Waves breaking in the surf

Saturday 11th of June 2011
Hiking from Apollo Bay to Bimbipark
On Saturday, quite early I started walking the GOW from the YHA to Marengo beach. Its nice walking on the sandy beach, but quite strenuous as well.
Hitting the eucalyptus wood everything changed. Mud everywhere, really everything was moist or wet. The first camp I passed looked shaded, cold and damp: brr, glad I did not stayed there outdoors.
I overtook the American couple which stayed in the hostel last night and they really struggle with their heavy backpacks. the 8 km through woodland with no view and mud all the way: that's not the best of all experiences.
I crossed my first Koala bear. There are loads of them everywhere in the trees, you just have to spot these lazy bastards, almost still, moving so slow, it's kind of difficult to see them, same colour as the tree trunks.

The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae. The koala is found in coastal regions of eastern and southern Australia, from Adelaide to the southern part of Cape York Peninsula. Populations also extend for considerable distances inland in regions with enough moisture to support suitable woodlands. The koalas of South Australia were largely exterminated during the early part of the 20th century, but the state has since been repopulated with Victorian stock.

I made it to Blanket Bay and phoned Abbi. 15 minutes later Peter was there and picked me up with all my luggage. And off we went to Bimbipark. I got a cabin there for two days, washed, cleaned everything: getting rid of the mud was some sort of a fight.

Samstag, 11.06.2011
Apollo Bay Bimbipark bei Cape Otway
Heute bin ich die ersten beiden Teilstücke das "Great Ocean Walks" gelaufen.
Der Weg gestern war von der Szenerie her fast schöner gewesen als der Ocean Walk von Eliot Ridge Camp bis zur Blanket Bay. Die Strecke durch den Wald ist nur auf den ersten Kilometern interessant gewesen, dann ähnelt sich der Wald doch immer wieder sehr.
Mit den Beiden aus Melbourne, die ich auf dem Weg getroffen habe, konnte ich mich ein Weile ganz gut unterhalten. Das hat gut getan, sonst war es stellenweise einsam. Das amerikanische Pärchen, die im Backpacker am Vortag getroffen hatte, habe ich überholt. Er mit seinen Maori-Tatoos im Gesicht sah schon cool aus. Sie waren mit schwerem Gepäck unterwegs und das mit Sandalen.
Der Weg war an vielen Stellen wirklich sehr schlammig und ich hatte mir die Schuhe und Socken völlig versaut.
Ich habe wie ein Besessener versucht hier im Bimbipark alles wieder auszuwaschen, mal sehen, die Schuhe stehen jetzt auf dem Elektrogrill, vielleicht trocknet ja doch etwas bis morgen.
Die ich doch jemanden, Abbi, gefunden habe, der zu halbwegs brauchbaren Preisen (heute Gepäck und dann mich abholen und in Bimbipark absetzen 30,- $ verlangt), was für hier wirklich ok ist.
So sitze ich jetzt im Warmen in einer Cabin (eigentlich für 4-5 Personen) alleine. Nur ein wenig alleine bin ich ...
Heute war es trocken (von oben) das war gut. Sonne hatte ich keine. Da ich morgens Richtung Westen bei starker Bewölkung los gelaufen bin.
Der Weg über die Steinplatten an der Küste entlang war schon beeindruckend und ganz gut begehbar, wenn stellenweise auch rutschig und nass.
Ich musste doch sehr aufpassen mit den Joggingschuhen, nicht zwischen Felsbrocken auszurutschen. Das ist mir gut gelungen. An zwei Stellen war es auch richtig aufregend, mit 2 - 3 Meter hohen Wellen zur Linken, dies sich schäumend an den Felsen brachen und teilweise auch Gicht hochschießen ließen sowie Steilküsten zur Rechten und Steinplatten unter den Füßen.
Heute schreibe ich wieder Textprosa zum in das Blog kopieren, weil ich zur Strom und Licht habe, aber kein Telefon und kein Web.
Für die Australier ist dies ein langes Wochenende, da am Montag "Queen Mams birthday" ist. Deshalb ist draußen auch einiges an Betrieb, was sonst nicht der Fall wäre.
Bei uns ist Pfingsten und Pfingstmontag. Das wirkt ganz schön weit weg im Moment.
Gerade habe ich mit 2 Kids hier auf der Campsite in der "Lounge" direkt neben der Küche, wo ich mir schlicht Nudeln gekochte hatte und eine grüne Gurke mit etwas Olivenöl klein geschnitten, gekickert. Die haben ganz schön dumm aus der Wäsche geguckt, wie ich ihnen ein Tor nach den anderen reingesemmelt habe.
Dann habe ich mir noch ein Magnum geleistet und jetzt gerade ein Snickers: verbrauchte Energie zuführen.
Jetzt sehe ich mir einmal die Bilder an.
Die Bilder sind ganz gut geworden, vor allem die Wasser, Wellen und Brandungsfotos. Der Koala ist auch ok. Sogar das Känguru ist diesmal nicht gleich wieder davon gehüpft. So habe ich ein Foto ...
So ist das schon ganz gut, das ich jetzt tippen und schreibend denken kann, sonst wäre es völlig öde.
Jetzt bin ich schön ganz schön müde.
Meine Wäscheleine habe ich verbummelt, keine Ahnung, wo ich die gelassen habe. Ich könnte schwören, das ich die eingepackt hatte...
Das "Alter" würde ich sagen.
Geld ist noch ok, auch wenn jeder Scheiß kostet und es nur so weggeht.
Mal sehen, was meine Füße zu dem Weg morgen sagen?

Version 2:
Saturday 11th of June
Apollo Bay - Bimbipark - Cape Otway - hiking
After last evenings telephone call with Orb Shuttle Service, I left may backpack at the YHA early in the next morning, hoping they will pick it up and later in the evening me at Blanket Bay, as discussed on the phone. I headed out walking nervously only with my tiny day-pack and a litre of water, some biscuits and fruits.
I had to leave the village on the main road and hit the beach at Marengo. Cool weather, some wind, low tide, perfect hiking conditions, good, I liked it. The first 7 sandy beaches where really nice for walking. Heading inland at Elliot River, passing one night camp was fun. In the eucalyptus forest the ground was very muddy, hard to walk. Suddenly a slow motion on the track: a koala bear is slowly strolling along the path, I could take some nice portrait photos. Later I passed a bush wallaby and I could always hear a lot of birds, but I did not see any in the dense forest vegetation.
I passed the American couple, I had met at the hostel in Apollo Bay, they where heavily packed, she only with naked feet in leather sandals, sliding in the mud. Later I passed one other couple and we did help each other with chatting through the sludge.
Walking down to Blanket Beach was a little easier and I made it to the discussed pick-up point a little earlier. After a few minutes Peter arrived and picked me up. On the road to Bimbipark was a short way. I looked at the cabin offered to me, single for a good value, that was good. the public kitchen had no atmosphere, but I managed to cook something and did it with good appetite, I was hungry.

On the ferry boat from Sorrento to Queenscliff

Thursday 09th of June 2011
Dromana - Queenscliff - Apollo Bay
I am on the road again ...
Hitting the bus early in Dromana heading to Sorrento where I picked up the ferry to Queenscliff.
In Queenscliff I had made my first stop in a beautiful restaurant in an old church called the "Apostles".
Then I got the bus 76 to Geelong, where I am right now.
Sitting in the university cafeteria, which is a nice huge and very quiet place.
At 15:15 I head off to Apollo Bay staying in Otway Lodge at least for one night.
Just checking out supported walks in all the brochures I got at the tourist information.
May be there is one I can afford and which makes sense to me.
Maybe there are even some more other people. Would be nice walking in a small group as well.
If I had a wish: let it be! Thank you so much!
Tonight I hopefully got some internet access again, so I can check out more.
And look for other couch possibilities.
The weather is dry, that's the best I can say, which is something, better than two days ago with hail and rain showers.

Wednesday 08th of June
Dromana
That's the beautiful guest-room I stayed at on Zeb Farm land. We went shopping, getting some paint, a car battery and some food.
Lazy today, just a little walk up the hill to Oz Reservoir and down back again.
Now on the web, writing.
I have made some pictures, which are still on the camera.
Maybe I can do that in the evening.

Tuesday 07th of June
Dromana on Mornington Peninsula
Early in the morning, was went to the medical centre in Rosebud to get Andrew x-rayed, to ensure nothing is broken. Everything fine, I drove him up to his place, nice little house, where he is about to move to Singapore. I could use the internet and did some research for long period car rental and some new hosts on me way to Adelaide. Answered emails ...
I drove up to Arthur's Seat and had a quick walk through the Sea Gardens, which is a very nice garden or park on top of the mountain overlooking the whole Philly Bay. The weather was really windy all day, damn cold with hail and gusts of rain. Freezing my head off. Nice vegetarian night meal, a little of Australians Top Talents on TV, don't remember which channel, then to bed, had a good warm sleep. Very calm and no traffic noise what so ever.
The whole house is damn cold and not heated at all, because its not really finished jet. They are about to set the chimney up for a steel stove.

Monday 06th of June
Melbourne - Dromana Mornington Peninsula
I left Melbourne by train, quite early in the morning, nice sunshine, quiet in the city. I got a train ticket at the main counter easily. Train up to Frankston, 30 minutes to wait, I bought some postcards, a knife and something else. Hitting the bus to Dromana being there around lunchtime, calling my host: no credit on the prepaid any more! Waiting .. she came and picked me up: Great! Recharging the prepaid failed, shit!
She showed me around in their amazing new house on the farm ground just outside the city. Really gorgeous.
I had a chat with her husband and left for a little walk up the hill into the state park.
I went slow, taking a lot of shots of all these new plants, new to me only, I suppose 🙂
On my way back I got picked up and she wanted to show me some wallabies. Phone call: her friend Andrew pulled one shoulder paddle surfing. So she asked me about car driving: I said that's fine with me.
So we drove up to the beach, better we search it in almost dark, we found him with some guys helping. Andrew still in his wet suit shivering in the cold. We drove up to the doctor on Red Hill who was very skilled and rearranged the joints with ease. Instantly his pain was almost gone. We waited half an hour, relaxing and observing than we went back to the farm house.
Getting a shower, cleaning up my cloth, had supper and watched TV while chatting a little bit.

Sunday 5th of June
Melbourne
Today I was out quite early with the first sun on the trail by a rent bike, not the best, but fully working included the obligatory helmet.
I hate stuff like that, but here in Australia I have no choice.
I did a big round along the Yarra river an then to the beach at St. Kilda down the beach to the Tasmania Queen quay and back along the tram-track down-town, which is not to big.
Down-town I bought a mobile for calls and was heading to Collingwood, where the hostel is.
Shower and washing and food and laying back.
the was the day.

Saturday 4th of June 2011
Melbourne
I got up early, had a plain breakfast, just butter, jam and bread, toast, some tea to drink: fine. Got dressed, its quite fresh outside actually, with some wind all the time. The sun was out to day with some light clouds in between. Got myself a clean shave and a toothbrush and some fresh washed cloth. Packed a little food and some water for the day.
There are free and clean public restrooms at many corners and fresh water fontains to drink.
I walked peacefully through Fitzroy Park down-town to Federation Square and popped into sculptures made of Lego bricks.
I liked that even so it was all crowed with kids.
After that I had a break on the stairs in the sun. An walked over the Yarra-bridge to the Botanical Garden. I crossed a BMX Contest.
Passing some rowing boats walking green parks lanes I reached the Botanical Garden.
I took many shots even so the light was no good and mostly shaded too much. Nevertheless there are many beautiful and unknown plants.

1th of June 2011
Melbourne
I arrived early this morning after a 22 hour flight straight from London with a quick fuel stop in Hong Kong. It was a little weird to disembark the Boeing 474 leaving your luggage on board heading for the exit and then re-enter after one more serious security check from the Chinese authorities. Seats I had to changes as well. Second place was a little better, with a skinny girl to the left, so more space for me.
...weiterlesen "Melbourne Friday – Monday"

Category description

Victoria is a state of Australia, located in the south-east of the country. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.
Victoria is Australia’s most densely populated state, and has a highly centralised population, with almost 75% of Victorians living in Melbourne, the state capital and largest city.
After the founding of the colony of New South Wales in 1788, Australia was divided into an eastern half named New South Wales and a western half named New Holland, under the administration of the colonial government in Sydney. The first European settlement in the area later known as Victoria was established in October 1803 under Lieutenant-Governor David Collins at Sullivan Bay, Victoria on Port Phillip. It consisted of 308 convicts, 51 marines, 17 free settlers, 12 civil officers, a missionary and his wife. They had been sent from England in HMS Calcutta under the command of Captain Daniel Woodriff, principally out of fear that the French, who had been exploring the area, might establish their own settlement and thereby challenge British rights to the continent.
Victoria’s next settlement was at Portland, on the west coast of what is now Victoria. Edward Henty settled Portland Bay in 1834. Shortly after arriving from Tasmania in December 1834, Henty (aged 24 yrs) set off for thickly-populated country inland from Portland, with resident whalers, an Aboriginal woman abducted by one of them and 14 hunting dogs (a cross between greyhound and wolfhound}. On spotting a single Aboriginal man, the men set the dogs on him.
Melbourne was founded in 1835 by John Batman. From settlement the region around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District, a separately administered part of New South Wales.