Splendorous road trip
Aside from the great grub, the attention-grabbing seaside view made dinner at Forage and Foreshore in Port Campbell a memorable one.
THE weather is beautifully balmy and cool at the same time. A temperate affair between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius, punctuated by a refreshing breeze, the crisp and clean air is a far cry from the grimy Kuala Lumpur climate that I’m used to.
Taking deep and calming breaths, I soak in the magnificent vistas during the drive along the Great Ocean Road region.
Planted comfortably in the front seat of the touring van with the window fully open, I am taken by the dreamy wide blue sky and the gorgeously imposing Great Southern Ocean and Bass Strait as we journey along the coastline road.
The mildly snaky trail follows the contours of the land and drops down to provide access to a series of odd nooks, beaches and bays but also climbs to cliffs that provide wondrous views as well.
Stretching about 243 kilometres along the south-eastern coast of Australia, between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford, apparently more than seven million people a year visit the Great Ocean Road region, making it one of the country’s most popular destinations.
Its origin is a little sombre though. Built by Australian soldiers who returned after World War I, between 1919 and 1932, the road is considered the world’s largest war memorial as it is dedicated to the soldiers killed during that Great War.
Although it’s designated as a highway, the drive is a quiet and soothing one which gives me a sense of freedom, space and intimacy. I wish I have my hands on a convertible with the top down!
Driving dreams aside, my 3D2N road excursion is interspersed with a series of gastronomic, cultural and nature-related activities.
From the concrete jungle of metropolitan Melbourne, it is about a 75-km drive southeast of the Mornington Peninsula to get to Arthurs Seat.
Starting at the base station in Dromana, I take a gondola (cable car) ride up in the Arthurs Seat Eagle to the summit over 300 metres up, which is the highest point of the Mornington Peninsula.
As expected, there are charming sweeping views of the Bellarine Peninsula across the waters of Port Phillip Bay.
Accented by hardy natural bushland, the location gets its moniker after Lieutenant John Murray named it so back in 1802, as it reminded him of the mountain range near his home in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The native aboriginal Boonwurrung people have a more interesting name for it — Wonga, after the pigeon that used to flock to the area to nest.
Encapsulated by the Arthurs Seat State Park, there’s also the Seawinds Gardens and a network of trails that are divided into walking routes and steep rocky mountain biking paths for the adventurous.
Visitors can look out for Australia’s unique fauna, such as the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Swamp Wallaby or Echidna, here too.
A 20-minute drive south later to Flinders and my eyes pop with delight as I enter the Mornington Peninsula Chocolate & Ice Creamery.
Rows of shelves and tables stacked with