Adelaide to Melbourne via Great Ocean Road

Adelaide to Melbourne

It is said that to repeat a procedure a second time is much more efficient than the first because most of the learning has already been done. So it proved to be with this, the return trip after Cooper and I trailed the path from Melbourne to Adelaide during the Easter break earlier in the year.

 Adelaide

30th August – McLaren Vale

Standing on the front door of spring, it was time to raise my motorbike out of its winter hibernation where it had quietly sat at my patient friend Joanna’s house in Adelaide and begin its 3000km journey home to QLD. 

As Eva, Joanna and Elson socialized in the living room I unburdened the bike from its covers and riding gear I had left to dry after my Kangaroo Island experience in early June. To my delight the battery eagerly glowed in all the right places and the beautiful, shiny 1600cc engine sprung to life at its first beaconing. After the usual checks were completed I joined the team for a scrumptious dinner, relishing the opportunity to catch up with dear friends who I usually only get the chance to speak to over the phone.

September 1st – Spring! 

8.00am

As the bulk of commuters headed off to work, we headed into Adelaide with a different agenda.  First stop was breakfast at the  East Terrace Continental (ETC) overlooking the Botanical Gardens.  To prepare ourselves for the 400km ahead we took a walk through Rundle mall and checked out the limestone museum, churches and university that helps make the city the enchanting environment it is.

Following the coast 

Soon enough we found ourselves following the coast down the Fleurieu Peninsular past Glenelg and  Brighton out to the gem of the region McLaren Vale.

McLaren Vale 

The whole region is littered with some of Australia’s best and most renowned vinyards. Mclaren Vale, known specifically for its fine reds and dinning is harder to eat and drink your way through town than it is to walk it! Having satisfied our palettes and sent several boxes of wine to the Sunshine Coast we continued our march east to Victor Harbor.

Victor Harbor

Passing over Mount Compass we wound our way into Victor Harbor for some lunch and a stretch of the legs before heading off to Goolwa. Goolwa sits on the Moyne river and for me is best remembered as the location for the movie Storm Boy, a classic book penned by Colin Thiele which made a big impact on me as a youngster. With the sun making better time across the horizon than us we left the pretty town all to quickly to cross the long stretch of salt land to Kingston, our coastal overnight stop.

On the way over Cooper and I had headed inland on the advice of the touring guides who described the stretch as boring and uneventful. As we raced the sun the salt land had filled with water leaving the Coorong alive with the sounds and antics of the birds on the water turned red from the reflections of the setting sun.

Friday 2nd September – Kingston -  Port Fairy

Having traveled the better part of 500km the day before and still trying to thaw out from the cold overnight air we were a little stiff as we climbed aboard for our second day contemplating  another long run over the border and into the Victorian town of Port Fairy

Robe

Robe should have been a short run from Kingston and the tensions (and sore bottoms) were exposed when I took a route that added another 50km. Having stopped for petrol Eva walked into town to get some feeling back into her posterior giving me a head start on coffee and breakfast! A beautiful town with more to offer than Kingston we reluctantly saddled up and took the scenic route through to beautiful Beachport, the blue lake of Mt Gambier, Neilson and Portland, racing the setting sun into Port Fairy.

Saturday 3rd September –

Port Fairy - Apollo Bay  

Satisfied with a huge steak at the Caledonian Hotel where we stayed and a fitful night sleep it was time to get up and watch the pretty town come to life as the sun heated up the limestone buildings framed in their manicured gardens.At the Hub we conveniently found space on the 

couch by the log fire discussing with the locals the AFL football results and how warm it was with the sun coming out!  The Harbor is a picture of tranquility and serenity lined with boats tied to the wharf straddling to the houses taking advantage of the vista. All too soon it was time to head off to Warnambool, the self proclaimed Capital of the Great Ocean Road!

We brunched at Simons at the local surf club overlooking the bay. We were on lookout for Southern Great Whales but alas none were forthcoming this particular morning.

The Great Ocean Road   

After 900 odd kilometers of relatively unbroken road we wound off the rolling paddocks of cows and farmland into the precipice where the sheer limestone rock rises dramatically out from the unrelenting water creating ever changing sculptures in the rock formations around this spectacular coastline.

Bay of Islands/Martyrs 

Here we were on and off the bike every 300m or so as different vantage points gave different perspectives. The last structure is the London bridge which is still impressive despite having half of its top collapsing into the sea in the early nineties. 

12 Apostles 

The most famous collection of formations on the coastline, there are now only eight remaining but never the less are a major tourist drawcard for good reason.

Loch Ard Gorge.

Named after the schooner that was dashed on the rocks here in a horrible storm in 1878. The ship sailing from England with a crew of 36 was predominately carrying the Carmichael family of 18 to stay with their sick father. With the ship  stuck firmly on Mutton bird Island the few life jackets available were handed out to passengers leaving the crew to fend for themselves. Unfortunately it didn’t help them much and all but 18yr old Eva Carmichael perished, desperately clinging to parts of the ship as it broke up. The fate of the crew was no better with 35 crew doing the honorable thing and going down with the ship. As young Eva drifted between the rock formations  Tom, a young seamen who had miraculously washed onto the small beach saw her plight and swam out and pulled her ashore before scaling the cliff to find help!

 Today, with a light offshore breeze and no swell, it was hard to look past the sheer beauty mother nature had offered us.

Port Campbell

Smack in the middle of the cliffs there is a little oasis called Port Campbell. From seemingly nowhere  man has included a swell prone jetty and surf club  on a beautiful lawn overlooked by a hotel and a variety of cafes and take away outlets. 

Apollo Bay 

Despite having only travelled less than 150km in the day we were seriously running out of sunlight again so we bypassed Cape Ottaway (see easter ride story) and made our way through the State forest and Great Ottaway National Park to Apollo Bay  

Apollo Bay - Queenscliffe 

Seaview Motel.

Set back from the main strip we stayed at the Seaview Motel. I mention them specifically because on both trips they gave us generous rates to their lovely units and more importantly allowed me to park the bike in their garage leaving me a remote key for private access. As both times we had overnight rain it was very much appreciated. Both Tracey and Luke were very accommodating and  friendly to our cause.

A gem of a ride!

 Having donned the wet weather gear with some light rain on departure we enjoyed a sparkling and magic ride as the road hugged the coast. North of Apollo bay the limestone and its characteristics are left behind and replaced with rolling green hills and valleys jutting out in a more random manor into the ocean. The coast from here is known as the Surf Coast with Torquay being the pinnacle as the birthplace for surf companies such as Rip Curl and Billabong. 

Lorne 

 The 45kms from Apollo Bay to Lorne is never more than a stones throw from the ocean and as we ducked and weaved around the headlands and inlets the road slowly dried out leaving us with a spectacular view of the scenery ahead and out to sea. All too quickly we found ourselves at the seaside town of Lorne and warming seats  at the the bathers pavilion right on the water sipping white wine with our fathers day meal listening to french music softly filling the air! Life surely doesn’t get much better than this!

Monday – Mornington Peninsular 

Ferry Ride across the Bay

After  an enjoyable and soothing ferry ride across Port Phillip  Bay from Queenscliffe to Sorrento I was stunned  by the beauty of this eastern side of the peninsular. With its obvious wealth and prosperity it enjoys a majestic view over a waterway which today was bathed in sun and crystal clear water lapping onto its sandy beaches.

Melbourne Revealed 

I have never quite got melbourne. Sydney has the familiarity of home, Brisbane is built around a lovely waterway breaking up its intensity. Adelaide is small and beautiful with its wide, tree lined streets and Perth has a nice ambience to it. I have always wanted to like the capital of Victoria, but I have never felt like I understood it. As we cruised out to Portsea and looked at the spectacular coastline north it was almost matched by the architecture of the mansions sharing the view and the impressive variations of protection from the road and public. Not as much a fronting  as interesting and austere.

The final run 

As we covered the last 80kms into Melbourne we followed the coastal path taking us up through Rye, Rosebud, Dromana, and Mornington. The whole coast was a glut of beauty with its seaside towns backing onto the bay with the famous beach sheds nestled into the tops of the beach lines. I have only ever heard of them so I had a much better appreciation of them and how their owners might come down for a day at the beach already having their toys and necessities waiting for them. AS the traffic slowly built up and the number of traffic lights indicated how close we were to our destination we met up with friends Axi and Farzard back where it all began for me at Easter- the West Beach Bathers Pavilion for some lunch 

on the deck soaking up the sun on this spectacular Melbourne day. All to soon I left Eva,Axi and Farzard  for the storage shed at Tullamarine, a short ride from the airport . Having tucked my bike away it was time to fly home and start preparing for the next part of the adventure. 10 days travelling the 2000km from Melbourne to Brisbane following the legendary NSW  south coast before traversing the great dividing range through to home!

 If anyone has any comments or enquiries about the trip or would like some advice in organising their own adventure here please feel free to drop me an e mail at 

d_shippo@yahoo.com.au

David