Canberra to Cape York (Via Apostles)
Day 19 – 21 April 2018:
Kookaburras – Echuca
Reply
Echuca Canberra to Cape York (Via Apostles)
Day 19 – 21 April 2018:
It’s a lazy and relaxed start. The morning is calm and picture perfect, there’s not a cloud in the sky and it’s a great morning to paddle to Murray. We are on the water for 9am and are paddling on glass. We head towards to Town centre where the Paddle steamers are moored. This is an amazing sight, we are able to drift directly by the steamers, there is no better way to see them. There is a procession of at least 15-20 steamer to view. We push on upstream paddling against the river flow, Louis packs it in early and I attach a tow rope. He’s happy now. On our return, we luck that all of the Steamers are departing from the piers, what a sight and sound. We return back to the boat ramp for what was one amazing experience. We have lunch and then book in for ride on one of the Paddle Steamers, it’s a one-hour tour and it’s well worth it. Louis and Julie thoroughly enjoy the experience.
Port Campbell to Echuca Canberra to Cape York (Via Apostles)
Day 18 – 20 April 2018:
We pack up for 10am and begin the journey to Echuca, via Ballarat and Bendigo. This turns out to be an epic drive and we initially find out that we were heading in the wrong direction, we were going to Geelong! We entrust Siri to take us on a new pathway and that she did. We ended up cutting through the middle of the Victorian farm lands, often on a one width road in the middle of nowhere. The land is barren and so dry. Hats off to the farmers! The scenery is excellent and we stop somewhere (we really don’t know where we are) to fly the drone and take a few images and there are rows and rows of Lucerne or hay fields. They look amazing from the air. We enter into Ballarat, with the view to visit the Biennale but we are unable to find a park as it was located in the city centre. The town is far bigger than we thought. We push onto Bendigo and eventually arrive at Echuca for dark. After several site inspections, Julie finally decides on our plot. We set up for a two-night stay. Glad to see the end of a seven-hour drive.
Port Campbell – Apostles Canberra to Cape York (Via Apostles)
Port Campbell – Apostles
Canberra to Cape York (Via Apostles)
Day 17 – 19 April 2018: Awoke early and headed to the Apostles to catch to sunrise. I walked out to the destination for 5.30am only to find it was shadowed by the cliffs. I decide to head to the Gibson Steps to see what is there. As I return to the car park the sunrise is gorgeous on the plateau’s and I spend time capturing it in a rural setting with the livestock in foreground.
I arrive at the Gibson Steps and the access to the beach is an easy walk. I find myself walking the beach at low tide and have the place all to myself. The enormity just hits you when you are standing at the bottom of these cliff. The surf is huge and the weather is picture perfect. What morning! I walk both extremities of the beach (West and East) and spend at least 2hours here walking and photographing.
I arrive back for 9am and Julie and Louis are still huddled in bed. We depart for a day of touring and return to the Gibson Steps to walk the beach as I did together, they love it. After this we head for Lock Ard Gorge and with the aim to swim at the beach there (this is where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed as well). We arrive at the destination and thought that we were walking to the Gorge but really ended up walking a series of headland s instead. The views were amazing, but we really wanted a swim. We return back to the car tired, hungry and hot and begin to depart (missing the swim). I turn around and head back to the car park (in a different location) to find a mother and daughter towelling off at the back of their car. We ask how to access Loch Ard Gorge and believe it or not, the access was right in front of us the entire time. Excitedly we head for the beach, on arrival it is stunning, it’s this little bay that has a narrow opening that has a cliff perimeter. Louis and I go for a swim (as we call it….shocking the body) the water is crisp and quite dangerous, but we survive. After this we head to London Bridge and explore a few other locations as well. We return back to the camper to cook dinner in the camp kitchen and hang out in the TV room (I’m doing photos of course).
Apostles – Port Campbell
19 April-2018: Awoke early and headed to the Apostles to catch to sunrise. I walked out to the destination for 5.30am only to find it was shadowed by the cliffs. I decide to head to the Gibson Steps to see what is there. As I return to the car park the sunrise is gorgeous on the plateau’s and I spend time capturing it in a rural setting with the livestock in foreground.
I arrive at the Gibson Steps and the access to the beach is an easy walk. I find myself walking the beach at low tide and have the place all to myself. The enormity just hits you when you are standing at the bottom of these cliff. The surf is huge and the weather is picture perfect. What morning! I walk both extremities of the beach (West and East) and spend at least 2 hours here walking and photographing.
I arrive back for 9am and Julie and Louis are still huddled in bed. We depart for a day of touring, we return to the Gibson Steps and walk the beach as I did together, they love it. After this we head for Lock Ard Gorge and with the aim to swim at the beach there (this is where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed as well). We arrive at the destination and thought that we were walking to the Gorge but really ended up walking a series of headland s instead. The views were amazing, but we really wanted a swim. We return back to the car tired, hungry and hot and begin to depart (missing the swim). I turn around and head back to the car park (in a different location) to find a mother and daughter towelling off at the back of their car. We ask how to access Loch Ard Gorge and believe it or not, the access was right in front of us the entire time. Excitedly we head for the beach, on arrival it is stunning, it’s this little bay that has a narrow opening that has a cliff perimeter. Louis and I go for a swim (as we call it….shocking the body) the water is crisp and quite dangerous, but we survive. After this we head to London Bridge and explore a few other locations as well. We return back to the camper to cook dinner in the camp kitchen and hang out in the TV room (I’m doing photos of course).
Wye River to Port Campbell Canberra to Cape York (via Apostles)
Day 16: 18 April 2018
I walked Wye River beach on sunrise to experience an amazing sunrise, the coast line is so rugged, but yet so beautiful. Yet again I was the only one on the beach. I return back for a lazy morning (late checkout). We went into the small local Wye River café for a coffee before departing our way to Port Campbell and the 12 Apostles. We timed our approach perfectly to the Apostles and arrived for 3pm to catch them in amazing mid-afternoon light. We check/setup at the van park and I take off to photograph the 12 Apostles as the sun sets. Truly amazing. We bunker down for a brisk night in the camper as the temps are dropping to 6 degrees overnight.
Lorne / Rainforest / Wye River Canberra to Cape York (via Apostles)
Day 15: 17 April 2018
An early morning walk to Lorne Jetty before packing up and driving the Great Ocean Road to Wye River. On the way we stopped for a lunch time break at this amazing Rainforest and cooked sausages on the tailgate of the camper in the rainforest. After this we walked the track and found ourselves at the bottom of a waterfall. Very cool indeed. We arrived at Wye River to find a beautiful van park tucked in a bush setting. Louis was extremely happy as it had a games room that included a pool table. The van park was empty and we eventually selected a site after deliberation. A cool night was spent huddled in the camper in an ideal location.
