Day 2 in Melbourne was a brutal 5:40am extra early start to catch a tourist mini bus to venture out to one of the greatest coastal drives in the world – the Great Ocean Road!
I stayed at a cheap hostel just around the corner from the group hotel I was joining later the same day, so I dropped my main bookbag & my room was (again) ready early (never happens in the western hemisphere). So I boarded the bus first with my choice of seats, then we picked up the rest of the passengers en route to start the long haul in reverse. This simple trick allowed us extra time at each stop off & avoiding the big crowds expected for a typical summer Saturday.
We scaled the massive Melbourne bridge, harbor & skyline to escape into rolling countrysides. Our first pit stop was 2 hours in for coffee & a quick snack.
Then the crown jewel hugging the coastline was just a short walk away…. the 12 Apostles! Due to recent erosion, guests can no longer make their way down to the sandy shores far below but that didn’t diminish the grandeur of the moment.
Razorback was another very impressive jagged lookout showcasing the power of an unrelenting ocean break. And we even enjoyed an unexpected trek through a rainforest & spotted a wallaby.
We gawked at our first koalas in the wild & took my fresh fish/chips lunch down to Apollo Beach to soak in some natural vitamin D. The grand finale was a quick stop at the chocolate factory, which was celebrating an ice cream festival to my ultimate delight.
Before I knew it, twelve hours had expired & I was speed walking back to my hotel to meet my travel group for the next two weeks (I was even 10 mins late – yikes!).
And the journey continues…..
FearlessAdventures 