The trip started on Saturday march 22nd. Maria, Tash, and Emma picked my up in st. kilda and we headed to Geelong. (pronounced g'long... but being me, i prounounce it like ge-ge-ge-ge-UNIT) We stoped at a cafe on the water and had lunch, and some beers and waiting for Brian to get home. We stayed at his house that nihgt, and then headed out on the road trip on sunday morning.
Who are all these people you must be thinking...Brian, Maria, and Tash are all ISV people from the last couple recruitment season they did USA and UK recruited together, as well as a costa rica trip, and central america. so they are best friends and travel buddies. Tash and Emma are Kewi's from NZ, and the rest are aussies. they are also all 21 or 22. Except James who joined the camp later, he's 30 i think. Emma is Tash's friend, the only non ISV person.
First stop on the great ocean road trip was Lorne. we drove throuhg anglesea, but dind't stop. We also met James in Lorne. Lorne was a chilled out beach town that was swormed with people, families, and campers on easter holiday. We had some drinnks at a cafe and then hung out at the beach and swam for a while. we jumped back on the road when it got around 5pm to go try to find somewhere to camp. most campsites are full, so we know it might be creative camping. We find the Wye River camp site - which is bush camping on this site off of a windy mountian road.
(for those of you who know Big Sur - picture that for most of this driving. Breathtaking ocean view on windy mountian roads...beautiful blue and green water, pretty beaches...ect)
We set up camp and start cooking. the night was really fun. James was the shoper, and got really good food! like, suffed lamb chops...ect. we drank a lot and had lots of laughs. Camp was also 420 friendly. being in the bush in australia and all. ha.
sleeping arrangements were funny. Maria had a 3 person tent, for 4 of us. also, 3 mattresses. so i was crammed up against the tent wall, laying on rocks. James had a "swag" which is a one person sleeping bag/tent. He had to leave the next day, so he games me the mattress to use for the next night. yay! Bran slept in the back of his car on an airmattress.
We woke up, cooked breaky (sausages, eggs, beans on toast, vegemite...ect) we started to pack up camp and head back on the road, and it started pouring on us! it was really funny. we headed back on the road and stopped at Appollo bay next. THis was a really part of the road! gorgeous drive. We stopped for coffee, then hung out on the beach. it was a really pretty breach, and less croweded thna lorne. Still i haven't seen anything as pretty as the beaches i saw when i traveled the west coast of australia in 2001 yet. so far, the west coast takes the cake. we swam, and hung out on the beach. we kept on driving till we got the the 12 apostles - a land mark in the great ocean road. this huge rocks tower out of the ocean making for a really cool photo.
back on the road to Port Campbell, where we step up camp in a camp ground (with showers and a bbq!) we grilled out, and drank, hung out on the peer...ect. it was fun. we were al really tired so i think we were in the tent by 11pm.
the next morning we headed out back to geelong. OH i forgot! I saw a kawala bear in a tree!!! they are really everywhere after apollo bay, but i only saw that one. we were driving, and we couldn't stop to investigate. too bad.
on the way back we stopped to walk thouhg a rainforest, and to see a waterfall ... the names of both of those stops are escaping me at the moment. We aslo stopped at Bells Beach, the Quicksilver pro was going on. It's a very famous surf beach, where lots of international competitions are held. We also stoped at Jan Juc... or something like that. We watch lots of aussie surfers doing their thing. lots and lots of steady sets of amazing waves. i've never seen sets come in that fast! it was cool to watch up above from the cliffs.
We get back to geelong and uppacke the car, and get rained on again! Maria was nice enough to let me sleep at her parents house with her and tash. (ISV is not paying for easter break, so it was great to have all these nights with no fee for sleeping!)
Tonight I'm in the grodiest hostle ever. I booked myself into another one for the rest of the weekend. I have to go to Australian Iimmigration tomorrow to get my visa extended so i can travel after the ISV job is over. I tried to go today, but it turns out immigration closes at 1:30pm on wednesdays. who knew!? at least i know how to get there. you can get anywhere in melboune using the trams. they are really handy. trams are like busses, but on tracks, and attached to wires above the road.
the other exciting thing is my ISV friend Liz is coming to melbourne on friday!!!! she was stationed in NZ, but got moved to melbs. I'm so happy! she loves outdoor activities, and hiking...ect. we are really similar, so i'm thrilled.
I need wireless internet for my laptop in order to get the photos up here... so far haven't had that luxury in melbs. I'll do my best!
overall - great camping trip, great sightseeing and fun! wish my luck at the grodiest hostle ever tonight. only one oother girl in my dorm room, so at least that's good. Oh - and I scamed the receiption guy. he's like, 60years old, and totally out of his mind he was taking like an hour to check me in because he kept talking to other people, or getting distracted. he took my $20 key deposit, but then walked away so i put the $20 back in my wallet. He came back lke 10mins later all "sorry - where were we... where's your case for the key deposit" i said "you took it before you walked away" he then said "where did i put it" i said, "i dont knwo" He then opened his fanny pack to reveal lots of $20's... so he said OK. The room cost $25 - when i check out, i get the $20 key deposit back.. so really the room is only $5. I normally wouldn't do something like this, but it took an hour to check in... so i thought it was fair. Plus, if you saw this hostel, it's not even work $5! it's really grody!
Ok - long entry... sorry!!!
:)
Merry
