One of the things I love doing on our recent holiday was watching the sunrise. I would frequently look at the time for sunrise and get up just before. Fortunately, because of Day Light Savings time sunrise wasn’t until 0700 so my sleep wasn’t really impacted. Below is a mix of the sunrise I was rewarded with.
The other great thing about sunrise in the country was the birds came to life. The cacophony they made was amazing. I love it so much I made a recording of it but unfortunately I am unable to share it through WordPress.
When we arrived at Hopkins Falls it was late afternoon. No-one was around and it was so peaceful. As I had not done any research about the falls I was very surprised. They are said to be one of the widest in Australia. At 90 metres in length and 11 metres in height they were truly worth the trip.
I hope one day to return after a major rain period as I’m sure that with more water flowing over the basalt rocks they would be even more spectacular.
The Great Ocean Road was the main destination of our recent holiday. It is an amazing hand built road that hugs the breath taking Victorian south western coast. Beginning at Tourquay on the Surf Coast, it ends at Warrnambool on the Shipwreck Coast.
The 243 kilometre Great Ocean Road is the world’s longest war memorial. It was built by returned soldiers from World War 1 to remember those who died serving their country. I believe it was also a gift to the world as prior to the road it was very difficult to travel to the towns along its path. The natural beauty it opened up is definitely unique. Building began in 1919, with the first section opening in 1922. The entire length was completed in 1932.
Our journey along the Great Ocean Road took just over a week. We meandered slowly, enjoying what each town has to offer. The views from the road are spectacular. The natural rock formations, rainforests, rugged coastline, world famous surfing beaches as well as glorious local produce. We even had a drink in Australia’s most southern pub.
On the hill overlooking Warrnambool we found this very informative tourist attraction. Flagstaff Hill as it is commonly known is divided into sections. The maritime museum specialising in shipwrecks from the local area. The original lighthouses of the area and Warrnambool Garrison. As well as the village containing 40 buildings based on life in the 19th century port and town.
This area of Australia is called the shipwreck coast in honour of the number of ship that have come to grief on our rugged shoreline. The maritime museum is heritage listed and contains Victoria’s largest maritime and ship wreck collection. Exhibits include stories of survival and salvaged goods many with major historical significance. The prize of the museum is the Loch Ard Peacock. A rare and beautiful statue washed up after the Loch Ard was shipwrecked in 1878. Amazingly it was undamaged. I was mesmorized by her beauty.
The outside village was full of surprises. It is a true replica of that moment in time. Personally, I have never seen so many genuine pieces in one area. The stories of how they came across their display pieces was also fascinating.
At the top of the hill are the two original lighthouses built in1858. They were relocated to their current positions when the fort was built. I love that you could climb into them as well as go through the light house keepers house.
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village was definitely a surprise package with all of its hidden treasures.
Wow I can’t believe it’s April tomorrow. Where has this year gone? For me, over a month was spent travelling around regional New South Wales and Victoria in Truby. (Our Iveco and Slide-on camper). It was our first trip and we had a great time exploring our country and learning about the grey nomad lifestyle. Despite being nearly 60 most of the places we explored I had never been to before. We found many interesting places, history stories, hidden surprises and the amazing natural beauty of Australia.
Initially our aim was to travel the Great Ocean Rd one of Australia’s and possibly one of the world’s most iconic roads. It was truly breathtaking. For our remaining two weeks we made it up as we went along and had a ball. We drove over 4500 kilometres.
Whilst travelling I decided the best way to share my experiences is by again joining the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. This is a world wide blogging challenge that I first joined in 2015. It will be the fourth time that I have participated and each time I have grown as a blogger. The goal is to post every day in April except Sundays. Most people have a theme that connect their blog posts. This is only half of the challenge however. The other equally important part is to visit other blogs and connect through commenting. I love it and have meet some amazing people on my journey and am hoping to meet many more this year.
