પ્રકાશિત: 28.02.2024
I first spent 2 days at Lake Hume, on a beautiful complex with a pool and lake. Had to calm down first. That was possible here. The place was almost empty. I have the meadow for the unpowered campers all to myself. -Apart from countless parrots.
Then I set off, actually wanted to go to Lorne, but that was completely utopian. Travel time 5.5 hours. Actually not rocket science. Only the breaks, fuel stops and, last but not least, the rush hour traffic in Melbourne caused the arrival time to move further and further back. So I spontaneously followed a sign in Geelong that pointed to a campsite. It was 6 p.m. and if I wanted to set up a tent and cook in daylight, it was time. But then again I had forgotten the time calculation in Australia. As of 5 p.m., the reception desks at the campsites are no longer staffed and when I called the emergency contact from the announcer, he explained to me that this was not an emergency. -For me, yes.
A few phone calls later I managed to get a place that would take me until 7 p.m. I could just manage that.
I found a place for the night at a price bordering on exorbitant 50AUD with no electricity, no water, right on the main road.
Today I went overland to Princetown, now I finally want to see the 12 Apostles.
On the broken roads blown up by the heat, I didn't want any car other than my huge ship. Like a ship through the waves, she plows through the bad streets. Unfortunately, their braking distance is also comparable.
On the way I passed many dry lakes. A larger one still had water, but the extremely hot wind brought with it a putrid smell. Another, near the coast, was just a white crust of salt. The wind took away the moisture from everything and everyone. A brief moment in this wind was enough to completely dry out the skin. It's easy to imagine how it could turn the embers of a small spark into a huge, uncontrollable bush fire. It was not for nothing that several fire brigade convoys from NSW were on the highway the day before on their way to Vivtoria, where the situation is currently dire.
The campsite I chose is the one closest to the 12 Apostles. Nevertheless, it is still a walk of 8km - one way. It is very simple, but at least there are a few outhouses and showers. I'll sleep in the car because it was so windy this afternoon that I was worried about my tent. This place is also almost empty and so I spend most of my time alone. But at least I had a nice chat with the groundskeeper earlier.