So two things you should note: Never revisit places you thought were awesome. I have the bestest sweetie in the entire universe.
I slept ok I think, woke up early as per usual. At 7am I looked out the window and it was sunny. And I immediately felt anxious. I felt like we needed to be out seeing things while there was sunlight and no cloud in case the cloud closed in. But the sweetie sensed (ok I told him) my anxiety and basically hopped right out of bed and got ready to go. Like I said, seriously the bestest sweetie in the universe. We were out the door at 8:20 with only snackages for breakfast.
First stop was Gibson Beach to get a photo of the eastern-most Apostles in the morning sunlight. It was very misty but you don't really notice it up close.
Rocks at Gibson Beach
Rocky island at Gibson Beach
Peninsula south east of the Twelve Apostles from Gibson Beach. I've been to the end of that peninsula and even in that little hole
Rocky islands at Gibson Beach
Then to the Twelve Apostles.
As I noted above, never revisit places you thought were awesome back in the day. As with the Grampians, everyone is so risk averse because of such a litigious society that the things that were awesome back in the day have now been completely fenced off. In fact the whole day was like this - the vast majority of awesome photo spots no longer exist because they're too afraid that someone will fall off a cliff, or even less likely, some part of a cliff will fall into the ocean and someone will be killed. This whole area used to be a photographer's paradise. Now it's just a boring tourist trap, with very little of note (compared with the old days).
So the Twelve Apostles. One of them fell down a while back so there's even less of them now. And the peninsula you used to be able to go out on to get the best photos (east and west) is completely closed off (to build a massive monstrosity of a lookout) and there's only one sub-par west facing view you can get. There's a massive parking area on the north side of the Great Ocean Road, and you have to walk back under the road to get to the (currently) only lookout. Epic disappointment.
The Twelve Apostles. Not that there were ever twelve, but one fell down some years back.
The Twelve Apostles
The Twelve Apostles
Then to Loch Ard Gorge and the walks around there. The only good lookout of Island Arch is from Tom and Eva lookout, except the arch fell down a while back so now it's just a couple of rock pillars. I walked all the way out to the end of the peninsula, but all the lookouts are now gone except for one really crap one of Razorback. It was so crap I didn't even think it was worth going back in the afternoon to see the better lighting of it (there's nowhere left to see the whole island - it's all blocked by fences and scrub).
Island Arch from Tom and Eva Lookout. Except the arch fell down a few years ago.
The arch falling down did open up this view towards the arch on Mutton Bird Island
The Razorback. There's nowhere anymore that you can get a few of this whole island - it's all fenced off and overgrown with scrub
Went back to collect the sweetie who'd been waiting in the car. Told him to go up to Tom and Eva lookout while I walked all the way up to the end for Island Arch Lookout, which wasn't too bad, but again cut off access to interesting views.
Mutton Bird Island
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Then we both headed down into Loch Ard Gorge and had a wander around. Once, again, things such as the cave were cut off that never used to be, so couldn't reproduce photos from 1994. But it was still very nice.
Loch Ard Gorge
Caves at the end of Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Caves at the end of Loch Ard Gorge
Then we drove around to the car park for Mutton Bird Island and I walked out for the very nice view, but yet again, more good vantage points have been fenced off.
Arch in Mutton Bird Island
Mutton Bird Island (left)
Mutton Bird Island (right)
Cliffs near Mutton Bird Island
Then we had a rest by driving all the way out to Peterborough. We had a little drive through the town first.
Rocks near Peterborough
Ok
Then out to Bay of Islands, which was just lovely, probably as good as Twelve Apostles.
Rocky islands at Bay of Islands
Rocky islands at Bay of Islands
Cliffs at Bay of Islands
And Bay of Martyrs.
Beach at Bay of Martyrs
Cliffs at Bay of Martyrs
Bay of Martyrs
Went down to The Grotto. By this time (probably midday at this point) the tourists were out in force and I was worried we wouldn't be able to get a photo of the place without people in it. Well it turns out they've now fenced off (what else is new) the bottom of it, and there's no climbing signs everywhere. Great. Except *multiple* buttplugs decided to ignore the signs and get in everyone else's view anyway. Fricken I *hate* people.
The top of The Grotto
Cliffs near The Grotto
The Grotto
The Grotto
Another stop at London Bridge in better light.
London Bridge
London Bridge
Then back into Port Campbell. We picked up some takeaway fish and chips, but there was nowhere shady at the beach to sit, so we sat in the car, which had the added bonuses of air conditioning and no flies.
Then we came back to the motel to collapse for an hour.
After the sweetie had a bit of a sleep, we went back to Loch Ard Gorge to see the cemetery.
Cemetery near Loch Ard Gorge
There was a slightly off path opportunity to get a distant photo off Mutton Bird Island, so I took it. I'll take that risk of the cliff falling into the ocean thankyouverymuch.
Mutton Bird Island
Then out to Thunder Cave. My parents have photos of being *in* that cave. Certainly no way you could do that now. You can barely even *see* the cave/gorge due to scrub they don't keep clear.
Thunder Cave
Thunder Cave
Inlet at Thunder Cave
On the way back was the blow hole, another casualty of our risk-averse-due-to-litigious society. It's not marked anywhere that it's there and there's really no way to see it. There's one track that passes sort of near by, and if you sneak through the fence there's only a slightly better view of it.
The Blowhole. Only it's not listed on any maps anymore and you can't get anywhere near it to get a photo. Unless you jump the fence.
The Blowhole
Got a couple of snaps of Loch Ard Gorge in the afternoon sunlight.
Loch Ard Gorge
Then we passed by a couple of lookouts that I hadn't been to previously and didn't have many people so that was nice.
Sentinel Rock from The Bakers Oven lookout
Sentinel Rock from The Bakers Oven lookout
Waves crashing against the cliffs near Thunder Cave (from Bakers Oven)
Waves crashing against the cliffs on the Great Ocean Road
Cliffs and rocks from Goudies Track
Waves crashing against the cliffs near the Bakers Oven (from Goudies Track lookout)
Came back to the motel and had a couple of beers, then walked into town and got some three cheese pizza and garlic bread which was very nice but the sweetie will probably suffer for it later ;)
Stu and the three cheese pizza we had for dinner
Then back, to do photos/blogging/etc.
Rereading this entry it's basically disappointment after disappointment. I doubt that I'd ever come back here, or even recommend it to anyone. Unless they had a time machine and could go back thirty years. Sure, there was some nice stuff still, but only a fraction of what there used to be. So sad.
See also my panoramas from Day 8.
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