March 12, GOR Johanna Area

Thursday, March 12 - Day 37 - Johanna Area

We slept with the windows open and it got quite cool but the bed was comfortable and warm and we slept very well. It rained at least twice during the night. The deck is dry when Dick gets up at 7AM but it is cloudy and looks like rain.

With a cup of very bad coffee (Oh, for an espresso machine and Kona coffee!) Dick watches day arrive while enjoying the best internet connection we have had since leaving the US. Carolyn joins the living at some point after 9AM and fixes a light breakfast of cheesy eggs, apple juice and toast.

Our hosts drop by to say hello and advise us they are leaving the property and will not be back until after we head out tomorrow. Dick downloads pictures from yesterday and writes a draft of the blog.  Rain showers come and go in the distance but we do not get any additional rain at the cottage; yet.

We piddle all morning with the blog, laundry and just enjoying no pressure of someplace to be at a specific time. Sometime close to 2PM we pack up and head out with a light lunch and our cameras. We are going to head back toward Apollo Bay. Our first stop is Johanna Beach about 4KM down hill from our cottage. It is pretty but no place to swim, even if so inclined, what with all the dangerous water, currents and surf signs. We do see many hikers. The Great Ocean Road is a real attraction for hikers.

Next we visit the lighthouse at Cape Otway. As is the case with most of these types of sites  there is a charge. This short visit to yet another lighthouse costs $39AUD or $31USD. It is a fairly good little hike from the entrance to the various sites, but the nice lady selling the tickets lets us use the staff roads to go from place to place. That is great as the paths are up and down hill and somewhat uneven. Carolyn likes lighthouses and would seek out every one if Dick would let her. We visit the lighthouse area and the old telegraph house and take a few photos. We sit in the car and eat our lunch as it is too cool to sit out and the wind is blowing, as usual. 

The highlight of this side trip is seeing seven Koalas in the trees on the road into the lighthouse and a rather curious road sign warning of the wildlife to be watched for as we traverse the road to and from the lighthouse. 

That is, wildlife other than the Koalas! Carolyn gets Dick to stop for pictures of four of the seven.

Leaving Cape Otway we backtrack to the little town of Apollo Bay in hopes of another bottle of wine, some more potatoes to go with our lamb chops and some pastry for tomorrow’s breakfast.  We discover the bakery closes at 4:30PM, so no pastry, but we do eventually find wine and potatoes after going to both of the little stores in town. We also stop at the little city park. it was crowded with swimmers yesterday, but it is a little cold and grey today.

 The picture below is the whole produce, packaged meat and egg section at the first store!

We are getting good at driving on the GOR and are back at the cottage by 6PM, in time for a cocktail of wine, cheese and grapes...inside tonight, as it is a bit cool on the deck. The huge, expansive windows bring the outside in so no problem. We watch the kangaroos graze as we graze! This reminds us so much of the wonderful time we had along the Great Southern Ocean in Southwest Australia in 2009!

Dick lights a fire in the fireplace and grills the lamb chops. We have a pleasant evening and easily slide into never, never land.

Oh, some other interesting signs!

Tomorrow we head back to Melbourne.