Day 2 in Melbourne:Imagine a drive through the cliffs for some 600kms! Imagine huge pieces rocks standing in the middle of the sea some 100 feet from the shore! And that is what you experience in Great Ocean Road!
We checked out of the hotel and waited outside for the pick-up at 7:40. Most of the tours have got a free hotel pick-up if you are staying inside the city. The streets were so empty on a Sunday morning (Picture 1). Our tour started by 8. It was 20 seater minibus, but with more comfortable seat and air-conditioned. We were around 14 people- a German and a few people from Tasmania (the beautiful island territory of Australia on its North). We headed to Geelong where the Great Ocean Road begins.
The guide-cum-driver, Craig was telling us about the population of Melbourne, the growth, and ‘preparedness’ for the future growth showing a set of huge flats which has got no takers at all !We were in Geelong in two hours. We got a walk to the sea shore, and met some elephants in a local circus to Krithi’s excitement (Picture 2)! Then, started the Great Ocean drive, the dream drive through the cliffs, cliffs and cliffs (Picture 3)! Craig was stopping at times for taking
photos. He was asking Krithi every time, ‘are you fine’ (We had to give our lunch choice from the menu so that he can call and book them. Then, I had mentioned that Krithi would like to eat something she has brought because of her taste buds’ conditions in this situation). Slowly the other passengers also know it and all were so concerned about her. The German sitting near us was suggesting her to keep the head up and straight and never look down, to avoid vomiting( he had a bag bought from Wimbledon souvenir shop, and so I think he had come here in association with the Australian Open!). I think his tip worked well for us!Even with the best of miracles, I was sure that Krithi will vomit. Even I was getting uneasy feeling at times. It takes a bend and you can see the next three to four bends! She vomited once; we handled it professionally, and dumped the same in the bus dust bin with no smell or mess! My idea with the freezer bags worked! She got candies, tips, tissues and a lot of care from around. I was getting jealous J !
The bus stopped for its regular petrol filling. He dropped us in a shopping area and went to fill the gas (just using gas for a style, none here uses that term for petrol/diesel). Before this point, the Great Ocean Road was taking a turn away from the sea in to the inland. It was suppose to be inland drive for another 50 kms before it goes back to the cliff-chains again.We resumed the journey and in another 10-15 mins, he got off the main road and gone in to a muddy road, stopped after a kilometre. Craig had taken us to show Koalas in wild. He gave us some 15 mins, and we could see some Koalas in their usual nap (Picture 4). Wonderfully, one of them was moving too J !
Starting from there, we went another 20minutes, and Craig stopped for a rainforest walk. A 20 min walk through a shady rainforest in the afternoon which is full of bushes and huge Eucalyptus trees, gave us a good appetite for the lunch. Landing at the restaurant by around 2, Krithi again did vomit, for the last time!
It was hot in the afternoon, and we could feel it whenever we come out of the bus. Many of our fellow passengers, who were from Tasmania, were enjoying the heat. They say they never get a hot day back in Tasmania (which is an island located north of the Aussie mainland, and is a part of Australia).
It was just 30 mins drive after the lunch, and we could slowly feel we are nearing the sea. Slowly, we could see one of the rocks at distance and we are at our site of the day, the Twelve Apostles! Craig gave 20 minutes to walk to the view point and come back. But we were planning for a helicopter ride. Craig agreed to come back to pick us after leaving the others at the next view point which will give us an additional 15 minutes.
The place was full of flies; full of flies means at any point of time at least 10-15 flies were sitting of everyone! We walked to the helipad, paid A$180 (90 per head) and waited.
They need three people for a flight, and we had one more old man. We both sat in the rear seat and the other gentleman sat near the pilot. It took off giving us a spectacular view of the twelve Apostles (Picture 5), I kept my camera was blinking non-stop. I had put it in the continuous shot mode. It was a breathtaking flight to move over the sea from the land at such a low altitude. Krithi was enjoying her first helicopter flight! It was a 10minutes flight, but those 10minutes were so exciting and memorable!We, then, ran to the view point through the tunnel under the road. Took some snaps standing at that view point (Picture 6), spend a few minutes there and then back to the point where Craig came and picked us up.
The next part was really exciting: we could walk down the steps (around 200 steps) to the beach to see this huge rocks standing in front of us (Picture 7), and enjoy the ice cold water. I would have preferred to spent a romantic evening in that place, with a small tent and a lantern, and just two of us J. The setting Sun leaving its orange light would have made it perfect, but for the clouds L.We moved to the third spot which is called the London Bridge (Picture 8). The Great Ocean Road extends to another 400kms, but this part is the cream of it. It was around 4:15. We started back to Melbourne.
It was another route, which is more of a straight route. Craig was entertaining us non-stop telling us of a hell lot of ship-wreck stories, one of which was about a person who survived 6 ship-wrecks, and his sons died later in different ship-wrecks, but he died on normal death at last! He also got in to explaining about the people who have their faces in the Aussie currency notes – most of them are either journalists, or novelists. 
Craig was telling that there is some bush fire and we have chances of getting diverted or blocked. But that didn’t happen. We could see the smoke at distance (Picture 9) some half an hour before Melbourne.
Craig dropped us in front of the Southern Cross station by 7:15. We had become close with others in the tour. One Tasmanian had been calling me Bollywood producer. While saying bye, he said we will meet when you come across to Tasmania for your next film :D.
We realised the real heat when we got out of the bus! It was just like landing in Ranigunda in mid May! We walked in to the station to get another bad news; the trains are all delayed due to the bush fires! They were getting caught up or were running in reduced speed in this extreme heat conditions and bushfire. They were more than 1 hour late. That means I won’t be able to make it to the office on time tomorrow :(.
But for now, this heat was horrible inside the station with asbestos roofing. We came out of the station; Krithi had a place she wished to visit given an hour more in Melbourne, a place near Federation square where there is a huge waterfall-glass-door. We missed it yesterday because we couldn’t find it. We got in to the next tram in that direction, and suddenly found ourselves in trouble. All I had was currency notes and the ticket machines in the trams will only accept coins! I just ignored it and noticed that less than 10% of the people are using those machines (may be they have a day ticket). I think I am trying a ticket-less travel after years :). Krithi was a bit afraid, but anyway we had to go.
We got down, and walked across the places we wanted to see. To avoid the same tension, we took a taxi back to the station. And believe me; it was cheaper than the cost of tram ticket for two!
The weather had changed by now! A strong wind was blowing cooling the air. It was so strong that the dividers were flying. So, ran in to the station before getting hit by something flying in the wind! The train was again delayed. The station was in a place where there were no restaurants around as I mentioned. I had to search a bit to get a place where I got a fresh huge 2’ Vegetarian Pizza (it was large enough for us to eat till end of next day).
The train at last started by 10:30, two and half hours late. We both were tired enough to sleep well. The train continued to go slow with the speed restrictions. I remember seeing the train stopped at around 1am, and some fire engines moving around.
It took one more hour more than the delayed time, to leave us at Strathfield by 10:30(where it should have been 6:40). I took off because it was a very tiring situation now to go to work.
Thus ended our Melbourne Adventures!
Tailpiece: Aussies got seasons for everything – bush-fire season, fly season, pest season, and so on.
