Day 259 - Port Fairy, Australia

PORT FAIRY (17/09/09)

Just after the end of the Great Ocean Road lies the pretty little village of Port Fairy. Unfortunately it tipped with rain all day until about three o'clock when we rushed out for a walk around Griffith's Island, connected to the mainland by this narrow concrete walkway.

On the Island live a population of Red Wallabies which we didn't expect to spot due to the bad weather. However as we walked we spotted this one in the undergrowth.

It quickly made a dash for it when it spotted us.

Shortly afterwards we saw these two who opted to watch us cautiously but didn't hop away.

Port Fairy Lighthouse at the far end of the island.

On the far side of the island the path through the bush runs along the beautiful beaches.

Despite the bad weather earlier in the day the rain, to our relief, held off throughout our walk.

Dusk over Port Fairy's river estuary.

The weather was too bad for camping so we found a reasonably priced holiday cabin. We bought some fresh scones from the local bakery and had them with butter, jam and tea - very English!

Day 258 - Great Ocean Road, Australia

GREAT OCEAN ROAD (16/09/09)

What a way to wake up! Just after getting up we saw this Koala cross the ground right across the park and pass right in front of our tent before a suprisingly agile leap into this tree just next to us.

It certainly had no fear of us- just a vague interest which was quickly replaced by concentration on eating eucalyptus.

As we set off along the Great Ocean Road once again we got stuck in a typical countryside traffic jam.

Windblown at the Twelve Apostles in the Port Campbell National Park.

The Twelve Apostles are a series of sea-eroded pillars which have become a huge tourist

draw. Obviously at one time they numbered 12 but the relentless crashing waves have caused several of them to fall down over the years.

Another of Port Campbell NP's eroded sandstone structures, rather unimaginatively named "The Arch".

Climbing steps down one of the cliffs we went for a walk along the beach. Despite being considerably further north than the beaches in New Zealand it is still necessary to dress up fairly warm against the cold wind.

Another view along the same beach.

Almost to the end of the Great Ocean Road is another structure called "London Bridge". Inevitably in a few decades time it really will be falling down.

Day 257 - Great Ocean Road, Australia

THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD AND THE OTWAYS NATIONAL PARK (15/09/09)

Feeling our feet getting a little itchy we hired a car and headed out along the South Coast out of Melbourne and along the famous Great Ocean Road. Much of the road runs along the beach or along cliff tops so there was no difficulty in finding a good spot for lunch.

The Great Ocean Road passes directly through the Otways National Park which is a conservation area of beautiful coastline and thick bush - home to thousands of Koalas. One of the best and most accessible places to spot Koalas is the Bimbi Park campground where we quickly set up our tent before going Koala spotting.

Tent successfully erected with our little car behind.

After walking around for about ten minutes and not spotting anything we were beginning to get a little disheartened. However as we walked through the bush we suddenly spotted this little chap in a tree up ahead and he obediently posed for a few pictures.

Once we spotted the first one we began to spot Koalas all over the place. This one was having a good stretch and a scratch.

One of the owners of the park was kind enough to point out a few more Koalas as well as this Tawny Frogmouth ( a kind of small owl) which we would not have spotted otherwise. It is well camouflaged on it's nest but you can see it's head above the very middle of the branch.

As dusk approaches the Koalas become more active. This one is eating eucalyptus leaves, the only thing that they will eat. These leaves are so difficult to digest and so low in nutritional value that Koalas have to sleep upto 20 hours every day.

Sunset in the Bush.

Days 255 & 256 - Melbourne, Australia

MELBOURNE (13/09/09 & 14/09/09)

Every trip needs organising and we spent a couple of days chilling out and doing a bit of planning- with coffee breaks of course!

Adam and Olie decided the best way to combat the slightly chilly Melbourne evenings was to light a bonfire and burn all the cardboard boxes that were kicking around the new house after the move.

Day 254 - Melbourne, Australia

MELBOURNE (12/09/09)

Every Saturday one of Melbourne's childrens farms holds a farmers market. We decided to go and spent the morning sampling cheeses, chutneys, fresh juices and many other things. We also visited the animals where Olie was chased by a goat (not for the first time) who wanted desperately to eat the bunch of flowers he had bought for Mel.

Liz spent the afternoon drinking tea and eating cakes with the girls at Mel's Baby Shower while Adam and Olie went to a Star Wars exhibition at one of Melbourne's huge number of museums. They had many original props and costumes including this Storm Trooper- very exciting.

Olie with the original Darth Vader outfit.

The inside of Darth Vaders mask.

Adam and C3PO. May the Force be with you!

Day 253 - Melbourne, Australia

MELBOURNE OLD GAOL (11/09/09)

Melbourne has a fascinating mix of things to do. The Old Gaol is a paticularly worthwhile thing to do, with the old cells converted into exhibitions about the Gaol and biographies of the people who worked and were incarcerated there.

All the cells were open and we spent several hours looking around and imagining what it might have been like living in such uncomfortable conditions.

The death mask of Ned Kelly, Australia's most well known and infamous of the bushranger bandits.

A rather sinister padded cell for those intent on hurting themselves.

The cells here were really tiny, it was a squeeze for two people to stand in the empty room, imagine what it would have been like once there were also two matresses on the floor.

Unfortunately after we had finished looking around the Museum Liz got arrested for holding up a sweet shop and stealing all of the chocolate. Luckily they had a padded cell ready for her.

Adam got arrested as well just for being associated with such a hardened criminal.

Day 252- Phillip Island, Australia

PHILLIP ISLAND (10/09/09)

From Melbourne we hired this nippy little car for the day to drive down to Phillip Island, home to one of Australia's largest penguin colonies.

Phillip Island is home to many species of sea birds. This is a sea gull nesting colony.

The far tip of the Island is called the Nobbies and has this boardwalk along the cliff tops. The penguins normally only come in from the sea at dusk but Adam had been here before and knew that if you kept looking under the paths you might be lucky enough to find one.

Sure enough after spending a little time craning over the rails we found this individual sitting right under where we had just walked. The species found here are Little Penguins, the smallest species in the world. This one was probably only about 20cm (8in) high.

After the first one we found about another seven. It was exciting to see them and be able to photograph them in the daylight as we were going to view them in the dark later where photography is strictly prohibited. That night we went to a viewing platform by the beach and watched over 400 Little Penguins make their way out of the sea, up the beach and right past us up to their burrows on land. It was a truely unforgettable experience and one which Liz still hasn't got over.