The Twelve Apostles - Victoria
April 25th 2011 04:09
It’s been a long five hour drive from Melbourne to get to these natural limestone stacks. I’m feeling sick in the stomach from the long winding roads that make up the ‘Great Ocean Road’.
The road hugs the cliff edge as it follows the coastline of the Southern Ocean and at some point, passes beneath lush canopies of tall gum trees as it circles the hills. Taking this road in a rented V6 Ford XR6 will turn the slowest Sunday driver into a maniac. The smooth winding roads seduce the driver to high speeds, the same way a racetrack would, and for the average suburban driver, the car itself is nothing but power, power and power.
There is a shorter 3hr inland route, but for the road trip junky or first time visitor to Victoria, the Great Ocean Road is a must.
A short walk from the car park brings me to the lookout above the twelve apostles. At this point of time there are only 8 left standing. The rest have collapsed into the ocean from erosion over the years.
My nausea subsides with one glimpse of the ocean. I’ve managed to arrive just as the sun sets; the perfect time to view this natural wonder. The lookout is quite crowded with the arrival of tourist coaches. It turns the lookout into a market, but it’s not enough to distract from the view.
A short distance away are the Gibson steps that gives access to the beach below. The 70 metre vertical cliff makes hobbits of any man taking a walk on the sand.
The road hugs the cliff edge as it follows the coastline of the Southern Ocean and at some point, passes beneath lush canopies of tall gum trees as it circles the hills. Taking this road in a rented V6 Ford XR6 will turn the slowest Sunday driver into a maniac. The smooth winding roads seduce the driver to high speeds, the same way a racetrack would, and for the average suburban driver, the car itself is nothing but power, power and power.
There is a shorter 3hr inland route, but for the road trip junky or first time visitor to Victoria, the Great Ocean Road is a must.
A short walk from the car park brings me to the lookout above the twelve apostles. At this point of time there are only 8 left standing. The rest have collapsed into the ocean from erosion over the years.
My nausea subsides with one glimpse of the ocean. I’ve managed to arrive just as the sun sets; the perfect time to view this natural wonder. The lookout is quite crowded with the arrival of tourist coaches. It turns the lookout into a market, but it’s not enough to distract from the view.
A short distance away are the Gibson steps that gives access to the beach below. The 70 metre vertical cliff makes hobbits of any man taking a walk on the sand.
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