73. DRIVING THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD!!!...
The G.O.R was, as expected, pretty spectacular but this wasn’t all that this section of our trip would be remembered for. Whist the G.O.R may be abundant in scenic lookouts, it lacks free camping areas along the way. Naturally the only one in our vicinity after we’d watched the penultimate sunset of 2018, turned out to be super tiny and not so suitable for navigating after dark. The bumper to bumper overflow of camper vans that lined the verges of the track entrance had indicated that the limited number of camping spaces ahead were full. L and I chose to ignore this rationality and this was the start to our adventure that evening. The fading light was glimmering off the Crampervan’s bling wheels as they passed within inches of tents which were crammed into every available camping space resembling something of a refugee camp. Some of the tent goers looked like they’d be sleeping standing up, given the incline that they’d pitched their tents. With no space to even turn around L engaged 4wd, we roared further up the narrow track beyond barriers adorned with no camping signs, until eventually we found ourselves ‘stealth camping’ (newly learned word, I rather like it) at the top of a mountain.
An expensive price-to-volume ratio of ice cream proved a shaky start to our stop off at Aireys Inlet. L neglected to voice his disappointment to the woman behind the counter who lacked training in how to properly use an ice cream scoop. Instead I was the one who got to hear L ranting on about how his two scoops actually only amounted to a single scoop. I couldn’t deny it, they were pretty meagre but luckily ice cream disappointment was short lived once the pair of us discovered that the lighthouse which stood in front of us, was the lighthouse that featured in a tv programme we both loved as kids. Do you remember ‘Round the twist’? With the planets realigned and all peace once again restored, we cramped along the remainder of the G.O.R before heading into Melbourne for NYE.
NEXT UP: NYE IN MELBOURNE...HELLO 2019 WHAT MIGHT YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR US?!
(Photo above: #alwaysthejoker) |
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