We survived the trip along the Great Ocean Road.Friday. We left Adelaide at 5 and headed south. The drive was spectacular while we had daylight and creepy when we didn't. Australia provides a new definition for remote (and, let's face it, we were in Outback Light). We stopped for the night in Kingston SE. An interesting thing about Kingston ... there's five of them in Australia. FIVE. It turns out that I reserved a room in Kingston, Canberra, which is approximately 300 KM from Kingston SE. Amy muttered something about attention to detail and I muttered something about muttering. Luckily, I discovered my mistake soon enough to ensure that we wouldn't be trying to sleep in the back of a Corolla hatchback.
We celebrated the first part of the drive by walking down to the local pub. Now, you might wonder how an authentic australian pub differs from an american pub. Less than you might think. It was what you'd expect; beer, music, and pokies. Pokies are slot machines, in case I haven't blogged about that. We walked in to see a projector screen of Axl Rose screeching Paradise City (we were subsequently subjected to a 70s and 80s montage that included Bananarama, the Bee Gees and Dee Lite - groove is apparently in the heart even in Australia). Fifty people were packed into one corner of the bar around a pool table where an enormous man (Goliath) was playing a human sized opponent (David). I think the size of Goliath's hands must have interfered with his ability to aim because he lost quickly. In a fit of fury, Goliath took this opportunity to heave himself onto the pool table. He struggled to his feet, balancing himself on the light fixture, and dropped trow. Not being shy, he began to dance. Everyone in the bar immediately covered their eyes and groaned but it was clear that their reaction was not surprise ... it was resignation. In Kingston I learned a) Goliath isn't good at pool b) that pool table has a limited life span, and c) there are some things you can't forget no matter how hard you try. We left before a rematch could take place.
The next morning, we realized that we missed an important landmark on the way into Kingston SE. We backtracked to a replica of Godzilla's nemesis in Maine. Yes, in Kingston, they make tourism and the tourism they make is thirty foot lobsters. They are currently seeking donations to pay for the $50,000 repairs required to keep the Big Lobster lobstering. It helped cure a bit of homesickness and helped us forget about Goliath. Mostly.
The first day of driving was full of signs of kangas (but no actual kangas), wind turbines, and Mt. Gambier: Sinkhole capital of South Australia. Here again, we were faced with the unflagging optimism of the Aussies. Woke up to an enormous pit in the middle of your town? Plant some flowers and turn it into a tourist attraction! We ended the day in Warnambool and ate at the Australian equivalent of Applebees while AVP played on the flatscreen by the bar. Who needs Chopin?
The next morning, we realized that we missed an important landmark on the way into Kingston SE. We backtracked to a replica of Godzilla's nemesis in Maine. Yes, in Kingston, they make tourism and the tourism they make is thirty foot lobsters. They are currently seeking donations to pay for the $50,000 repairs required to keep the Big Lobster lobstering. It helped cure a bit of homesickness and helped us forget about Goliath. Mostly.
The first day of driving was full of signs of kangas (but no actual kangas), wind turbines, and Mt. Gambier: Sinkhole capital of South Australia. Here again, we were faced with the unflagging optimism of the Aussies. Woke up to an enormous pit in the middle of your town? Plant some flowers and turn it into a tourist attraction! We ended the day in Warnambool and ate at the Australian equivalent of Applebees while AVP played on the flatscreen by the bar. Who needs Chopin?Saturday was incredible. Approximately every 300 m there was an impressive vista overlooking the ocean that made us wonder why it hasn't been chopped into .5 acre lots and sold. We stopped by London Bridge. In 1990, the arch connecting the limestone mass crumbled into the ocean.
We also spent quite a bit of time at the Sow and Piglets, limestone remnants from the erosion of the cliffs. The S&P was subsequently renamed the Twelve Apostles after someone saw the face of Jesus in a rock.
We stopped in Lorne but it turns out the town has nothing to do with Bonanza. We needed somethin to eat and drink. Too tired for a beer, we settled on ice cream and water. As we were leaving Lorne, we saw a police officer waving us to the side of the road. I thought that my past finally caught up with me. Instead, the officer told me that he was conducting a random breathalyzer and asked if I'd had anything to drink. Now, we learned a while back that the legal blood alcohol limit in South Australia is .05, which you can basically achieve by looking at a beer. Or using cough medicine. Cough cough. He looked a bit surprised when I passed and said "Good on ya!"
We stopped in Lorne but it turns out the town has nothing to do with Bonanza. We needed somethin to eat and drink. Too tired for a beer, we settled on ice cream and water. As we were leaving Lorne, we saw a police officer waving us to the side of the road. I thought that my past finally caught up with me. Instead, the officer told me that he was conducting a random breathalyzer and asked if I'd had anything to drink. Now, we learned a while back that the legal blood alcohol limit in South Australia is .05, which you can basically achieve by looking at a beer. Or using cough medicine. Cough cough. He looked a bit surprised when I passed and said "Good on ya!"
Then it was a two hour drive into Melbourne.
