Port Campbell, Victoria

February 21, 2009


Have you ever been airsick on a road? If not then I invite you to drive the first half of the Great Ocean Road along the bottom of Victoria. Make sure that you stock up on paper bags for the passengers and a harness for the driver first.

The road was built by out of work veterans of WW1 as a government make work project and it must have been a bitch of a job. The road is mostly carved into the cliffs overlooking the sea and it follows the cliff contours pretty closely. I was too busy hanging onto the steering wheel to look but from Lana’s helpful commentary I don’t think there was much room to spare.

Occasionally it flattens out enough for a beachy resort style town but most of it just kind of hangs out there – if you get my drift. From my occasional (death defying) look I think that the views were great.

Tented in the booming town of Port Campbell with a population of 500 and with all the local food establishments priced to take advantage of the weekenders from Melbourne. The “port” itself was one little dock but I guess that, in the old days, the very small bay was the only break in the shorelines limestone cliffs.

Camped next to a younger couple from Ontario in a site right on the small river there. Nice camp kitchen where I watched a team from Geelong kick the crap out of a team from Adelaide in Aussie rules football. Haven’t a clue what the rules are except you apparently get to hit anyone that you want to at any time. No pads.