Drive to Melbourne Part 2

From the crowds at the 12 Apostles  Tourist Complex we headed back inland through rain forests with an occasional glimpse of the coastline until we reached

Marengo  ( no battle here – different Marengo) then Appollo Bay. We stayed in Apollo Bay for a little while to  have a bit of a break – food and fuel – then all the way along the coast to Lorne. Lorne is where my trip to the Great Ocean Road stopped so many years ago. When I  visited Drysdale (Victoria) during my sister’s last

illness and then her funeral, my Brother-in-Law took me touring  through the Ballarine  Peninsula and then on the Great Ocean Road as far as Lorne, so, in essence, this was me actually completing the journey. From Lorne we drove to the Memorial Arch and then wandered on to the beach. There were quite a few people on the beach and

we had only been there a few minutes when we realised that we were the only males. I managed to get some photographs of the area once I had moved away from  where the females were. We had been driving all day and by the time we reached the Arch the sun was against us, which made it difficult for photographs. Sorry about that but I thought I

had better include one photograph of me to show that I was really there. However, once you get over that shock, be assured it is the only one – promise  :o)

Most people don’t realise that the Great Ocean Road, from Torquay to Allansford (243 klms) is the Largest World War One Memorial in the world. It was started in 1919 by returned soldiers as a memorial to those who fell in the Great War. It was completed in 1932 and over 3000 returned soldiers worked on its construction using little more than picks, hammers, shovels, explosives and horse and cart.  Quite an achievement, but it did cost several lives

From the Memorial we drove to Aireys Inlet and then to Bells Beach. I have to confess that like the first time I was there, I was very underwhelmed with the area. There’s not a lot of beach at Bells Beach but I understand from About Easter onwards the surf and

waves get quite big and powerful. Sometime I would like to come back and see it like with the big waves pounding the

surf. I also understand that the place gets quite crowded.  I would also like to be able to do this journey over a longer period of time. By the time we reached Torquay were starting to get pushed for time and we still had a fair way to go to Melbourne. In fact the hotel called Andrew to ensure that we were still coming. We picked up the freeway and headed on into Melbourne arriving at our hotel in Dandenong Road fairly late but still in time to get freshened up and get down for dinner – an opportunity to relax and unwind.