The Great Ocean Road Bids Us Farewell

Australia is indeed blessed. Here is an immense island rimmed by thousands of miles of sandstone headlands, bays with azure waters and golden sand beaches. Living with the sea is an integral part of being an Aussie. Our last two days before returning to Canada were spent, appropriately, driving from Adelaide to Melbourne which, happily, includes the famous Great Ocean Road, probably the most beautiful coastal drive in the world.
The first day was mostly inland with some glimpses of the coast. We stayed overnight at Robe in South Australia, an attractive town with dozens of historic buildings of buff sandstone blocks and dating to the early 1800s. An obelisk (a cheap version of a lighthouse) built in 1855 stands guard on a cliff with turquoise waves pounding against the rocks below.
The second day we were immersed in the incredible beauty of the Great Ocean Road. Viewpoints were many, but the best was the Twelve Apostles (OK, perhaps only 9 and a half), large jagged stacks of rock that have been separated from the mainland by erosion. Mist swirled, waves rolled in from far out in the Southern Ocean and they stood impassively like giant sentinels.
The narrow winding road, often marked with "Drive on the left in Australia" signs led us to a broad white sand beach where we stripped down to our bathers for a final bit of sun.
Then the road turned inland and all too soon we were in Geelong and then Melbourne. Next day a giant metal box with wings carried us back to the tail-end of a Canadian winter.

Life is a Beach

In Sydney it’s all about beaches. A surf-rescue competition was taking place at Coogee, so we jumped on a #374 bus and were soon watching perfect waves curl in from far out in the Pacific to crash and swirl onto a perfect golden beach.

Coogee is but one of Sydney’s many fabulous surf beaches that include Bondi, Manley, Bronte, Maroubra and Clovelly. Each beach has its own life-saving team, and the competitions between them are serious matters. Crowds roared and TV cameras rolled as lithe athletes paddled kayaks and surf boards and swam around a series of buoys in the tossing waves. The whole time the sun glared down like a giant cyclops from a big blue sky

Next day we caught the ferry to Watsons Bay, near the entrance to Sydney's immense, convoluted harbour, and enjoyed a fresh seafood lunch at the famous Doyle’s Restaurant. Our tummies full, a short walk took us to a small, secluded beach. Uncrowded and with turquoise water lapping onto crunchy golden sand, it epitomized everything that makes Sydney a paradise.

We caught the ferry back to Circular Quay passing sail boats, big lumbering yellow and green ferries, a jet boat and even a submarine. Then the gleaming Opera House and the looming Sydney Harbour Bridge greeted us. Soon we were ensconced in a pub with cool schooners of Victoria Bitter in front of us and our skin tingling from sunburn.