Day 13 - Great Ocean Road, here we come

Today we finally pick up our rental car and start our road trip on the Great Ocean Road. The first stop is Winki Pop at Bells Beach. The view is magnificent and the weather is on our side too.

We stop at the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery and watch the employees making chocolates. We also try some chocolates, which are truly a dream. We then stop at Anglesea and stroll along the beach. The landscape alone is already a highlight.

After that, we make a stop at Aireys Inlet at the Split Point Lighthouse and watch the waves. We find a snack bar and order our favorite snack, fries. The portion we get is impressive and we struggle to finish it all.

We continue refreshed to the Memorial Arch at Eastern View and take some pictures with the arch that marks the beginning of the Great Ocean Road (although it's not quite the beginning). It is also a memorial arch for the Australian soldiers who returned home after World War I and built the Great Ocean Road. We continue to Kennett River and take a walk in the beautiful nature reserve. First, we spot some wild kangaroos and shortly after, the next highlight - two koalas. During our first encounter, they are still sleeping and are well camouflaged on their tall trees. Koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day, so we are even more delighted when a koala is awake and poses for us on our way back. The koala even climbs down the tree a bit and jumps onto a nearby tree. It looks really fluffy and moves very slowly, perfect for the camera. In the evening, exhausted but happy, we drive to our motel.