17 Dec 2008, 8am - On route from Grampians to Great Ocean Road

We started on the drive to the Great Ocean Road with some enthusiasm. Surviving Pinnacles should always make one feel relieved, no?

This drive to Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road will be the longest drive in our road trip. Approximately a stretch of 400km, we will head towards Dunkeld, then Hamilton before stopping for brunch. Then we will veer off the major highways, heading south towards the coast. If all goes well, we will reach Portland or Port Fairy around 3pm. Following the coast to Apollo Bay, we should reach Apollo Bay by 6pm.

Of course things did not go as planned.

17 Dec 2008, 11am - Hamilton

We stopped for brunch here. After circling the town like a vulture, we descended on, of all things, a Chinese takeaway eatery. We should sample some "Asian" cuisine in a western country, right?

Anyway, judging from their accents, the owners came from China. I had vegetarian noodle soup (it tasted no different!) while EU had vegetarian Char Kuay Tiao. Well, a sweet version of Char Kuay Tiao. EU thinks it is undeliciously meatless.

We also stopped at Hamilton Shopping Centre, supposedly a major highlight. A quick roam around later, we decided to get....

... 5 litres of water.

We are thirsty, okay? And the big, sturdy bottle can definitely withstand my clumsiness. Besides, we are in a desert!

17 Dec 2008, 5pm - Great Ocean Road

After driving for ages, and countless disagreements over whether to trust the GPS or me (me, OF COURSE!), we finally saw a big blue expense of water. Yeah!!!!

The Great Ocean Road is really nice. The ocean is really blue, and the waves are at least half a metre high. Big waves....

Strangely though, the vegetation along the coast is not doing well. Most are brown, half-dead, and wind-swept. Maybe the limestone formation they are growing on does not retain much water.

Wonder which will be the killing blow: the stoning from falling rocks, the impaling from rocks, the impact from the fall, or drowning?

The broken London Bridge. A couple making out got stranded there when it broke! How can they bash through a kilometre of shrubs and still feel like making out?!

The Blowhole (Port Campbell National Park) A howling tunnel, people once found bodies from a shipwreck there

Very long steep walk down to the Twelve Apostles lookout point. This lookout point is much more well-developed than the rest.

Right View of the Twelve Apostles. I only counted 8 though. See, one has fallen.

Left View of the Twelve Apostles. Look at the BIG waves!

16 Dec 2008, 5am - Halls Gap, Grampians

We woke up at 5am to catch the sunrise. Yesterday's climb to Chatuaqua Peak gave EU the idea for an early morning hike to watch sunrise. Storming up the mountain in near pitch darkness is NOT my idea of fun. Do you know Australia has several of the most venomous snakes species in the world?

Sunrise somewhere up Chatuaqua Peak

Early morning view of Halls Gap

After watching the sunrise, we went back to Halls Gap for breakfast. The motel beside YHA hostel serves continental breakfast buffet from 7am. Cereals, toast, fresh milk, yoghurt, coffee and tea... Not bad for AU$10.

16 Dec 2008, 9am - Mount Willaim, Grampians National Park

Last night, we had decided to go Mount William, Lake Bellfield, and The Pinnacle.

Mount William is the tallest peak in the Grampians, at 1167 metres. Located in the Southern Grampians, there are 2 ways to the peak of the mountain. Due to the lack of time, we took the shorter way. The longer trail is a 12 hour climb!

The trail starts at a carpark (Sundial Carpark). Labelled "moderate to difficult", the trail is actually a paved road up to the communication station at the peak. I think the difficulty is from the sheer upslope at certain parts. It took us about 2 hours to get to the top.

Wildflowers can be seen everywhere

View of farmland from the other side of Mount William

So very cold up there

Plateau seen along the way

16 Dec 2008, 3pm - The Pinnacle, Grampians National Park

We had lunch back at Halls Gap, at the same restaurant as last night. This time, the pizza tasted much better.

Invasion front of Phytophthora cinnamomi: foreground shows degraded environment, invasion front evident by dying Grasstrees Photo: David Cahill. Taken from rideforest.com.au

After lunch, we drove to The Pinnacles trail. A sign warned us of a Phytopthora Cinnamomi fungus epidemic. Apparently, this invasive fungus rots the roots of infected plants, killing large areas of vegetation throughout Australia. We will need to scrub our boots and pants when we leave the park, to prevent any further spread.

The trail up the Pinnacle is varied and very interesting. It starts with the usual trail through vegetation, then cuts through a sandstone formation. Along the way, there is a lookout point where Lake Bellfield can be seen. The last part is a scramble up a relatively smooth sandstone surface to the peak.

The peak is, erm, overwhelming. There is a secured lookout platform at the peak, and it hangs over the side. A sheer long drop down. Yes, I'm afraid of heights. And the sound of wind howling towards the peak does not help.

Lake Bellfield seen somewhere along the trail

EU and me at the Lake Bellfield lookout point

Common skink found near the peak

Unusual rock formation

16 Dec 2008, 6pm - Lake Bellfield, Grampians National Park

Lake Bellfield

Lake Bellfield is the last item on our itinerary in the Grampians. It is very easy to get to, as it is beside the main Grampians Road. I think it is a dammed up river, built in the 19th century. Supposedly, it was even full at one point in time.

The dam is a rock-fill gravity-arch dam. The granite used is quarried from the surrounding mountains. The cuts can be seen if you look closely at the surrounding banks.

Anyway, the water is cold, rather clear, and have fish in it. Canoeing, sailing and swimming is allowed too. Wah...

The water seems very far away when I look down from the road. There are even trees growing all the way from the bank to the road. I doubt the water level had been much higher for the past decade. Is this a sign of drought?

Low water levels. Drought?

View from embankment

EU on embankment

Convex dam. How did that curvature withstand the pressure?!

16 Dec 2008, 9pm - YHA Halls Gap

We went back for dinner at dusk. Knowing Australians are scared of the dark , we had bought groceries earlier to cook. Spaghetti, baked beans, organic range eggs, and cream of mushroom!

Tomorrow, we head towards the coast. Great Ocean Road here we come!

15 Dec 2008, 6pm - Halls Gap, Grampians

Halls Gap YHA (Youth Hostel Australia) Hostel Entrance

We reached Halls Gap, the main town in the Grampians mountain range, around 6pm. Whew, that was a long drive. Actually, we got a bit lost. Whahahaha

Not lost as in "LOST!", but just took an alternative "scenic route" from Ballarat. And somehow ended up above Grampians (we were travelling north from Ballarat, remember?), traveling south. It took us 40 minutes to detour back, after driving 26 kilometers down Grampians. OMG!

Our room in YHA Halls Gap

Anyway, Hall Gap YHA is nice. Neat, tidy, clean and eco-friendly. There are even individual lockers for each person in the dorm. And each person has his/her own key to the dorm room too. Wow! Well worth the price!

So, we are at the Grampians. Time to go hiking!

15 Dec 2008, 6.30pm - Chatauqua Peak, Grampians

Our first hike in Grampians

The trail to Clematis Falls and Chatauqua Peak is right behind Halls Gap. With two hours of daylight remaining, we decided to try out this "moderate" trail.

As an aside, I think it is important for anyone going hiking in foreign places to hike on a short "moderate level" trail first. This allows you to have a sense of the grading system used for the trails, and also familarise yourself with the terrain, flora and fauna.

I consider the trail to Clematis Falls rather easy. It is wide, well-maintained, and certainly a breeze to finish. The trail up to Chatauqua Peak is more difficult though. The initial phase is easy, but the scrambling up the rocks close to the top is not for the faint-hearted.

Here are some pictures.

Big termite holes on the trail up the mountain

Clematis Falls. Not much water due to drought

Kangeroo on the trail to Chatauqua Peak

View from halfway up the mountain. Halls Gap in right bottom corner

View of opposite mountain

EU scrambling up rocks

15 Dec 2008, 8pm - Halls Gap, Grampians

We came down the mountain around 8pm. Yeap, it's still bright! Summer time, you know.

Right below the mountain, close to Halls Gap Primary School, we saw a magnificent kangeroo with her baby joey in her pouch. Wow! Somehow, we see more wildlife below the mountain than on the mountain. Maybe it's the timing.

Hungry, we went foraging for food. Gasp! All the shops are closed! Shocking! It seems that Australian shops really close at 6pm.

Finally, we found a single shop that is "Open Till Late". They close at 8.30pm and are cleaning up. Luckily they agreed to cook a pizza for us, so we won't go hungry through the night.

Seen outside Halls Gap Primary School

Side view of kangeroo

Cockatoo?

The most magnificent cloud formation I have ever seen

15 Dec 2008, 8am - Melbourne

Our rental car from Avis

EU and I got up early to collect our car from Avis. We had booked the car and GPS online last night. Hopefully an early start will bring us the 200km to Halls Gap/Grampians.

Wah... Oversized vehicles have specially fitted escorts

Victoria inter-state roads are interesting -- there are generally less lanes. Highways have 2 lanes on each side, while normal roads have only 1. Driving feels different too, I think. Our normal speed is 120km/h!

15 Dec 2008, 2pm - Ballarat

Our first stop is Ballarat, one of the first gold mining towns in Victoria. The main attraction is Sovereign Hill, a museum/historic theme park recreation of 1850s Ballarat. Supposedly, we can see the historic artefacts used in gold mining, and even participate in some gold panning activities. However, a hefty admissions charge did not strongly encourage us to enter.

What???

We did, however, visit the Gold Museum opposite it. It exhibits GOLD! GOLD COINS! GOLD MINING! GOLD JEWELLERY! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!

That is Singapore women's traditional clothes?!?

There is also a Women's Museum inside. Commemorating the achievements of women through the ages, the museum has photos of famous women and costumes of women throughout the world.

With nothing much to do, we took our lunch and continued on our way.

14 Dec 2008, 12nn - Melbourne

We got to Melbourne at noon. A quick hop on the Skybus and we are in Spencer Street/Southern Cross Train Station.

Weather is very different here. The sun is hot, but the wind is cold. It looks like a typical bright noon day in Singapore, but the wind is so cold, I am hiding behind pillars.

We took a tram to YT's house, and immediately got lost. In fact, we knocked on the wrong door, on the wrong street. So auspicious, right?

YT's house is, well, small. Okay, better described as narrow. Much like a typical old townhouse. It looks like a typical bachelor pad too.

14 Dec 2008, 3pm - Melbourne City

Federation Square from Rialto Observation Tower

After settling down, we went hunting for rental car companies. The plan is to drive to Grampians and the Great Ocean Road for the next 5 days. Sounds fun, right?

The friendly folks at the Melbourne Visitor Centre (at Federation Square) directed us to Franklin Street on the north of CBD. Apparently Melbourne shuts down at 6pm, so we quickly rushed there. Ho and behold, a whole row of rental companies, from Avis to Bargain Wheels. Woohoo~

Alas! No luck though. Somehow, every company either had a server failure ("Sorry, the server is down till later tonight") or do not have the car we want. Oh well, online booking later tonight then.

An interesting cloud formation

A whirlwind tour of Melbourne University later, and the three of us headed home.

14 Dec 2008, 8pm - Melbourne City

Dinner at DOC Pizza

YT and I went to town again for dinner without EU. Apparently, EU had jet-lag or something -- he practically concussed.

We had a walk along Lygon Street (aka pub street). Restaurants and cafes everywhere, but they are all out of our budget. Food is expensive here, a typical meal costs at least AU$7 for breakfast, AU$15 for lunch and AU$20 for dinner.

Being poor students (yes, I'm a "student"), we went somewhere else for dinner. Somewhere meaning an out-of-the-way family Italian restaurant.

Old building beside DOC Pizza

The food is nice. I had pizza! It is not as overwhelmingly cheesy (pun intended) like pizzas found in Singapore. Apparently, pizza is not meant to have so much cheese...

Dusk is approaching, so we quickly collected EU's pizza and headed home. My fingers were freezing by then.

Round and round Victoria, a 15 days trip

Prologue: Okay, so I'm stuck writing about my trip to Melbourne. Despite my attempts to outsource blog writing to EU, I'm left carrying the baton to chronograph our trip. So, here goes Part 1.

I had wanted to go Melbourne for almost 4 years, since my best friend YT went studying there. After working for 1.5 years, I finally saved enough to go. To make things even more fun, I dragged EU along.

13 Dec 2008, Sat 3pm - Singapore

I had lunch with my family at Changi Airport. Told them we are going in at 3pm, to explore the mysterious visitor transit area. Yeap, we went in 4 hours early, and roamed through Terminal 1, 2 and 3. It's like a giant shopping mall!

Some photos:

There's a giant Christmas display at Terminal 3, with real Christmas trees and red flowers. Cool!

A rooftop garden. Think it's more of a smoking corner though.

[More photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmarki/tags/changiairport/]

14 Dec 2008, Sun, 7am - Sydney

We transited through Sydney at 7am the next day. My first impression of Australia -- they are loud like Cantonese (I'm Cantonese, I can say that. ). They are also paranoid, with sniffer dogs sniffing everyone, X-Ray machines scanning everything, and Custom officers asking tons of questions. Makes me wonder what exactly did the Singapore Customs checks do...

Something to note: transiting through Australia requires going through Immigration and Customs first, before transiting to a domestic flight. I had thought I will clear these at Melbourne.

Transiting from International to Domestic terminals was fast. I guess the trouble-saving part is mainly because we bought Qantas flights for both international and domestic. That gave us free airport shuttle services, and a quick check-in of our bags directly from the International terminal.

We got to the Domestic terminal with 2 hours to spare. Nothing much to do there except eating breakfast. No internet surfing either -- wireless cost AU$5/hr.

Yeah! Finally plowed through my Melbourne photos and uploaded them to my Flickr account. You can go there to look:
Melbourne Trip Dec 2008: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmarki/sets/72157612378870597/

I survived desert, ocean kayaking. Going back to Melbourne tomorrow! 2 mins of wireless left! wireless is so expensive, at 6/hr! Cya!

At long last, I'm going for a holiday!

Melbourne, here I come!

They are opening the gates. Tata everyone! If I never blog during this trip, most probably had fell into a hole in Grampians. Whahahahahha