Marco's Travel Update: THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD <2009.6.14>

Here I am – on my way from Adelaide to Melbourne – driving along the coastlines and chased by dark mystic rain clouds. But with the deep diesel-power of Jacqueline and my luck with the weather god, we always managed to escape the bad weather front !

I left over the Adelaide Hills famous for the great wines and the old German town Hahndorf.

After I filled up my stock with delicious smoked sausages, I continued down to coast via the Murray River – the sweet water source of the entire region – until Mt. Gambier. Famous for its deep blue crater lakes, which invites for walk at the rim or picnic at the lake.

Further 400km south the coast awaits me now one of the most famous sight of Australia and the most beautiful coastal roads – the great ocean road.

This is a stretch over several hundred kilometers of coast lines with all kind of lime stone formations and cliffs. The most famous ones are the 12 Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge.

Don`t miss the other ones up west which easily can compete with those famous 3.

Another highlight is Cape Otwell and its National Park featuring Australia`s first light house with its spectacular views from top.

I liked most, that here you can find many wild Koala`s hanging around up in the gum trees waiting to be spotted.

So I stayed here overnight where I could camp just below that mates - they are soooo cute!

If you are lucky - you can even spot one of the rare night active brown bandicot`s:

Are you into rainforests or Jurassic Parks? Than the Cape Otway Fly – a Top Tree Walk in 50m (longest & highest in the world) height will thrill you and gives you the feeling of being back 300mio. years in time.