The Great Ocean Road is a very hilly, winding road along the ocean from Melbourne to Adelaide. Of course we were not able to travel the whole distance today.
The road was dug by hand by Anzac "diggers" who had returned from WWI. For some of them it was the only work to be had. It's an amazing stretch of roadway, and is now paved, but still tricky to drive.
Along the way we stopped at a beach and watched some surfers. It was fascinating to watch them catch a wave, stand up, and ride the curl of the wave till it broke. It wasn't a very warm day, so all the surfers were geared up with wetsuits.
Next stop was Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge - which used to have two arches, but one has collapsed. Apparently two people were stranded on the remaining part of the bridge when it collapsed and had to be rescued by helicopter.
We also stopped at Port Campbell National Park where we visited a very old cemetery from a ship that crashed on the rocks. Only two people survived - a woman and the cabin boy. The shipwreck is featured in the moving The River Aways Runs, which we watched on the bus on the way back to Melbourne. We took a different, more direct route back as it was about 1-1/2 hours faster, and also because the bus has difficulty negotiating the bends in the Great Ocean Road in the opposite direction.
OUR ITINERARY **NEW, REVISED AND UP TO DATE**
- If we're going to be in your city and you want to get together for a cup of coffee, leave a message at our hotel, or send me an email ahead of time at shakos@sympatico.ca - we'll try to rendezvous with you. That would be great fun!
- Sat. Oct. 20 - Arrive in Christchurch, New Zealand and stay at the Copthorne Central Hotel, phone 03 379 5880.
- Mon. Oct. 22 - TranzAlpine Train ride to Franz Josef, staying at the Franz Josef Glacier Hotel, phone 03 752 0729.
- Tues. Oct. 23 - Queenstown, staying at the Novotel Gardens, phone 03 442 7750.
- Thurs. Oct. 25 - Te Anau, staying at the Village Inn, phone 03-249 7911.
- Fri. Oct. 26 - Dunedin, staying at the Dunedin City Hotel, phone 03 470 1470. Hope to meet Chris Davies for coffee while we're there.
- Sat. Oct. 27 - Mount Cook National Park, staying at The Hermitage Hotel, phone 03 435 1809.
- Sun. Oct. 28 - Back at the Copthorne Central Hotel in Christchurch, phone 03 379 5580 till Oct. 30th. We'll then take the ferry to the North Island and stay with Beulah from Oct. 30th, till November 5th.
- Mon. Nov. 5 - Pick up a car for a self-drive tour to Auckland. (Biting my nails as you guys drive on the wrong side of the road - giggle). Stay at the Lakeland Resort, Taupo, phone 07 378 3893 on the 5th, and at the Heritage Rotorua on the 6th and 7th, phone 07 348 1189.
- Thurs. Nov. 8 - Arrive in Auckland and stay with Lizzie and her husband John. I've promised to teach an ink and oil rouging design for Lizzie while I'm there.
- Mon. Nov. 12 - It's all over but the curtain calls. Fly from Auckland back to Los Angeles, where we will stay a week with my aunt. A good chance to shake off some of the jet lag.
- Sun. Nov. 18 - Back in Canada. All good things have to come to an end. The memories, however, will last a lifetime.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
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