January 1st, 2010; it was the start of a new year and the start of a new journey. This was a trip Jenny and I had been discussing for a while, and she planned quite a voyage for the three of us down the Great Ocean Road, a coastal route to the west of Melbourne. Soldiers returning from The Great War faced the prospects of an economy with few jobs for them, so to keep busy they were put to work building a road which would follow the many curves of the coast for a couple hundred kilometres, occasionally going inland for a different kind of scenery. The scenery is phenomenal and hugely popular, taken in by thousands of tourists daily. Kilometre after kilometre of spectacular views awaits for over 200km.
Stopping in the town of Apollo Bay, we enjoyed a quick fish and chips supper before going to learn horseback riding. Opting for a 2.5 hour ride, 
we were kitted up with old boots and smelly helmets before meeting our 16 year old instructor, Will, and meeting our horses. First off, I know 21 isn’t all that old (my age, in case you forgot...) and I still feel quite young a lot of the time; but when I am being taught to ride horses by someone five years my junior...yes, I feel old. I was introduced to Sylvester, an independently minded horse quite used to being ridden by instructors. He tolerated my initial jitters and lack of confidence and with the help of Will, I quickly became confident in my ability to stay on, steer and give speed instructions. Jenny and Paul seemed to be doing quite well, although Jenny’s horse did two of the three necessary actions of life whenever the opportunity presented itself (or made its own opportunities) and Paul’s horse was quite indecisive about speed. The three of us were soon able to trot with some confidence and Will introduced us to the speedy canter. A few minor chaffing injuries aside, the ride went well and was an excellent experience, my first time riding a horse! We all did our own renditions of the cowboy walk (unintentionally) back to the car and tenderly sat down; horseback riding is something you get used to over time. We checked into the simple but clean Great Ocean View Motel in Apollo Bay for a highly anticipated night of sleep.
we were kitted up with old boots and smelly helmets before meeting our 16 year old instructor, Will, and meeting our horses. First off, I know 21 isn’t all that old (my age, in case you forgot...) and I still feel quite young a lot of the time; but when I am being taught to ride horses by someone five years my junior...yes, I feel old. I was introduced to Sylvester, an independently minded horse quite used to being ridden by instructors. He tolerated my initial jitters and lack of confidence and with the help of Will, I quickly became confident in my ability to stay on, steer and give speed instructions. Jenny and Paul seemed to be doing quite well, although Jenny’s horse did two of the three necessary actions of life whenever the opportunity presented itself (or made its own opportunities) and Paul’s horse was quite indecisive about speed. The three of us were soon able to trot with some confidence and Will introduced us to the speedy canter. A few minor chaffing injuries aside, the ride went well and was an excellent experience, my first time riding a horse! We all did our own renditions of the cowboy walk (unintentionally) back to the car and tenderly sat down; horseback riding is something you get used to over time. We checked into the simple but clean Great Ocean View Motel in Apollo Bay for a highly anticipated night of sleep.The 2nd was a day for sightseeing and we made the most of it, driving to the end of the famous road. The road has frequent pull off areas for sightseeing, each with its own magnificent view. We visited such 
misnamed sights as the 12 Apostles (rock structures just off the coast, and no, there are not 12 of them) and London Bridge (a formerly dual arched rock structure which collapsed earlier this year, leaving only one arch). We tried to spot a ship wreck in Loch Ard Gorge, named for the ship which crashed there over a hundred years ago (we were unsuccessful, and I believe the ship itself is long gone, smashed to pieces on the rocks). We took a trip down a side road and spotted at least 20 koala bears in the wild, getting as close as 2m to one which was happily munching away on eucalyptus. It was a wonderfully relaxing day filled with gorgeous scenery and scenic drives, but after a full day of sightseeing, bed back at the Ocean View Motel was the most welcome kind of attraction.
misnamed sights as the 12 Apostles (rock structures just off the coast, and no, there are not 12 of them) and London Bridge (a formerly dual arched rock structure which collapsed earlier this year, leaving only one arch). We tried to spot a ship wreck in Loch Ard Gorge, named for the ship which crashed there over a hundred years ago (we were unsuccessful, and I believe the ship itself is long gone, smashed to pieces on the rocks). We took a trip down a side road and spotted at least 20 koala bears in the wild, getting as close as 2m to one which was happily munching away on eucalyptus. It was a wonderfully relaxing day filled with gorgeous scenery and scenic drives, but after a full day of sightseeing, bed back at the Ocean View Motel was the most welcome kind of attraction.On the 3rd we drove back to Melbourne taking our time to do some hikes through the forest, having mostly recovered from the horseback riding. In this part of Australia, you can park in the middle of a eucalypt forest, walk five minutes and suddenly find yourself in a hot and humid rainforest. Trekking through the rainforest, your ears are treated to many foreign sounds of animals heard but not seen and your nose is gently assaulted
by the smell of dead flora decomposing on the moist forest floor. The rainforest holds many scenic delights; waterfalls, great fern forests and streams are just a few of the things we admired on our hike. Getting late, we continued our drive back to Melbourne in time for Jenny to go to work that evening (what a trooper she is!). The roads are twisty-turny, but well maintained and a pleasure to be a passenger on. Paul expertly navigated the car despite the cliff edge roads, erratic tourists trying to sightsee and drive simultaneously, and managed to stay positive through the whole experience. Serious kudos to Paul for that one!
by the smell of dead flora decomposing on the moist forest floor. The rainforest holds many scenic delights; waterfalls, great fern forests and streams are just a few of the things we admired on our hike. Getting late, we continued our drive back to Melbourne in time for Jenny to go to work that evening (what a trooper she is!). The roads are twisty-turny, but well maintained and a pleasure to be a passenger on. Paul expertly navigated the car despite the cliff edge roads, erratic tourists trying to sightsee and drive simultaneously, and managed to stay positive through the whole experience. Serious kudos to Paul for that one!The Great Ocean Road is frequented by hundreds of busses loaded with tourists, and if you intend on seeing sights like the 12 Apostles, be 
prepared to battle your way through great tourist hoards. Locations like the rainforest walk are less popular and far more solitary, but regardless of the presence of other tourists (as much as I would like to deny it, I’m just another tourist) all of the sights hold their own allure. There’s a reason thousands of tourists travel the road daily and the feast for all five senses is guaranteed to leave awestruck. Yes, there are annoyances; but past the crowds, price gouging, erratic drivers and tourist traps is one of the world’s must do drives – and it’s a must for a reason.
prepared to battle your way through great tourist hoards. Locations like the rainforest walk are less popular and far more solitary, but regardless of the presence of other tourists (as much as I would like to deny it, I’m just another tourist) all of the sights hold their own allure. There’s a reason thousands of tourists travel the road daily and the feast for all five senses is guaranteed to leave awestruck. Yes, there are annoyances; but past the crowds, price gouging, erratic drivers and tourist traps is one of the world’s must do drives – and it’s a must for a reason.
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