Rob and I had heard of the Great Ocean Walk and knew that it would be part of our travel plans. It is a five-day hike along the southeast shore of Australia. Parts of it are difficult and not well marked. I was concerned due to the fact that there might be a lot of elevation changes in which the descent is a killer on my knees.
Rob contacted Jono who takes people out to the walks and got his advice. He recommended two days of relatively flat hiking going through the prettiest landscape. That sounded great to us.
Jono is a nickname for Jonathan. He said that Aussies are well known for abbreviating and shortening words. Arvo is afternoon. “We talk as if we are texting and we have a limit on the characters that we can use.”
The Great Ocean Road was made to provide jobs for the soldiers returning from WWI and was meant to join the lighthouses with a land route. Twelve years ago, they started to make a companion trail called The Great Ocean Walk.
Jono picked us up early in the morning. We drove along The Great Ocean Road.
We stopped at a lighthouse.
The best sunscreen is a broad brimmed hat. There is a free bus in Victoria called the V line. If one is out bike riding and gets tired, one can just get on the bus to return to Melbourne.
We drove through Lorne, Australia. Each January, there is a one-mile swim called Pier to Pub.
We reached Apollo Bay where we grabbed a bite to eat. Technically, The Great Ocean Road starts here.
We studied the map at the start of our walk at Blanket Bay. Jono dropped us off, and we hiked to the next meeting point where he waited with water and snacks.
I saw this unique sign. I think that I will be seeing more of these in the future!
On your mark, get set, GO!!
Neat to see your pictures and read your comments on this part ( actually all ) of the Australian part of your adventure.
Lookin’ good Rob and Brenda!