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Shaking The Tree 2005
Dear All
Well the heat and dust of Darwin, have been replaced with the cold and green of South Australia and Victoria.
As scheduled I met Steph at Adelaide airport, stood holding a sign saying 'SYME' incase she had forgotten what I looked like! We headed to our abode for the night - Adelaide Central YHA - highly recommended incredibly quiet clean and good value. But not before having to help the taxi driver with directions. This is a common occurence in Australia, as "the knowledge" does not appear to be a requirement. You do feel like saying - "How the heck should I know - I am a tourist !"
It was raining and cold and we headed straight out and found a cosy pub, with good food and wine and caught up on the adventures of the last few months. I suggested we hire a camper van for our week long roadtrip and yet again Standbycars.com came up trumps. We hired a Wicked Camper van for $55 - complete with a sink, primus stove, esky, double bed, linen etc etc. It was a 25 year old Mitsubushi van brightly painted with the Flintstones, and "I may not be a Flintstone, but I can make your bed-rock!" painted on the back ! How to draw attention to yourself ! The clutch was incredibly stiff and getting it into 5th gear, on the few occassions we needed it, took about 3 attempts. But it was home for the next week, and was certainly different from our last road trip car - Camero Convertible.
We set off abandoning hopes of visiting Kangaroo Island, $300 return for the day! Instead we made do with the Fleurieu Peninsula - rolling green hills, vineyards and coast. The first night in the van was a shock to the system, as the temperature dropped to zero. But dressed in 2 t-shirts, pj's, a beany, 3 pairs of socks and my fleece covered with a sheet 2 blankets and sleeping bag we were almost warm !
The country side is amazing rolling hills, stone cottages, dairy cattle - oh how it reminded me of home! We stayed in great campsites with amazingly hot showers, greatly needed in the morning to thaw oneself out! We visited the Coorong, home of the Pelicans and Storm Boy. Took small car ferries across the great Murray River. Tasted "tasty" cheese near Lake Alexandrina and wine in Coonawarra, Fantastic Cab Sav's and Shiraz.
The surprise attraction of the trip was the Narracoorte Caves, just North of Coonawarra. This is a World Heritage site because of all the fossils of Mega Fauna found in the caves. These huge animals that roamed with the dinosaurs have been lovingly recreated in a rainforest setting. You can stare at a 3 tonne Wombat or a 6 foot kangaroo with the face of a Koala! Then go wander around the wet cave or the bat cave.... In true Moyely style you can finish it off with a banana muffin and a long black at the cafe ! I defy anyone not to have a great time at this place.
Then we passed across the border from South Australia to Victoria, passed the fruit quarantine bin that most people seemed to pass at 110km per hour. Then we were on the Great Ocean Road. We had already driven [ast the Limestine Coast, vineyards surprisingly near the sea. But this was something else. Steph and I have driven the Big Sur, from San Fran to LA and this surpassed that trip by miles.
The road hugs the coast, and at first you are high on the cliffs, stopping the little brown signs that promise an attraction worth stopping for. We were not disappointed. The pounding of surf on limestone for generations has created a riot of stacks, caves, inlets and grottos. Layers of limestone, ranging from lemon to orange rise from the sea, their bases constantly under attack from the relentless ocean which foams white from the turquoise depths. The noise around Thunder Cave was deafening, and you looked into the swirling mass of sea water and understood why 80 ships were lost on this treacherous coastline. This is a constantly changing landscape. London Bridge, a natural bridge, collapsed in 1990 leaving 2 startled tourists on their own platform out at sea.
By the time we arrived at the viewing platform for the 12 apostles, one of the iconic vistas for Australia, you felt you had seen it all. If you ignored the bus loads of tourists and gazed at the giant stacks, you felt you looking into a perfect picture postcard. However, the sea ever vengeful had claimed an "apostle" a couple of months ago. This was no just a pile of boulders gradually being claimed by the sea. The stacks rise like giant Jenga games, and I wonder how long it will be before the ocean is victorious on all the games. In the far distance you could see the blow of a Southern Right Whale. We had stayed the night in Warrnambool in the hope of seeing these endangered whales in their "nursery". Unfortunately they were tourist shy and stayed away. They have the name right whale because the were the right whale to catch, they came into shore and floated when dead!! They were hunted from 100,000 to only a few hundred, before we saw sense and banned their slaughter.
In a last push to reach Melbourne for Steph's flight we drove on past Peterborough, Anglesea and made our destination Torquay. Here the road drops to the level of the ocean, rises through pine forests. The twists and turns would have challenged me in the V5, but in an old Mitsubushi van it was exhausting! However, around one of the turns both Steph and I spotted a whale, just hanging out by the beach. He was alyingon his back waving his flippers and tale. As we stopped the van we were joined by a couple from New York and a family. We all stood in amazement as this majestic animal slapped his tail to get our attention. This sight still makes your heart race and you feel incredibly lucky.
Well Steph caught her flight home, and I have spent a lovely week with Vivki, David PJ and Thomas.
Melbourne, has shown me it's four seasons in a day, summer sun, howling winds, driving rain! But I was taken back by the beautiful space that is Federation Square. This is where cubits meet Gaudi and not a normal pane of glass exists. The Yarra is reminiscent of Twickenham or Kew.
My claim to fame here is taking part in the school trivia night, and being on the winning team. We one a rather large basket of chocolate and secured the win after various bottles of wine. I have discovered a new favourite dip, Philly Cheese that when you turn it out of its bowl is covered in sweet chilli sauce - Yum!
I am off to Tasmania tomorrow, my new walking boots and thermals to the ready !
Take Care
Lynne
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