The Great Ocean Road

We had contemplated writing this post on our laptop this morning. We were camped on a terrific stretch of golden beach with the sound of thunderous waves crashing down upon the sand. To shelter from the fierce, howling wind we parked behind a conveniently sized dune. I was eating some particularly crunchy honey roasted nuts and Ju was having muesli for breakfast. Unfortunately, the wind cut through our coats like an onslaught of darts from an array of Amazonian blowpipes and we gave up on the idea. So I have to make do with the public library in Adelaide.

During the last few days my wife and I have been driving along The Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide. This is a route that hugs every stomach tightening precipice and each winding curve of the dramatic south coast.

During the day we strolled along extraordinary beaches that stretched as far as the eye can see, we were dwarfed by towering lighthouses, we passed the watery graves of countless shipwrecks, we drove a trifle too close to plunging cliff drops, and we even had the fortune to catch sight of a family of wild koalas.

At night we witnessed unforgettable sunsets that scorched the horizon in burning colours of fiery reds and flaming oranges, we camped by the Petrified Forest (I did not sleep well that night, knowing that something was out there, making even a forest scared) and we were stalked by dark and mysterious creatures that hid under our car while we slept.

As you can see, the scenery was spectacular, the sights were wonderful and most of our senses were delighted, most, but not all. With regret, I have to say that the food was distinctly ordinary and literally nothing to write home about. But considering everything else, I can live with that.

So we are now in a place that my wife pronounces as Ad El A Eide, though I suspect that in reality the place she is referring to lies somewhere 10 miles south of Bagdad. We are in fact in Adelaide and we should be heading north in a few days. At the moment we are hesitating between going to a place called Kangaroo Island (and prolonging the wet climate in favour of seeing some wildlife) or going up north and heading overland into the outback.