Immediately after getting off the plane and picking up our rental car we were off to Yarra Valley. Yarra Valley is to Melbourne what Napa Valley is to San Francisco. Our first and my favorite stop was at this tiny winery called Panton Hill Vineyard that was a few miles back on a dirt road. The owner spent plenty of time talking with us and discussing his wine. We tried each and ended up buying a bottle of the Shiraz and Chardonnay Liqueur. We stopped at several other large scale vineyards (Domaine Chandon, Oakridge Winery), but I most appreciated the microvineyard we stumbled across on a whim. We also tasted some excellent cheese at the Yarra Valley Dairy before heading back towards Melbourne.
The next morning Matt and I set out to spend the next two days travelling along the Great Ocean Road, which rivals driving on the California State Route 1. We began in Melbourne making our way to Torquay, following the route below. We noticed that the vast majority of travelers will not head past Peterborough, which is unfortunate since we continued to see breathtaking land formations well after the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge, which can be seen below.
At many of the stops along the way you will see these beautifully etched informative plaques made out of granite. They tell of how that stretch of the road was slowly built following World War I by veterans. In fact, the entire road is dedicated to the WWI veterans who lost there lives making it the largest war memorial in the world. The road stretches 243 km (151 mi) and took thirteen years to build (1919 - 1932).
Typical gorgeous panoramic view of the road. The Great Ocean Road has the cleanest most blue water I've ever seen.
Matt was trying so hard to fit in with the locals. This unsuspecting local had no idea Matt was in the photo with him.
A rocky beach near Cape Otway Lighthouse hidden well back on some dirt roads.
Ocean waves near the Twelve Apostles.
The Twelve Apostles
Of the twelve, nine are / were visible. Two have fallen into the ocean recently., one in the 1990's and one in the 2000's, which leaves the seven remaining that still stand today that you can see above and below.
The Twelve Apostles
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The London Bridge Before Falling
The London Bridge Today
The Grotto
Sunset at the Bay of Martyrs, which is remorsefully not given the appreciation it deserves since many turn around before enjoying this equally beautiful yet less famous structure.
Sunset at the Bay of Martyrs
Possibly the greatest surprise discovery of the entire trip! Preposterously delicious milkshakes, a caramel and chocolate thickshake to be exact, found several miles outside of Warrnambool on the Great Ocean Road. It made for an excellent breakfast after staying at this super sketchy bar/motel. We didn't have much of a choice having not made reservations, but this was the type of place where one wrong word and the good ol' boys lock the doors of the bar and you never come out.
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
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After the previous two days spent exploring The Great Ocean Road, Matt and I raced back to Melbourne for New Years! We found a bar in downtown Melbourne (Young and Jacksons) and I almost cried because they had college bowl games on live. That night we were able to try a few Australian brews: Terry's Colonial Ale, Young and Jackson's Naked Ale, Feral Hop Hog, Dog Bolter Dark Lager, Moon Boy Golden Ale, and Vale Ale. After a few hours we went to probably the best Mexican restaurant that I will eat at within a span of a year living in Indonesia. And it was ONLY 37 AUD for both of us! Well actually that was a misinterpretation of the menu, I laughed, but Matt felt a little foolish.
We missed out on attending the Australian Open by a few days. Darn it! After talking to several people in Melbourne I was surprised at how affordable the tickets were.
Happy New Year!
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