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Great Ocean Road

I wouldn’t say road trips are something that naturally appeals to me but I’ve heard so many fantastic reports about the great ocean road that it seemed sensible to put my natural instinct aside and experiment.

Mini Adventure

Stucros
2007-03-08 17:17:08

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a look but for me and unfortunately the bus loads of visitors these are undoubtable the highlight!
From there the road heads inland for quite some
distance into the national park which landscape has been compared to Scotland's...... I would agree with is but would contest anyone trying to compare the weather or experience. I was quite a nice stretch to open up the mini and see what it could do. Venturing back on to the ocean the drive from Appolo bay to Lorne is quite simply stunning. Passing countless pristine and deserted beaches every corner has a postcard perfect view behind it. Spoilt for choice we stopped off at one for a little dip.
Lorne is quite an expensive place to live or visit and while I like to 'travel' in style sleeping can be budgeted especially if is a room simply for 8 hours and a shower. We stayed at the local private backpackers joint I really only mention this as Paul mentioned to someone that night that we were driving a 80,000aud car but staying in 10bucks a night hostel.... Driving like kings sleeping like peasants, I suppose, and I don't really mind the contradiction!

From Lorne we finished the last stretch of the famous road and stopped off at Bells Beach which is famous amongst surfers (it gets a mention in Point Break)..... and there where loads there but no waves really? With the road behind us we headed to Queens Cliff to catch the car ferry to Sorrento...... Sorrento is a lovely seaside town on the tip of the harbour heads and like its Italian equivalent is a getaway for the rich from the nearest major city. A spot of lunch and we headed up to some vine yards Mornington Peninsula (1 of the 5 wine growing regions around Melbourne). Strangely though we ended up in a strawberry farm which produced anything in the berry variety. It was actually the scene of a very nice reality check. Paul and I had been quite surprised how much the mini had been turning heads during the trip as they are quite common now but here I saw a familiar gather round looking at the car..... with the roof down my 'London reaction' set in and I was quite alarmed but then they stepped away and a boy of perhaps 12 had his picture taken by it. It's amazing how time flies but it seems only yesterday I was that kid having my picture taken next to cars.

Reflecting on my first road trip in ages...... I think it's not road trips that don't appeal to me as much as being stuck on small congested roads in the UK going nowhere wondering if there has been an accident or if it's just busy. I'm mad for some more road trips but I think the standard has been set with the mini cooper