Great Ocean Road & Grampians NP

So, now I'm going to try to bring some vacation feeling and adventure into this.

On 26.05. I set off on my first road trip with a guy from Sri Lanka and two girls from Singapore. We found each other on Facebook and basically only got to know each other in the car.

But despite that, everything felt relaxed from the beginning and it fit well between us.
So we started in the afternoon for the Great Ocean Road. The first stop was Geelong. Here we first ate something and took a walk through the harbor. But it was not that special, I would have preferred to get into nature right away and away from all the people.

The route leads almost exclusively along the coast. A dream! The sky was blue, the waves were high and the feeling of finally seeing something of this huge country was incredible. There were so many different capes and viewpoints on top of the cliffs - just beautiful!

Since we left Melbourne very late and it gets dark around half past five, we went shopping in the evening and then headed to the first AirBnB in Sugarloaf. This was so different than expected. Instead of the originally planned apartment, we were greeted with a tiny room with two bunk beds. In a separate house there was a large kitchen, a lounge with a fireplace, dining tables, etc. that were shared by all guests. The bathroom
was in a container with two toilets and three showers. The kitchen was… well. Let's just say, it wasn't my thing. But we had to cook, and luckily the others didn't know me and no one knew how gross it all was for me. So I quickly rinsed off the plates and pots with hot water, closed my eyes, and went for it! I must say that having my own cutlery saved the day!

Well, for one night, everything is fine and I was very proud when I managed to overcome my fears and take a shower in the morning. Not thinking too much, just doing it because it couldn't be changed anyway. When I sneaked out of the room, a beautiful sunrise over the cliffs greeted me. The red sky in front of me, the sound of the sea in my ears, and the scent of fresh grass in my nose - it was such a beautiful moment, just with myself. Smelling the meadow and the sea, feeling the wind on my face, and admiring Australia. I still remember exactly how that felt. These are the moments when I actually realize that I am here.

After a quick breakfast, we continued with the rental car towards the 12 Apostles, the rocks sticking out of the sea. I think there are only 8 left. The rest were brought down by the waves.

We stopped at various places and today we could even follow stairs down to the beach. Fantastic! Finally being barefoot in the icy sea! I was thrilled like a child.

At the viewpoints, we all went our separate ways and eventually met again at the car. It was all very relaxed. I also enjoyed the drive itself. Sometimes along the cliffs, sometimes through the forest when we made a detour somewhere. Being in the middle of this landscape just felt good. There is not only the Great Ocean Road here, but also the Great Ocean Walk. I might want to do that someday.

In the evening, we went shopping again before moving into the next AirBnB in Penshurst. That was a real challenge, but this time for all of us. A small town, a house from grandma's times with grandma's dirt in the middle of nowhere... all that was missing was the big bad wolf knocking on the door. But more about that later.

Unfortunately, this time it was really disgusting. Everything filled with floral blankets and stuffiness. I can't even describe it because it doesn't look that bad in the pictures, rather cozy. I shared a room with the girls and the guy slept in another room.
At night, of course, I had to go to the bathroom, so I gathered all my courage and sneaked through the apartment to avoid waking anyone up. As I walked back towards the room, there was suddenly a banging and scratching on the front door. I was frightened to death! As quickly as I could, I darted into the room and sat on the bed at three in the morning armed with pepper spray. The noises lasted for at least half an hour. Eventually, I thought that if someone wanted to come in, there were plenty of options all around and they wouldn't have to stand at the front door for so long. So, between the musty blankets of grandma's, my eyes had finally closed.

Until today, I still don't know what that was. The guy heard it in the other room too. Maybe it really was the wolf?! Thanks to my imagination, it was definitely one of the creepiest nights of all time. At breakfast, the next surprise: cockroaches crawling out of the toaster. The guy killed them and I was just like, "Nooo, why do you kill them?"'. I have reached a new level of being a vegan.

Well, at some point, it was all over and we headed towards the Grampians National Park. After getting lost, we bumped along dirt roads and saw a lot of dead kangaroos at the roadside. But luckily also some alive ones.

Once we arrived at the national park, we visited various viewpoints and the MacKenzie Falls. The landscape reminded me a bit of Yosemite National Park in the USA. Just beautiful untouched nature as far as the eye can see. Forest and rocks and mountains and fresh air and tranquility.... I felt very comfortable there.

Unfortunately, we only had one day there to explore, as we were already staying in a motel between the Grampians and Melbourne in the evening.

All in all, I can say that it worked really well to do such a tour with strangers. Since no one spoke German, the trip was also a good opportunity for me to work on my English. But after three days, it was enough and I was actually looking forward to the hostel again. When you're on such a short trip, there are rarely times when you have time for yourself. Everything always has to be coordinated and compromises have to be found. There was no quarrel or disagreement, but I was also looking forward to the peace and quiet. At least outside the hostel.

I still don't know exactly how to travel through Australia without spending too much or too little time with other people, but I'm sure something will come to me.

For now, I'm glad to be back in Melbourne. In the same hostel, in the same room. Because I feel best holding onto familiar things.