We stopped at a number of points along the way, including the Bay of Islands, The Grotto, London Bridge and of course The 12 Apostles. We had lunch at Port Campbell, another really quaint little beach village with a similar feel to Port Fairy. Like the beaches over in WA facing the Southern Ocean, the surf rolling in from the Southern Ocean along this coastline was just as ominous and wild.
By mid afternoon we’d reached Apollo Bay and had started looking for somewhere to stay the night. There aren’t really too many free campsites in this part of the world and with the weather looking the way it was looking (yes, yet more wind and rain) a van park with hot showers seemed appealing. We were aiming for Lorne but 25km out of Apollo Bay and halfway to Lorne we drove past a van park at a spot called Kennett River which looked so enticing we decided to stop there instead. And three days later, we’re still here. The caravan park is small and along with the flow of overseas tourists passing through, it has a loyal band of Victorians staying here that have been coming here for years. One of the features of the park, in addition to its location and the really lovely young couple who manage the place and who obviously love doing so, is the parks resident population of parrots and koalas. If you make the mistake of coming out of your van with food in your hand as I did with my toast on our first morning, the parrots will mob you. They land on your arms and head and fight over whatever it is you are trying to eat. And the koalas have just blown me away. Having never seen one in the wild before I was just as fascinated by them as the overseas tourists were. And the entertainment they provide is not just visual either. For a creature that looks so fluffy, lovely and cute its nocturnal sounds are a far cry from matching its cute and cuddly looks. They’re very noisy, especially when they’re in the tree right over your bed and the sounds they make range from something that sounds like the rumbling growl of a big cat to the screech of a banshee. Mostly though they sounded something like a cross between a snore and an old mans fart.
So, reluctantly we leave Kennett River tomorrow but we’re heading for Bells Beach, Torquay and the Surf Coast and hopefully a few waves at another iconic Australian surf break. Then it’ll be on to Wilsons Promintory.