The Tour... The End

Last big one guys... hope I haven't bored you all too much!


Day 8 : Adelaide to The Grampians
Farrah and I were up earlier than expected when one of the girls in our room flicked on the light switch at 5:30 a.m. (more on my hostel etiquette pet-peeves in another post...). We got up anyway, grabbed our bags and headed down to the Adventure Tours office a little after 6:00 to meet up with our new guide.

A bunch of familiar sleepy faces greeted us when we arrived, including Daniel! He had kept his word and had come to see us off. I was so impressed. Even with his Casanova ways, Daniel is still one of the greatest guys I've met on my travels. He and I truly became friends on the tour, and if I ever make it to Brazil, he's promised me a party.

Sean was also at the office that morning. He'd told us he'd be doing the same tour in reverse, leaving the same day as we were on our way to Melbourne. I found out that one of my roommates was going to be on Sean's tour, and when she asked me what he was like, I settled on the diplomatic "don't expect much, and hopefully you'll be surprised..."

Our new guide was great. Her name is Dee and she's fairly new to Adventure Tours. This meant a lot of energy, and a lot of knowledge about the territory we were travelling through, which she was always keen to share with us.

Our bus was packed for the three-day tour, and the group was awesome. Three days on the road is definitely enough time to get to know each other, but not enough for the theatrics to begin, and I was again thankful that the company had split the tour into two parts.

There was another Canadian on board, and with a coincidence that was getting freaky, she was also from just outside Ottawa, in Cornwall. Her name is Caroline, and she's been trekking her way through Australia before going to New Zealand to meet up with her older brother.

Dee warned us that we would be on the road for a few long stretches, but that she was going to get the worst of it out of the way that day. We drove for almost three hours, then stopped in the city of Horsham for lunch. After eating we would begin one of three hikes that day, the first to the top of Hollow Mountain. This would be the toughest, as there was no real clear-cut path to the top. Dee assured us that she'd done the trek enough times to get us all there in one piece, though, so we weren't worried ;).

The hike was great. It was the first time we'd really had to climb anything; all the others had been cleared foot-paths. We made it to the top in less than an hour, and enjoyed a rest in the sun (finally!!).

We got back on the bus and headed further into Grampians National Park. Our second stop was Mackenzie Falls, one of few waterfalls in Australia. Over 200 steps down to the falls, and the same 200 on the way back up. Thighs of STEEL!

Having seen much bigger and more impressive falls in Canada and Scotland, I didn't really find these all that exciting, but the climb felt good, and anything was better than being on the bus.

Our last stop was right before dinner. Reid's Look-Out , which gives spectacular views of the Grampians. It didn't disappoint!

Our accommodation for the evening was the Asses Ears Lodge, located in the heart of the national park. It was by far the best place we would stay during the entire tour. The guy who runs it (Steve is his name, I think) is a huge natural conservationist, and has created a very environmentally friendly lodge for guests who want to stay in the park. Because of its remote location, he also has a bar and a few pool tables to keep his guests occupied in the evenings. The wood inside is beautifully stained, and you can tell great care went into making the place feel like home.

Dinner was pasta. I helped with clean-up, and then went outside to see what all the fuss was about in the field adjacent to the cabins. Apparently a comet called "McNaught" had been making its way across the Australian sky over the past few days, and that night was supposed to be its spectacular finale. A few of the locals were out to see the view as well, and quite a gang had gathered by the time I arrived. It would have been a great night to sleep out in the swags, but the bunks looked far to comfortable to resist.

Found this photo on the net. It was taken the same night we saw it in the Grampians.



Day 9: Grampians to Princetown
We were down the road by 8:00 a.m., quite an acceptable time compared to some of our earlier rises. For once I missed Sean's "crack the whip" attitude in the mornings. Dee's fresh-face seems to lead people to think they can take advantage of her, and we were waiting for stragglers to get on the bus for at least ten minutes. I did notice, however, that everyone left over from our previous tour had their bags in the trailer and bums in their seats a good five minutes early! He wasn't all bad... I suppose ;).

Our first stop was another aboriginal culture centre. Unlike the last one we visited, this one focused on the Australian aboriginal culture as a whole, and not just its ties to Uluru. It was a very interesting, but short stay.

Our next stop was my favourite of the second leg of the tour. Our itinerary said that we were supposed to go to a "koala reserve" not far outside the park, but Dee said she knew a better place. There was a grove of eucalyptus trees a little further down our route to Princetown, and if we elected to go there we could get the miles under our belt early and be able to relax a little at the end of the day. Off we went.

Dee is a genius. We saw a TONNE of koalas, munching away on eucalyptus leaves, or sleeping soundly while tucked away in a mess of branches. We also saw a mother and baby who were eating low in one of the trees, and were kind enough to pose for pictures:

This is Mama. Blinky Bill scampered up the tree for some munchies before I got shot, and after that all I could see was his bum :P.
Dee told us she'd seen the same two with her last tour coming from Melbourne, and decided that since they were so keen to be celebrities, they were going to need names. There's a famous Aussie kids show about koalas called Blinky Bill, and she decided that would be the young one's name. The mother would simply be named "Mama."

After about an hour we were reluctantly herded back onto the bus. Our next stop was lunch in a town just outside Tower Hill, where we'd stopped to see the koalas. Dee assured us there was a great diner with cheap meals that she loved to take her groups too (and they loved her for it as well, I'm sure!). The meal was tasty and filling.

The rest of the afternoon was spent looking at a lot of water and rocks. We had finally found the coast and would be making our way along it to Melbourne through the Great Ocean Road. Our first stop was London Bridge, a rock formation that (obviously) looked like it's English counterpart. Unfortunately London Bridge "fell down" as such, when one of its arcs collapsed in the early nineties.

Next was the long winding way through the Twelve Apostles. They are a series of rocks, standing just off the shore along the Great Ocean Road.

The Apostles are split into two groups. You can see the last four from one look-out, and the remaining seven from another. The only way to see all twelve is by helicopter. The ride was a little expensive for my tastes, but a few people on the tour decided to go for it. I thought the view from land was awesome enough ;).

We spent a lot of time around the last four Apostles, but Dee only gave us a few minutes at the second look-out. She said we'd be going back there for sunset that evening, which promised an even more spectacular sight.

We arrived in Princetown just before dinner. Princetown is quite the place. It has a general store. An ice cream shop. A bar. About three houses, and a hostel. It's one road, with a dead end. I loved it :D.

Dinner was Aussie BBQ and was ready when we got there (yay for no prep-work!). It was way-yummy. We cleaned up quickly, got our stuff settled, and were back on the bus in no time. Dee said that "technically" we weren't allowed to bring drinks to the lookout, but as long as we cleaned up and didn't make ourselves too obvious, it wasn't really a problem. I threw a sixer of VB (Victoria Bitter... we were in Victoria, after-all!) in my backpack, and was good to go.

The sunset was spectacular! The sky was still cloudy from the sprinkling we'd had on the way to Princetown, but instead of ruining the experience, like the clouds had at Uluru, it made it all the more beautiful.

We finally got to spend some time looking at the remaining seven Apostles, though one has unfortunately crumbled in the last year or so (we'll call him Judas...). I hadn't really heard anything about them before the tour, and was again glad I had decided to do the Outback instead of the east coast. Unbelievable.

When we got back from the sunset, no one was really in the mood to go to the pub. We'd been spending far too much money on pints, and when you've got the same thing in the fridge, a night in can be just as fun. Elise had brought a couple DVDs with her, and since our bunk-house had a TV and player, we threw one on. It was call Birth, and starred Nicole Kidman. Don't watch it. It's weird and creepy. I mean, I like Nicole Kidman and all (she's an Aussie!), but man. Whoever talked her into that one should shot out of a cannon into the Hollywood sign. It was TERRIBLE.

Anyway, after the movie we were all so creeped out that going to bed was really the only option. Conversation could have only been along the lines of... "so... have you ever met a demented kid who walked up to you and claimed to be the reincarnation of your dead husband?"

I'm telling you. It was wierd.


Day 10: Princetown to Melbourne
Last day. Home stretch. Everyone soldiered to the breakfast table with mixed emotions. We were sad the party was ending, but truth be told we all needed a rest and a couple nights outside the pub. It had been fun, but a long haul.

Back on the bus by 8:00, as usual. Our first stop was the Otway Fly tree-top walk. Basically a bunch of elevated platforms so you can walk around and see the forest from the different perspective (or, if you're like me, pretend you're giant squishing all life below. RAH!!!). I'd been warned by Robyn that the walk wasn't that great, but I'd already paid for it through the tour, so off we went. It wasn't bad. The rain had made YET another appearance, so it wasn't as great as it could have been, I guess.

Our next stop was Apollo Bay, for lunch. Lunch was yummy and Apollo Bay was a nice introduction back into civilization. Elise and I wandered the shops for a while, but got back to the bus empty-handed. Finding nooks and crannies in our bags to shove even the smallest souvenires were rapidly depleating.

After lunch all that was really left was the long ride to Melbourne. Dee promised scenic views along the Great Ocean Road, so we would definitely be more entertained than we were watching the desert pass in the Outback

About ten minutes down the road, though, we hit a snag. Behind the bus came the unmistakable sound of metal on pavement, followed by a giant BANG!

Bascially, the bus broke down. Well, not the bus exactly, the trailer attached to the bus broke down. Specifically, the lynch-pin holding the two together had busted clean in half, right as we turned a sharp corner along the highway. Dee was able to stop the bus and trailer safely, and no one was hurt. We quickly unloaded our bags from the trailer as a couple of the guys ran up around the bend to slow traffic and avert someone who was not paying attention from ploughing into the back of us.

After all the bags were out Dee said she would need help from some of the bigger guys to pick the trailer up and push it along while she got the bus off the road. Since Carlos, the biggest guy in the group, was up directing traffic, Elise and I offered to take over for him while he ran back to help Dee.

Before long another lynch pin had arrived, but so had the police. I'm not sure who called them, or why, but they were friendly and more than willing to help direct traffic as Dee and the guys fixed up the trailer.

We were on the road in no time, with a police escort, no less, for a few kilometres to make sure everything was in working order. As soon as we were on our own, Dee cranked Queen's We Are the Champians as we all celebrated surviving our "harrowing" experience.

We took a few short breaks along the way to Melbourne. Once to take a picture of the official "Great Ocean Road" sign, and once to take a picture of a koala-crossing sign.

The rest of the trip back to Melbourne was highly uneventful. Dee dropped us off at our various hostels and train stations at about 6:30. I said a heartfelt goodbye to my friends from Sean's tour, promising Myriam, Elise and Kiran that I would meet up with them in Sydney. Chris and Marie again extended an invite for me to come stay with them in England, and I promised them I'd look them up the next time I was overseas. They may also be making their way to Canada in the next year or two, so we'll definitely be keeping in touch.

I called Robyn from a payphone after I was dropped off, and we arranged a meeting time and place. I took the opportunity to finish up some postcards and take a brief walk around the city square.

Robyn arrived shortly with her brother Chris and friend Pete. Jan 26 is Australia Day, so there was lots to do in the city. We threw my stuff in the back of Pete's car and went to check out the festivities.

There was a stage set up in the city square where it seemed as though entertainment had been playing all day. We arrived just in time to see an aboriginal performance, which was really cool, and interesting for me. Aboriginal culture is definitely different here then it is at home.

After the performance the four of us went in search of dinner. I was dieing for real restaurant food, and Pete saved the day by taking us to this Japanese sushi place attached to the square. I had tuna sashimi on rice and it was soooooo good. Robyn, Chris and I were also brave enough to order saki, and I was almost disappointed by the fact that it was edible.

As we were finishing dinner, a crowd had gathered for the fireworks display, so we headed out to join them.

Now, I love Canada Day. Being on Parliament Hill during our national holiday is something every Canadian should experience at least once in their lives, and I've definitely done my share. The entertainment is always great, the crowds are--for the most part--full of awesome, proud Canadians, and the fireworks display is always... ok. I mean, it's good. Not great. But good.

This was spectacular! I can't describe it all here, but I took two short videos until my memory ran out, so check them out here:

Video 1

Video 2

After the fireworks, Robyn and Pete decided it was time for a tour of Melbourne at its best. They walked me along the South Bank, pointing out things and giving me tonnes of interesting information about their city with every turn. They were fantastic guides. As good as I would hope to be if any of my international friends came to Ottawa. So cool :D.

After the tour, we went to see a special display of "The Poofs," as Robyn calls them. The local casino has a display of pyrotechnics that goes off on an hourly basis. Basically balls of fire shoot out of polls at various increments, and gradually get bigger until you're quite sure the whole operation is going to explode. It's quite entertaining.

A few drinks were definitely necessary after that display, and we found a bar along the South Bank that wasn't overly crowded. We had a couple pints, and then Robyn was keen to try a cocktail. It was getting late and Pete had to be up early the next day, so I offered to share one with her. I forget the actual name of the drink, but it was called "Canadian-something." Basically Canadian Club, peach schnapps and a bunch of other hard liquor with some fruit at the bottom. Whatever, I didn't ask.

The drink was alright, and Robyn was kind enough to let me dig the fruit out of the bottom with my straw... that is dig out what I thought was fruit. Somehow, a Corona bottle-cap had found its way into our concoction. We figured it had just fallen into the ice bucket by accident, but they weren't getting off that easy. Robyn took the empty glass to the bar and asked for a free drink.

We got it ;).

We left the bar around 1:00 a.m. and headed for home. I was tired and very much looking forward to a bed in a room that I wasn't sharing with at least seven other people. We met Robyn's dad, Ian, on the way in, and had a short chat before hitting the sac. It had been a long ten days, and I was contentedly and thoroughly exhausted.