Lorne, Cape Otway, Princetown

It’s a gorgeous day here this morning after another chilly start. We’re away at 9am and heading 10 mins inland to Erskine Falls with the intention of a scenic morning hike but we spot a great big sign warning the road is too steep for campers and trucks which stops us in our tracks. We’ve seen some impossibly steep roads around here so we flag down a lone cyclist who concurs that the road is extremely steep at the end, so Ben swings us around and we side trip to an overlook for a quick looksee instead, then back to Lorne to continue our journey westward. 

We’ve heard there’s a ‘no fail’ place to spot Koala’s at the aptly name Koala Cafe. In the carpark at the start of the nature trail there is a warning sign for snakes, which is a first, so we heed the warning a stick to the short grass. We meander the nature walk but the only wildlife we spot is on the information boards.

Wongarra has some great rock pools all along the coast between the Great Ocean Road and the big blue sea, so we find a narrow pullout and stop for a peek. These rockpools appear empty but having a mothers look we found miniature underwater gardens teeming with various types of seaweeds, snails and starfish all within the size of a breakfast bowl.

 

We finally arrive at the Otway Lighthouse much later in the day than intended. We pass numerous snake signs as we make our way to line up below the lighthouse until the guide leans over the rail above and calls us up. We wind our way up the spiral stone stairs, up a ladder and into the room at the top. This space is designed for one person so we keep moving out the door onto the iron walkway that encircles the top. The wind is blowing off the Bass Straight and we stare off towards Antarctica. No whales today Mum.

As we alight from the lighthouse we’re directed onto the grass away from the line of people waiting on the path (covid distancing), We’re making our way up the grass slope when a man calls out and waves us back onto the path, just a bit further on right there in the grass is a snake which one local proclaims as a tiger snake.  After an ice cream we are back on the road at 3:20, across vast farmlands with that late afternoon feel in the air and no real destination.

After a few calls we’ve secured a spot at the Princetown Cricket Grounds, but first we pop out to watch the sun setting on the 12 Apostles, which google describes as ‘as busy as it gets’. It is teeming with tourists but no one seems to stop for long. We rock back to camp and we’ve hardly stopped when the kids are off to the playground for a good run around after a long day in the Van. 

Alila is up before dawn sitting in the front seat peering out into the dark sure she will see a Kangaroo, and sure enough there’s one right out the window. April is awake soon after, so I take the girls out on a roo hunt in their PJs. A whole mob is hopping around on the cricket pitch and the girls are fascinated by the way they bound away.