The rolling stones of the Great Ocean Road

6 days later and we have basically completed the Great Ocean Road, as you can guess it was a road along the ocean and yup, it was pretty great. There are ( and i am not over exaggerating this one) about a 1,000 lookouts along the way, and in the beginning we pulled over to almost every one until we got bored of looking at the ocean and rocks. Amazing view but even ocean and rocks gets a little overdone after awhile. There are a lot of little tourist towns all along the way, and a lot of little gems. When thinking about it, its pretty amazing how every single person has a different experience along it and its a straight road. On our very first day we stopped at a beach where lava met ocean and had created many sea caves that you were able to walk along and under. There were hanging rocks and many little rock pools and a weird type of seaweed lining the rocks that almost feels like bubble wrap against your feet which was fun and felt weird beneath your feet. We were exploring around and i was wearing my cap and was looking down in the pool and entirely missed a hanging rock which i smashed my head against and cut into my skull knocking me down with a bleeding head thus resulting in a concussion... so that was the great start to my great ocean road experience. Unfortunately its resulted in me having to take it easy when i want to go on hikes and play basketball but its feeling better everyday. Poor clumsy baby Hannah i know, i know.

We have had quite a few welcomed rainy days brought along by the hot hot days. Most days get up to 40 degrees.

We have stayed in some sublime spots and some that are.. basic. But that's the camping lifestyle!
A few of my favorites have not been on the ocean but deep in the forests. Our first one was actually in a picnic area that we had to ourselves the entire time there, until the ranger came in the morning and asked us to keep moseying along. It was full of exotic birds and wildlife and it felt really warm and whimsical. I saw my first Ekidna, which is basically our porkeypines but with a long snout. It was really cute and kind of friendly, we got to pet his quills and get pretty close to him and he was pretty dang cute just hobbling along the whole place with us.

After getting the boot we kept driving and found probably the oddest site of the adventure. A whole beach covered with rock sculptures. I don't why it started or how it got there but we made ourselves one so we could leave apart of us on the road. I tried to make an inuqshuk to represent my mother lands but it didnt work out so ours ended up being like everybody else's non unique ones. 

                                This was our little sculpture, only now do i realize it has a smiley face :)  I guess                                                       it turned out to be unique after-all.

To put it in perspective. 

I have to say that this road made me realize the different beauty of Australia as well. We went in land to my other favorite camp spot and drove through the most beautiful lush green rolling hills, through a cloud giving it an eery tinge. Until we finally reached our final destination, after losing our gps and wishing we had map but getting lucky and finding it anyways. Deep in the forest beside a waterfall hike, that could only fit about 20 vehicles. A group of hippies came which took up most of the area, they set up fairy lights and music and basically had the best glamping set up I have ever seen, but also worried me that they were having a rave party and dropping acid. Instead they were quite as can be, except for the next day when they went into the forest and did loud animal sound and om call rituals but whatever floats there boat right? It was actually a group of Eminem's that kept everybody up all night. A group of 5 bleached blond french guys who drank and got louder and louder until they finally went to sleep at 4 in the morning, we have seen them maybe 3 times since and i cant help but not like them. The next morning the sun still woke us up early and we hiked down the beautiful water fall with a group of other campers and started a movement when we jumped into the ice cold water first, no need for coffee that morning. It was a great way to start the day. 

iPhone shot of the waterfalls 

And being the wierdest people at the waterfalls. 

We then went to the 12 apostles and all the walks and hikes around that area. I actually wasn't that blown away by the 12 apostles as i thought i was going to be, i found the caves and other amenity's to be much more worth while and lest full of tourists as well. We have met lots of nice fellow travelers, explored lots of little towns, and oddly enough seen SO many wiener dogs. Now we have slowed down a bit as we only a 5 hour drive until Adelaide, our next destination that we don't need to arrive in until the 24th. We have stopped in Portland, what Yosh and i have deemed a ghetto town beside the sea. First 20 minutes here and we went to the grocery store only to see a screaming match between two groups of people which one was yelling that he was a murderer and lots of other aussie slang unmentionable things. We stayed beside the port (can you guess why its called Portland?) and had a nice wake up call from a bum screaming at another bum to give him his weed. So we will be making a quick exit and trying to somehow waste the days until we arrive in South Australia. 

Only photo i got of the 12 apostles as it started down pouring and we were completely drenched and Yoshi ran the camera bags back to the Nissan.

                                             Little spot of beauty

                                      Lots of caves in the rocks that still had running water coming
                                           from them!

I just liked the little man falling of the cliff reenactment that they have going on here. 

My favorite little bench of green overlooking the ocean :)