Au Revoir Australia and Hello New Zealand!

Well, it is 0230hrs in the morning, the wind is howling outside my hotel window, so what better time than to update the blog?!

Today is Wednesday September 25^th and it is my Wedding Anniversary.  Sadly I am away from my loved one (missing you honey xx), but have been treated by my family who are here with me in New Zealand – ah yes, shopping time in Pandora!! 

So today was also quite a big day, we left Geelong (after meeting Lina’s lovely Mum, Nona B) and drove to Melbourne for our flight to Auckland, New Zealand. Unfortunately we did not get to see Melbourne, but I did get some great pics of Geelong . . . . 

And once at the airport, we saw these characters . . . . . 

On Sunday, the Hawthorn Hawks take on the Fremantle Dockers in the final of the Aussie Rules footy.  We quite got into the footy whilst in Australia, and decided to choose a team each.  Using a random number generator, I got the Hawks, and Dad got the Dockers.  Sunday’s flight could be very long depending upon the result.  Incidentally, Hawthorns colours – brown and amber, are exactly the same as my old school colours at Devonport High Schoolfor Girls in Plymouth, Devon (UK).  How bizarre!

Finally, a HUGE thank-you to John, Lina and Jack - Sharon's brother and family, who so kindly looked after us during our time in Australia.  Without them, we would not have been able to do all that we did - they have been fantastic hosts, and we look forward to repaying their kindness when they come to visit us in Canada!

Great Ocean Road

Weather: - Warm, mostly sunny (feels like my nose got burned again . . . . )

Just when you think that you have seen all the good scenery, BAM, you turn the corner and bump into a shed load more.  Seriously.  And so it happened today on our trip from Warrnambool to Geelong.  It is a relatively short drive, but it took us as all day due to the fabulous scenery that just had to be photographed.  This particular coast is the last resting place of many souls who perished at sea, their boats crashing and disintegrating on the jagged rocks that are the focus of many of these pictures.  A savage beauty.  

But first - we stopped the car and jumped out to take this - hilarious!

First (proper) stop was the 'Bay Of Islands':

I love how Dad looks as though he has been 'photoshopped' on this last pic!

The next stop was the 'Grotto'.  Beautiful:

We stopped for lunch in Port Campbell - a lovely seaside town:

We then stopped off at Loch Ard Gorge, where the Loch Ard (the subject of the show that we had seen in Warrnambool the night before) had crashed and sank;

Our last stop off was to view the Twelves Apostles, created by the erosion of the limestone cliffs by the erosion of the sea.  The first couple of pics had the sun shining directly into the camera, so the pics look like B&W silhouettes (er, I planned it that way!!)  Yet again, stunning!

Pretty amazing.  It would have been great to have followed the Great Ocean Road for a few more miles, but we had to head inland, and finished the day in Geelong, before driving to Melbourne tomorrow and our flight to Auckland NZ.  It really is difficult to take a bad photograph when the scenery is so lovely.  Australia - you have been a great hostess and I have enjoyed visiting you.  I will be back.  I promise . . . . . 

I hope that you will continue to follow this blog - a least for a few more days as there are some more adventures to be had in New Zealand!