Preparation
So just as Daw Dangpa Losar (Lunar New Year) was edging near, we decided to take the drive. There were seven of us; me and Sonam, Acho Neten and Azhim Chodey and their daughter. Also Yangdey and Acho's elderly mother completed the team. This was going to be a family trip, so we did not invite anyone else.
The plan was simple; drive the inland route to Warrnambool, spend the night there, take the Great Ocean Route while on the return leg, and spend the Losar Celebrations at home on the 12th of February.
I booked a three BHK apartment via Airbnb right in the heart of Warrnambool town. For transportation, we contemplated hiring a bigger car or van to fit us all, but in the end settled to drive our two cars. It would be cheaper and lesser risks involved.
So for the weeks edging towards our trip, we were busy negotiating holidays from our workplaces and rosters. Finally, we were able to confirm for the 10th and 11th of February. We would indeed be back home for the Losar Celebrations.
Day 1. Driving to Warrnambool.
We started around 10 from Sunbury, inland via Ballarat, stopping only for coffee break and picnic lunch at a playground/park in Lismore. The route was monotonous, except for another break when Nangsey was sick all over her Apa's car seat.
The hot weather with the scorching sun made the drive burdensome. I was driving in front, while google was leading the way, Needless to say, we did make good time covering the 200 odd kms in almost two hours. We were speeding down the highway.
We arrived in Warrnambool at around 4pm, and the Airbnb apartment did not disappoint us. We still had some time to kill before sundown so we decided to visit Tower Hill and Thunder Point.
Tower Hill Nature Reserve
Tower Hill is some 20 minutes drive away, on a large volcanic crater situated in the middle of a lake. There are many trails around the reserve, with even guided tours. The Nature Reserve houses emus and Koalas.
Fortunately for me, my first encounter with emus were the friendly birds which roamed around the visitors centre.
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| Emu |
The Koala was hiding in the trees, while the Wallaby was in the bushes.
We took a short hike to the actual tower hill, which was soome 30 mins away up the hill. The path was sturdy, reinforced with cement cobblestones and wooden railings. The hilltop offered a 360 degree view of the surrounding lake and forests.
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| All-weather footpath. |
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| Safety wooden railings. |
Thunder Point
Thunder point was an unplanned detour on our return to our apartment. I simply asked Google assistant to take me to the nearest beach, and I was routed to Thunder Point viewpoint.
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| Panoramic view of Thunderpoint. |
The smell of seaweed was very strong. I read somewhere that this point has the best view of sunset. But as we were waiting, Namgsey saw the beach some miles away. So we walked over there.
Along the way, were some interesting formation at the beach, where Sonam and Azhim took a detour to explore more. The landscape looked alien, and beautiful.
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| Very beautiful, I could almost cry. |
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| Finally got a shot with Sonam |
We reached the beach. Unfortunately, we were not prepared for it. We did not have change of clothing, nor beachwear. But what the heck. We jumped straight into the water. We spent almost an hour playing in the salty water, shrieking in delight in the waves.
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| So we just jumped right into the water. |
Day 2. Driving the Great Ocean Road route
We started early and drove off following the road-signs pointing to the Great Ocean Road. ALong the way we stopped at various points.
Bay of Islands
This stop is basically a place to see the numerous small islands that are quite near the bay. The vegetation are all shrubbery, while the cliffs are all precarious. There is no sandy beach, instead rocky cliffs and wide expanse of sea in front. But this seems to be an ideal fishing sport for enthusiasts.
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| The background |
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| View on the left |
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| Centre view |
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| View in the right |
Somewhere on my map, I saw a place labelled Chocolate/Ice cream factory, and took a detour. But soon I realized that it was 21 mins drive, so returned via another path, which took us through the outback, red dusty road, back to the Great Ocean Road
London Bridge arch landmark
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| London Beach Arch |
London Arch is a natural offshore arch in Australia's Port Campbell National Park. The arch is an important tourist attraction near Port Campbell in Victoria along the Great Ocean Route. This stack was created by a slow process of erosion, creating a full double-span natural bridge until 1990 when it collapsed, creating the present landmark.
This place is also said to be frequented by penguins.
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| Windy viewing platforms |
Unfortunately, couldn't see any penguins, but I did see some footprints on the beach.
The 12 Apostles Helicopter Ride
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| The 12 Apostles as seen from the air |
The Twelve Apostles, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia, is a series of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park.
Their proximity to each other has made the site a popular destination for tourists. After one collapsed in July 2005, seven of the original eight stacks remain standing at the Twelve Apostles point of view. Although the Twelve Apostles' view from the ridge never included twelve stacks, additional stacks are located to the west, not considered as part of the Apostles group.
And the best way is a helicopter ride from the air to see them. So we went for it.
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| Airbus H130 which seats 7 passengers. We flew in this. |
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| These Robinson R44 can seat only 3 passengers |
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Right arrow shows the viewing platform, Down arrow shows the London Bridge
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Stopped for a coffee break at Great Otway National Park, Bhutanese style.
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Castle Cove lookout point
Castle Cove is a beautiful look-out where you can take a breather from your drive. And should you have time, you can even send a while at the beach, which is quite isolated. There were a few surfers around, and they seem to be camping out of their vans.
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| The cove |
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| "Should I snip off his man-bun?" |
Apollo Bay Beach
This stop was almost unplanned. We were looking for a bathroom break and decided to detour to a small-town fishing wharf. Turns out, it had a beautiful bay and a coastal reserve. Unfortunately, part of the bay closed off to visitors.
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| Sonam explores yet another beach. |
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Sonam and Yangdey enjoy each other's company, and the beach.
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| Breathing in the salty sea breeze |
As we were walking along the wharf, we saw a man fishing with a line. On an impulse we inched nearer to his catch-bucket and peered inside. There was just a wee salmon. He said that he has spied a bigger salmon just off the ricks and was preparing his line to catch it. He had taken the leave from work in Melbourne just to fish these waters here.
Kennett River Holiday Park
Drove for an hour or so, all the while keeping an eye out for picnic spots along the route. Google maps were not helpful in this area, until we came to a campsite. But unluckily, it was a caravan park. Luckily, a local pointed us few minutes up towards this beautiful park by a river.
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Lunching at a riverside park. This river-mouth was salty.
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We had packed a typical Bhutanese picnic hamper for lunch, including the never-forgotten Shakam and Sikam paa, accompanied with boiled eggs.
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