Update from Melbourne!

Dear Readers, we're getting really behind with the blog here! Dodging the showers in Melbourne seems to have taken up a lot of time! The Great Ocean Road seems a long time ago now. Couldn't get over the sheer scale of metro Melbourne - the drive from Adelaide was 1300km, but racked up a further 500km in 4 days of motoring around Melbourne before handing the trusty Toyota back. Commuting must be a way of life for most folks here but the population is growing faster than the infrastructure, so train problems, traffic delays and water shortages are common.
Downtown Melbourne could be mistaken for Hong Kong or Taipei at times.... the extent of immigration from Asia is another local theme.
My 2 weeks in Melbourne has been a mix of scenic trips around the Dandenong Mountains and Yarra Ranges NP (including a free ride on the footplate of "Puffing Billy", the local steam railway) and endurance walks around city attractions such as the Botanic Gardens, the fabulous State War Memorial, various Art Galleries & Melbourne Museum. Despite some shocking weather, its been great, and there'll be plenty of pics to follow.
Current location, Cockatoo...its 1.5 hrs on public transport to the city from here
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=-37.933638,145.489197&spn=0.133498,0.263672&z=12

1 December - off to Tasmania for the next major installment. In the meantime, I'll try and get you up to date with some photos!

P.

Great Ocean Road - limestone spectacles!

15 November
Whilst the Twelve Apostles is the most pictured view from the Great Ocean Road, there are actually many more lookouts along the coast between Port Fairy and Melbourne. Dramatic views of limestone rock formations, shaped by the ocean over 100s of years. With fewer tourists and a less commercialised setting, these were actually the more satisfying spectacles. It was a blustery, overcast day, making for a more raw experience than the one seen in your average picture postcard. From west to east…..
Bay of Islands

Bay of Martyrs

The Grotto

London Bridge…the main arch connecting London Bridge to the mainland collapsed into the sea in 1990

The Arch

Blowhole - waves surging through this tunnel cause compression of the air, creating blasts of spray
Thunder Cave

Razorback

Loch Ard Wreck Site (location of a 19C ship disaster)

Back to the coast - Port Fairy

14-15 November
After the dramatic scenery of the Grampians, it was time to head for the coast. First stop, Port Fairy, a delightful seaside resort which is sheltered from the Southern Ocean by Griffiths Island. This island was the base for profitable 19th century sealer and whaling operations but has long since reverted to nature and is now a breeding ground for burrow-dwelling Short Tailed Shearwaters, locally known as “Mutton Birds”. Pictured here is a very tame night heron - the shearwaters only come out at night!
There are also wallabies on the island and a small lighthouse. Its connected to the mainland by a small causeway and made for a pleasant evening’s circum-navigation(after a huge portion of fish n chips!).
I saw a wallaby on the sand flats next to the causeway. It hopped to the water’s edge and continued into the water, even getting out of its depth in places. Eventually it found its way to the mainland, climbed out, shook itself dry and continued into the shrubbery - so, maybe kangaroos can swim - who’d have believed it?!

14km east of Port Fairy is a place called Tower Hill - this is a huge ancient volcanic crater. Victoria’s first national park, it had special significance for the aboriginal people of the region, primarily as a source of food. European settlers mucked it all up for them by clearing the trees and putting sheep in there but the damage has been repaired in recent decades and its now rich in indigenous flora and fauna. You can drive into the crater and stop off for nature walks and guided tours. Saw lots of emus, and my first wild koala up a tree!

The Grampians - walks, waterfalls and Wonderland

13 November
From Halls Gap, you can drive to various look outs in the surrounding hills. The car parks for these serve as base camp for a number of interesting walks through some great scenery.

Boroka Lookout - views of Halls Gap in the valley, and the reservoir beyond

MacKenzie Falls - lots of steps down to the base of these pretty falls.

Reid Lookout and the Balconies

Grand Canyon, Silent Street and the Pinnacle - Most satisfying of all - a strenuous 5km stroll/scramble through varied scenery with fabulous views over the "Wonderland" range from the aptly named summit

In Jan 2006, bush fires took out 131,000 hectares of the Grampians NP. Scorched trunks are everywhere but the extent of the re-growth is the most remarkable thing - no lack of greenery, and even the most damaged trees have new branches sprouting from the ground upwards .

The Grampians - sanctuary at the YHA!

12 October
Arrived at Halls Gap in the Grampians National Park, 575km from Adelaide, tired from driving and with a streaming cold :-(
Passed several kangaroos on the way into town - the dusk scenery gave a tantalising glimpse of what the Grampians have to offer!
The lovely people at the YHA gave me my own room - genuine comfort and quiet for just AUD30 a night! This is an ECO hostel - guests are encouraged to save water and recycle wherever possible. It’s a brilliant base for exploring the local hills, and the view from the room balconies (yes, its true, balconies) is one of eucalyptus covered hillsides and dramatic skies, accompanied by flocks of noisy parrots and cockatoos. Kangaroos come into town at dusk - it’s a “close to nature” kind of place.

The Long Road to Melbourne - Naracoorte Caves

12 October
The drive from Adelaide to Melbourne is a long one, but luckily there are plenty of outstanding stopovers.

400km from Adelaide is the Naracoorte Cave National Park.

This is South Australia’s only World Heritage listed site, and apparently featured in “Life on Earth". Since their discovery in the 1800s, the underground limestone caves have yielded all manner of bones and fossils which have enabled scientists to identify early Aussie “mega fauna”, as well as the history of current species such as the Bent Wing Bats which live in the one of the caves today. Tens of thousands of these bats are observed using infra red cameras. Its one of only 2 sites where they breed, hence the species is “critically endangered” and carefully protected.
Some fantastic skies made the rest of the drive more interesting - cotton wool clouds against an infinite blueness, with the parched land beneath.

South Australia has a real water shortage problem. The Murray River has sustained the region for generations, but it seems that climate change, demand from wineries and generally wasteful habits have meant that its “situation critical” now. I heard that with restrictions on irrigation, the largest wine producers could well go out of business. Stock up on Jacobs Creek - it may not be available 5 years from now!

Adelaide

10-11 November

Two delightful days in Adelaide (GMT+10.5hrs, a 3.5 hour flight from Perth).

Perfect weather for enjoying the architecture and cultivated setting of Adelaide which doesn’t have the “new money, 4WD” feel of Perth. The city centre was well planned by Colonel Light in the 1800s - very compact, with a well preserved “green belt” of parkland all around the centre. Within this, most of the visitor interest seems confined to 2 or 3 streets. The highlight is North Terrace which has some great architecture, and various visitor attractions:

Art Gallery of South Australia - a real gem, with displays of early colonial paintings, some European masters, aboriginal and Asian art, and some contemporary stuff (even this wasn‘t too pretentious). The colonial art was most interesting - early Aussie scenes in oil colours, through the eyes of European artists. The natural vibrancy and mood of the Oz environment was well reflected in the pictures which are much brighter than the sort of thing you’d see in European galleries from the same period. Hard to imagine what the artists must have made of this place when they arrived after months at sea. A whole new world in every sense of the expression.
South Australian Museum - whale and dolphin skeletons (including an ENORMOUS sperm whale). More information about Oz fossils than you could ever read in a single visit and a rubber Giant Squid that occupies 3 floors of the building - scary beast!

Botanic Gardens - very familiar layout after Kew, Cambridge etc. The Amazon Waterlily Pavilion provides the environment for said plant to thrive this side of the planet!

The glass Palm House dates from 1876; recently restored, it now has some exquisite plant life.

North Adelaide, on the opposite bank of the River Torrens has the Adelaide Oval. Spent time here lazing in the shade, watching day two of a four day test between South Australia and WA.

The riverside area is great, an open expanse for walking, picnics, rowing etc - the boat houses were reminiscent of Cambridge.

Lots of Asian food options in Adelaide - enjoyed two Chinese dinners, and a great Italian meal in the authentic “Amalfi”.