Today we started to drive the very famous Great Ocean Road, which travels west along the south coast of Australia between Melbourne and Adelaide.  We had anticipated a drive which truly went alongside the ocean but at least half of this road travels inland, I’m sure because the coastline terrain prevents it getting any closer.

One of the best places it turned back to the ocean was in Apollo Bay where there is truly one of the most amazing beaches I’ve seen.  Very few people, enough surfers to be interesting, and probably 5 km of untouched golden sand.

After spending a warm hour there, we continued to the most famous spot on this very famous drive which is the Twelve Apostles.  These are shapely limestone seastacks about 45 m high which have broken away from the shoreline due to erosion caused by the constant surf.  There are no longer 12 (I think only 10 now) and you can see that a few more are likely to topple sometime in the next few decades.

This is the most highly photographed area on the south coast and the bus tours arrive like crazy.  It was teaming with tourists and we just can’t figure out where they came from or went after.  We’re staying in Port Campbell (the “Gateway to the Apostles”) about 10km away. It would appear to be a town that caters almost entirely to tourists – motels, restaurants, etc – but it sure doesn’t seem very busy.

Peter has now gone back to try to get some Apostle shots at sunset but I suspect it’s way too cloudy for anything too dramatic.  Perhaps he can get some good tourist shots!

  Apollo Bay Beach

 Apollo Bay Beach looking in the opposite direction

  Me on the beach.

  Peter on the beach.

The Apostles (as best as my iPhone could capture)

  The tourists keep rolling on through.

  The  Aussies never mince their words!