky red.
The following day was mainly spent in a town called Orbost, getting the exhaust fixed. Turns out it has been pretty much ripped apart and sounded like a Harley Davidson! Our next stop was a place called Lakes Entrance which was a town situated on the entrance to the Gippslands Lakes. Afterwards we tried to find a place to stop in Metung, with no luck, but got to see the lovely views it had to offer and instead found a cheap campsite along the highway.
Back on the road again with a working van we headed to Golden Beach, also known as Ninety Mile Beach due to it being, well, ninety miles long. It was stunning and full of shells scattered along the shoreline.
We then drove to Phillip Island, famous for its Penguin Parade, which we were too late for and glad we didn't get to see in the end. But we did get to camp on the island and visit the Koala Conservation Sanctuary to see them close up. Early evening we made it to Melbourne to catch up with the girls we had met in our Sydney Orientation. It was Grand Prix weekend though so there was F1 gear on literally every corner and every other person!
Saturday night was spent at the beginning of The Great Ocean Road in a place called Torquay, which thankfully we were allowed to camp in even after the office had closed.
The first place along the famous road is Bells Beach, famous in itself amongst surfers who flock every year to take part in the Rip Curl Championships. Then we passed under the Memorial Arch. Between here and the next village of Lorne we stopped about every kilometre to take photos of the scenery. Then finally we made it to Apollo Bay, situated directly on the Great Ocean Road.
Our second day on the Great Ocean Road was amazing. First of all we did the Maits Rest rainforest walk in Otway National Park and then headed to Cape Otway. The drive to the lighthouse was filled with wild koalas clinging onto the trees that lined the road.
Then we drove for a bit longer until we reached Gibsons Steps which lead down to Gibsons Beach which two of the apostles are situated on. After walking back up all of the steps we drove merely 100 metres before pulling off to the Twelve Apostles lookout. It was quite spectacular to finally see them in real life. The next place along The Great Ocean Road is Loch Ard Gorge which has to be my favourite place along this stretch. It was so tranquil.
We spent the night in a very small town named Port Campbell before finishing off The Great Ocean Road the following day. The Arch, London Bridge and The Grotto were the names of the limestone rock formations situated between Port Campbell and Peterborough. The Grotto was very pretty and had a little fairy pool in it. We continued west until we hit Port Fairy which wasn't as nice as i heard it was, still glad i visited though. Knowing that we had to drop the van of in Melbourne we decided to drive straight to Colac which we worked out was roughly half way. And there we spent the night before heading straight back to the city to get rid of our loved Jucy Julie.
Our first night in the campervan was spent in a small town called Huskisson, situated on Jervis Bay. When we arrived it was dark but we could work out a lake next to us, but when we awoke it was a white sand beach! The photo above is what was covered in water, but look how pretty it is with the sun beaming through the clouds. I've also just decided that this photo looks severely photoshopped, i can assure you that i have done nothing to the initial photo.
