Monday 7 December 2009

G'day!


I am slightly concerned that Phil and I have been a little negative about Australia since we’ve arrived. We certainly didn’t mean to come across this way and it certainly isn’t how we feel in our heart of hearts. The bottom line is Oz just isn’t what we anticipated and why should it be? Given that we haven’t done any serious intelligent research before we came out other than watching ‘Crocodile Dundee’ ten million times, our expectation versus the reality is only to be expected. Plus you have to remember that Oz doesn’t get a whole lot of media coverage in the UK and I’m ashamed to say that I don’t even know who the current president is at the moment. How ignorant am I? Maybe just plain stupid is what you’re thinking. And yeah, you would be right.




One thing positive I can tell you, is that the Oz folk that we’ve met so far have been great. We met Elaine and Mick and Lynn in Goa, all from Oz a few years back and we shared some great times. The people in Melbourne are just as friendly, open and always willing to help you. You can even have a proper conversation with staff in the shops in Berwick and they appear to be genuinely interested in you. I have to say, it makes a welcome and somewhat refreshing change from home. Poor Geoff & Denise are in for a nasty shock when they encounter the reluctant, reserved and grumpy Brits (or should I say poms?) in the UK. Friends and family excluded of course!


I am also liking, the architecture here; houses are all different in design and you don’t seem to get any same two houses next to each other. Brilliant and I love the individuality aspect. Also they are so big inside. I have only seen the inside of Arlene’s house but that seems so big that it makes our house in the cul-de-sac look like a rabbit hutch. The Australians also seem to cater much better for the tourist than we do at home. Better information points, good toilets, excellent motels for a good price. The average Oz motel would be the equivalent of our ‘Premier Inns’. The motel we stayed in on Saturday night in Port Campbell , the Sea Foam Villa-com-motel www.seafoamvillas.com was fabulous; it even had a washing machine. The motel that we stayed in last night, the Keith Motor Inn in a little town called Keith wasn’t as modern but still adequately equipped and comfortable. It has cost us 94 Oz dollars per night without breakfast. www.keithmotorinn.websyte.com.au.



The Great Ocean Road was incredible. It was built after the first world war by a load of veterans on a make-work scheme. According to the guide book it took 14 years to construct. You can see why at once because for most of its 187 miles it swoops along an impossibly challenging coastline in a hair- raising manner, barrelling around rocky headlands and clinging to the edges of sheer and crumbling cliffs. So demanding of attention are the endless hairpin bends that you scarcely have a moment to notice the views but we did stop off here and there to view the occasional pinnacles of rock in the water created by the tireless erosive might of the sea. Okay, it might have been more spectacular without the clouds and the rain but even so, if you ever come Melbourne way, you have to drive the Great Ocean Road or do a tour. We wanted to test it out before Ian & Jane arrive on the 17th December but having done it now, in reality, it’s too far to go as they will only be in Melbourne for 3 days.



Yesterday was a long day of driving through fairly empty roads on a featureless expanse once we got on the highway. To alleviate the boredom and to pass the time, Phil sang me his very own of version ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘Skippy the bush Kangaroo’. He got excited every time we spotted a ‘Beware of Kangaroo’ sign but we didn’t see even one single roo on the road. We left Port Campbell just before 10am only stopping briefly for some LPG and fried chicken. We stumbled upon the Keith Motor Inn around 4pm. http://www.keithmotorinn.com.au/.


The sun had come to play so we dumped our back-pack in the room and walked into town for a cold beer. It was Sunday so everything was pretty much closed but we found a lovely pub with a beer a garden and stayed for a cold one. Last night we chilled, had some wine, blogged, recovered from the drive and watched TV until we went to sleep.


Today we have got 150 miles to drive until we reach Adelaide. Since we left Berwick on Saturday we guess we have driven approximately 500 miles. I’m a bit anxious about driving into the city of Adelaide with no hotel booked. But that’s how we usually do things. Sling the back-pack in the boot; head into town and hope for the best. It doesn’t usually go the want we want it too but usually it all pans out in the end. I don’t suppose I’d want it any other way??? Jeezz, did I really just type that? I must be crazier than I thought.


G’day folks – it’s time to hit the road!

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