Great Ocean Road

Friday February 3

Geelong is a lively little city and we've found an apartment for the night that is a short stroll from Eastern Beach.  We take an evening walk along the promenade to look for something to eat.  After viewing the restaurant prices we decide once again to go with the affordable fish & chips takeaway.  We are constantly astounded at the cost of dining out in Australia - particularly in the cities. 

In St. Kilda we paid $19.00 for a hamburger & chips at a sidewalk café.  Maybe the cost of a restaurant burger wherever you are is similar to minimum wage - and in NSW the minimum wage is a staggering $18.75/hour.  We are finding that the cost of living is much higher here than back home.  Gas is typically $1.40/litre and it's difficult to find accommodation (even budget accommodation) for less than $100 per night.  But, we save money by using our kitchenette, buying produce from the local markets (which is less expensive than grocery store produce) and walking to beaches, parks and stores.  Plus, the wine is cheaper here!!!

Saturday February 4

We spend the morning at Eastern Beach which is a fantastic place for kids.  There is an amazing playground, a swimming pool, wading pool and a shark-free enclosure for beach swimming (all free for public use).  We park ourselves under a big umbrella next to the pool and spend the morning swimming and lazing around and end with a lunchtime picnic.

Rusty playing in the pool at Eastern Beach, Geelong

We start along the Great Ocean Road after lunch with the agenda to do about 150 km to Apollo Bay (it is a very windy road so it's supposed to take about 3 hours to get there).  We plan to drive and stop at viewpoints while the children are sleeping, then stop and do a hike into a huge waterfall or some other such roadside attraction once they wake up.

First stop - Bell's Beach.  This is a famous surf beach featured in Point Break - and equivalent to the North Shore, Hawaii.  We are hoping to see some serious waves - and the lunatics that surf them.  The kids are sleeping so we leave the A/C going (sorry Earth) and jump out of the car to take a quick look at the action.   There is a viewpoint overlooking the beach for just that purpose.  No action really - the waves are pretty mellow and there are a few surfers but no green room.  When we walk back to the car I notice that water is pouring out from the radiator area.  My stomach sinks as I loudly point it out to Clark - luckily a local Aussie overhears my shriek and reassures us that if it's clear then it's just from the A/C being left on - phew.  We don't know stuff about A/C overuse in Canada - we leave the car idling to keep it warm not cold (sorry again Earth).

The kids sleep all the way to Apollo Bay so we pass by all of the cool stuff the brochure tells us to check out along the Great Ocean Road - including the waterfall.  We semi-wonder why we are even doing this drive.  Lets just add an extra 600 km to our trip and pack in/and out of three different motels in three nights to get a good view of the ocean here and there - hmmmm.

Sunday February 5

Audrey is seven months old today (since today is yesterday in Canada) and is eating like a pro.  She is a carnivore and ham is her prey!  There is nothing our child won't do for a piece of ham.  She has two teeth on the bottom now and is cutting two more on top.  I think those teeth must push through every night at about 2:00 am as she lets out a bloodcurdling scream and requires some serious rocking to get back to sleep.  She's mastered the art of sitting up (lots of surface area to work with) and is working towards balancing on all fours.  Things are quite easy for us now with her lack of mobility and we are not looking forward to the crawling stage.  But she is determined to get there sooner rather than later...sigh…

We drive a little ways up the Great Ocean Road and stop at a gorgeous rainforest to go for a short hike before we carry on with our drive.  The trees are unbelievably tall (the interpretive sign says over 100 m) with massive root systems and everywhere we look it is just lush and green.  The ferns grow as trees here!  Rusty turns into a little botanist and seriously inspects the leaves on all the different plants.  It is her second favorite thing to do on the rainforest walk (pulling my hair while I carry her is number one!!!)

Our future botanist

Hi-Ho...Hi-Ho

Blue Steel

Fern Tree

Now was that a Cyathea australis or a Dicksonia antarctica

Now where did Rusty go?

The afternoon finds us holed up in a motel room in Port Campbell to wait out the rain.  The girls were sleeping as we drove by the Twelve Apostles (probably the most photographed viewscape of the Great Ocean Road drive) and the pounding rain added another reason for us to just pass on by.  We continue to wonder whether this drive is worth it.  The rain continues into the evening and we decide to return to the Twelve Apostles & Loch Ard Gorge the next morning - keeping our fingers crossed for better weather.

Monday February 6

It is a gorgeous day today and the views are well worth the effort.  Probably one of the most breathtaking coastlines I have ever seen.  We spend the morning following the footpaths along Loch Ard Gorge - reading stories of the shipwreck that occurred there - and meandering from one incredible view to another.  This landscape really emphasizes the power of the ocean.

Watching the waves pound against these rocks is spectacular!!!  After we've had our fill we head back to Geelong and are finally grateful for the girls sleeping through an entire drive!!

Melbourne - Part 2

Wednesday February 1

Rusty hit her terrible two's at the exact moment we hit a bustling café sidewalk in St. Kilda, Melbourne.  What a show - we could have put a hat in front of her and made some money.  Maybe I was being somewhat unreasonable in insisting that she didn't crawl down the busy sidewalk, but she decided that was how she was going to roll and she wasn't budging.  When I tried to pick her up she would holler and go limp - when I tried to put her down she would bend her legs and refuse to be put on her feet.  There was no way to win.

We decided she must be thirsty (I mean why else would a two-year old act this way?) and sat her down on a chair at the nearest café.  When the waitress came over she tried to have a go at calming down our Tasmanian Devil.  "Allo," she said as she leaned in towards Rusty. "An what would you like?"  Apparently Rusty wanted a ten-decibel "AY AY AY" right in the poor woman's face.  She quickly exited as I asked for a glass of milk and looked for a place to cower under the table.  I'm sure this was payback for the time that I yelled at the top of my lungs "He punched me in the stomach" when my Dad tried to move me from playing under a rack of coats in a busy store (and no, he didn't punch me in the stomach).

Rusty decided that she didn't want milk (in a lovely and definitive milk-flying-everywhere kind of way) along with the snacks that we offered her.  She ended up in a timeout on the edge of the sidewalk while I wondered if it was really so bad to let her crawl along the sidewalk amidst cigarette butts and broken glass?  I mean - pick your battles right?  Luckily, she calmed down after the time out and returned to her cheerful happy self as if nothing had happened.  We were left in a bit of a confused daze, terrified of when or if the tornado would touch down again.  What was that???

We spend the rest of the day meandering around St. Kilda.  We follow the boardwalk along the beach past skateboarders practicing huge tricks, topless sunbathers and swimsuit shoots.  This is a happening place.  We stumble across an old-school amusement park (Luna Park) complete with a carousel ride.  Rusty can't believe her luck.  She runs excitedly up to the carousel and picks out 'her' horse.  After the ride she asks for 'more, more' and we decide that a bracelet with limitless rides is the way to go.  There are three rides that she is allowed on and we get our money's worth on the carousel alone (I think she did about 10 rides in a row).  After that it was off to the elephants and finally the aeroplane for a solo ride (the others were adult accompanied).  I was far more nervous than her for the solo ride (I thought she might freak out when she was up in the air by herself) but she loved it and couldn't have cared less whether we were there on not.  I guess she was feeling rather brave after her solo ride as she got off and made a beeline for the giant octopus.  She needed another 24 inches to qualify for that ride!!

Rusty's 1st Solo Ride

Rusty wishing she was 2 feet taller

In the evening we headed to the South Bank promenade (which follows along the Yarra River) to check out a fire show that we'd heard about.  It didn't start until after  dusk (around 7:30 pm) we thought it was time that we ventured out after dark.  When we got there we discovered that the show wouldn't start until 8:30 pm.  When Rusty persistently decided that she wanted to go for a swim in the Yarra River we seriously considered turning right around and heading home.  Luckily, there was a gelato place next to her chosen swimming spot and a chocolate cone kept her entertained (and out of the water) until the show started (what can't gelato fix really).  The South Bank is beautiful to stroll along especially after dark and is filled with leafy trees decorated with white lights, talented buskers and countless fine dining restaurants with menus that made us start discussing the possibility of childcare.  The show was spectacular with gigantic fireballs being shot out of towering pillars lining the bank of the river.  Audrey wasn't a huge fan of the finale which was quite impressive but very loud - when her cries rivalled the boom of the shooting fireballs we took that as our cue to head for home.  We decided to take a different route home and ended up a little lost.  Both girls fell asleep in their carriers as we walked, and walked, and walked looking for the proper tram station.  A friendly Aussie gave us directions and we made it home just after 11:00 pm, quite exhausted.  We decided that venturing out after bedtime with the kids should be an infrequent affair!

Thursday February 2

We all sleep in today and spend a quiet day around our flat enjoying the novelty of not sightseeing.  Once the sun dies down we venture out to Luna Park (as I promised Rusty some more rides) and stumble upon a busy market on our way.  We decide it looks like a good place to practice our new grazing technique and pick up some calamari in a paper cone.  We jokingly offer one to Rusty and low-and-behold she takes it, and EATS IT, and then EATS MORE.  Her first meat - Calamari - go figure!

We walk back to our flat along Ackland Street - which is renowned for it's delicious cakes.  There are countless bakeries with 10 feet x 10 feet window displays filled with various cakes and treats - sheer decadence.  We struggle to put a reign on ourselves and I suggest we each pick one dessert from two shops which Clark enthusiastically agrees with (and later admits that he thought I suggested we each choose one from every shop - glutton!) 

Friday February 3

Friday morning we set out to meet up with some friends that we met rock-climbing in Thailand on our honeymoon.  Turns out they live in St. Kilda and when we parted ways they invited us to drop in if we were ever in Australia - so we did!  It seems we have been living parallel lives as they also have two daughters within months of the same age as both of ours.  And all four with blue-eyes (quite against the odds given the father's are half Chinese and half Persian).  We had a wonderful visit and catch up (well as much catching up as you can do with four children under three anyway).  The girls wear themselves out playing and in the late afternoon we drive to Geelong to begin our Great Ocean Road adventure.

Melbourne - Part 1

Sunday January 29

Clark here.  We're in Melbourne now.  Properly pronounced "Mel-bun".  If you say "Mel-born", they'll look at you funny.  Funny like how we look at them when they say things like "Fair dinkum" or "strewth".

Melbourne is a buzzing metropolis of cool.  Art is everywhere -- from the buildings to the people to the streets themselves.  The architecture is a mix of Edwardian colonial, industrial trendy, and corporate wow.  The people are fashionable enough that we spend more time looking at them than in shop windows.  Even the back alleys are like galleries.  There are whole networks of alleys and laneways given over to street art and graffiti.

It would be even cooler if it wasn't 35°C.  When we unload the car after the drive from Malacoota it's like stepping out into an oven.  The shade is tolerable, but the direct sun is worrisome.  When we load the kids in the Chariot to go find some groceries, I worry about the angle that they recline at in their seats.  You couldn't put them at a better roasting angle if you tried.  They are well-used to the sunscreen ritual by now and are, so far, burn-free.

We find a grocery store that is frantic with a dense crowd of shoppers.  It's about dinner-time on a Sunday, they're taking numbers at the deli counter, and the Chariot is catching a few glares.  Most people are just carrying baskets, and the few shopping carts that are being pushed around are miniaturized.  The Chariot is like a Hummer in a city of Smart Cars.  When people glare, we tell them we're American.  If they say how much they like it, we tell them we're from Canada and boast that Chariots are manufactured in Canada.

The flat we've rented for our stay here looks very run-down from the outside but is very modern on the inside, with concrete floors, and some original art on the walls.  The neighbourhood we're in is St. Kilda which is kind of like Kitsilano in Vancouver.  There are lots of people in their twenties, lots of restaurants and beaches.  There's a big park where people go jogging by the lake, and the buildings tend more towards the colonial.  We can walk to most places and to get downtown (the CBD - Central Business District) there's a good network of frequent trams.  It's perfect.  We settle in, eat some roast chicken (that is stuffed we find out happily), and start flipping through maps and guide books and tourist pamphlets.

P.S.  Big shout-out to Cousin Eddie who is 40 today.  Mi gutter es su gutter, hermano.

Monday January 30

We head to Federation Square to start our tour of Melbourne and are blown away by the diversity in age and style of the buildings.

We decide to take advantage of the free tourist bus to get an overview of Melbourne.  For an hour and a half it wends its way through the CBD while a recorded commentator fills in the passengers on what they're seeing.  It's really good.  We get an idea where everything is, we find out a little about what's on offer at each spot, and we give each other little nods if something seems good enough to go back to.  Ellen nods when we pass by a strip of shops by the harbour; I nod when we see a pub serving kangaroo.  We don't end up going back to either.

Rusty gets a little restless after about 20 minutes on the bus.  She wants to get up and sit with some other passengers, or go say hi to the driver.  I try distracting her with some toys, I try sitting on her a little, but she gets more and more restless, and less and less quiet.  After 25 minutes, she is verging on a full tantrum and people are giving me that smile.  I point at a few of the things we're passing by and say stuff like, "Look!  A dog!"  She doesn't seem interested at all, so I hoist her up a little.  Apparently she couldn't see anything but sky out of the window, because all of a sudden her eyes bug out, she pastes her face to the glass, and shouts "WOW!"  She keeps on shouting WOW continuously for the rest of the ride, and the other passengers keep giving me that smile.

We hop off at the Shrine of Remembrance which is a massive pyramid-type monument in memory of all the soldiers who fought and died in the first World War.  At its core is a tomb for an unnamed soldier, inscribed with the words,

A GREATER

LOVE HATH

NO MAN

A beam of light comes down from the monument's apex and fills the chamber with diffuse, calming light.  Except for Rusty yelling, "HI!" and then giggling at the echo, over and over, it is a very regal and respectful atmosphere.  The old guys serving as guides and guards come over and tell us about other parts of the monument that might be of interest, like the gift shop.  We take the hint and move along.

View of Melbourne from the Shrine of Remembrance

Up on top of the shrine, a little short for the magnificent views on all sides, Rusty is most impressed by the shoes of the other tourists.

Tuesday January 31

A pamphlet that we picked up at the tourist centre in Federation Square takes us on a really great two-hour stroll through the CBD.  It has a map and write-ups about all the places you see as you go.  The one we pick is for lanes and alleyways, but there were lots of others too, like for shopping, or history, or art.  We leave the Chariot at home, bundle Audrey into her carrier on my chest, and put a leash on Rusty.

The first lane we hit is full of tiny cafes.  They used to mill flour in this district, the pamphlet tells us.  Now they grind coffee.  Some of them are so small that there is only room for the proprietor to stand behind his machine as he sells to passers by.  The middle of the lane has a single row of tables with people walking past on either side.  Rusty drags her hand along all the chairs as she goes by, and if a thigh or someone's bum happen to get in the way, she grabs those too.  At the other end of the leash, with a coffee now in the other hand, Ellen is dragged along apologizing as she goes.

We stop and check out some street art before the map sends us under a covered arcade.  Graffiti is of a very high quality here (like Banksy and the likes -  see link http://www.banksy.co.uk/)  and in certain districts it is officially sanctioned and even encouraged.  Fresh pieces cover up old ones and there is often not an inch of space left un-sprayed.  If a piece is particularly good, the other artists leave it unmolested and it reigns as long as it stays interesting.

Indoors, it's still like a laneway, but there is a glass roof with some ornate millwork.  The shops are still tiny, but there are fewer cafes now and more clothing boutiques and specialty stores.  The floors are all tiled mosaic that stretch on and on, right out of sight.  The map takes us around corners, across busy downtown streets, and back into more arcades.  We let Rusty mostly run free, so we go where she goes even it means backtracking or running around a fountain a hundred times, or just silently staring into the display window of a chocolate shop.  We have nowhere to be and she is definitely happier when we're not dragging her.

We stop at a sushi joint to get some rolls and feed the kids.  There is a single file of tables  running down the side of the bar and behind us a university-age couple sit down and start talking loudly.  We're up to our eyeballs in yoghurt and soy sauce and wipes, but a couple minutes later when Ellen gives me a look that says, "Are you hearing this?", I give a huge nod straight away.

"So that makes four times in eight months," the guy is saying.  He doesn't let the girl have much to say at all; he just keeps barreling along, right over her if he has to, in a loud enough voice to make us think he wants us to eavesdrop, yoghurt or not.

"Once with a stranger from a club in Chapel…"  Chapel is the street we're staying on and the evidence is piling up that it's on the racy side:  this guy, the Chapel-specific last call being introduced by the city, the HIV test clinics, the ads at every bus stop for STD awareness...  "Actually two of them were one-nighters from clubs."

Ellen is looking at the back of this guy's head and I am back to back with him.  I want to swivel round and listen properly but I've got Audrey on my lap fighting me on some spoonfuls of rice cereal.  "I was at one of those clubs myself last night.  I spent over $300," he says.

"One time was while she was traveling in America.  I can forgive that one no problem because you know how it is when you're traveling.  And she's only twenty-one, so you know, go for it.  And the first one I can forgive because that was after we'd been seeing each other for only four months.  Four months seems okay to me, but after eight months?"

Even after we get the girls fed and the yoghurt packed away, we keep sitting there.

"You want to know the stupid part?" he says.  Ellen and I very much want to know the stupid part.  "The stupid part is that I would still take her back if she would have me."  With that they get up and leave.  Show's over.  We gather up our stuff and continue on with our tour.

There are more shops, and more graffiti and more chasing after Rusty, but in the second half of our walk we hit on something good.  We come to realize that the way to eat, with two little ones in tow, is on the move.  We get a couple sushi rolls and eat them while we walk.  There is no fussing to get out of chairs, there is no whining.  We get some baking and eat it one-handed while we window shop.  There is no apologizing to other tables or the waiter.  We like this method so much we get a platter of steamed won-tons in Chinatown and eat them in a surf shop.  Rusty goes to work on the wheel of a skateboard, spinning it endlessly, Audrey goes to work on some won-tons, and I find myself with enough time to try on some sunglasses and shorts.  Marvelous.

Outside the surf shop, Rusty nearly pulls her leash apart trying to get up close to a busker.  The guy is strumming a guitar and rapping, but it's not gangsta rap - it's more like what Jack Johnson would do if he did rap.  It's really really good and we stay with Rusty for a whole song.  Half a block down the street there's another busker.  This guy is doing beatbox with nothing but a mic.  It sounds like he has six turntables going, but it's just him and his mouth.  Rusty doesn't smile or cheer or even move.  She just stares at the guy like something's wrong.  I give her a buck to go give to the guy and he interrupts the beat to say thank you.  That gets him a smile from Rusty.  Check him out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8_9xboguqg&feature=related

Rusty passed out after her big day in Melbourne

Malacoota to Melbourne

Friday January 27

And we are on the road again...on our way to check out Melbourne.  We stay overnight at a little lakeside/oceanside holiday town called Lakes Entrance - about 200 km from Malacoota.  The town is primarily a busy little strip of motels, restaurants and family activities (go-carts, minigolf, giant inflatables) that runs along the lake.  Lakes Entrance has a commercial fishery and all the restaurants we pass are boasting fresh seafood and catch of the day.  We are dying to try some of the local seafood but are worried about the potential chaos that sitting down for a nice dinner with two tired kids might bring (to ourselves and other diners) - we decide to wait to try a sit-down dinner until the grandparents come to visit.  We choose a fish & chips takeout (take away) spot that our guidebook recommends and it is absolutely delicious (more fish than batter, and very fresh fish).  Audrey thinks so too and gulps down a piece of gummy shark (her first fish experience).  On our way back to the motel we stop at a truffle café to pickup some dessert.  The café is displaying over 100 different kinds of truffles - our most exotic choice is the hot chile mango truffle - unbelievably yummy.  Audrey sucks on some watermelon for her dessert and we get a chuckle over how cute her big cheeks look vibrating away on top of the watermelon.

Life moves a little slower in Australia.  I don't feel like I'm constantly rushing like I was back home - trying to hurry to finish doing something before the kids need to sleep, eat, or are about to melt down...and I'm finding time to do things that have been sorely neglected for the last 3 years - like eyebrow plucking and daily showering...or savoring a cup of coffee in the morning!

But, there are definitely some struggles to travelling with children.  Having a mission to complete (like finding a place to stay, or finding internet, or something we need to buy) when travelling B.K. (Before Kids) just broke up the monotony that can occur when you have days and days with nothing to do - it's even a bit fun.  Now, a simple task can take the entire day and becomes extremely unpleasant when it's bordering a meal or naptime and the kids want to be doing anything else but the task at hand.  Even grocery shopping can be exhausting - trying to navigate a new grocery store, unknown brands and prices while keeping Rusty from running like a maniac up and down the aisles and Audrey from unleashing her 100-decibel scream - exhausting!  Audrey is bursting with happiness 99% of the time, but the remaining 1% is furious, blood-curdling and a bit frightening to us.

Saturday January 28

Next stop, Traralgon for the night (we can't pronounce it either) - mostly because of the cheap accommodation and it's the midway point to Melbourne.  We stay at another caravan park, but we prefer it to the last park as the cabins are much more spaced apart.  The amenities are fantastic.  There is a playground, swimming pool and a wading pool (which is the perfect temperature for Audrey, and that Rusty enjoys splashing us all in).  The piece de resistance, however, is what the brochure describes as a 'jumping pillow' and what Rusty thinks is more fun than yelling at turtles.  It's a 20 m x 8 m inflated trampoline bubble (for lack of better words).  The edges come right down to the ground and it's surrounded by sand.  Rusty is in her glory!!!

Taking a much needed rest

In the evening, the caravan park has a free sausage roast, and never ones to turn down free food, we head to the barbeque area to partake.  They have a little draw afterwards for various door prizes.  The first lady that wins a prize is in her nineties and insists on giving the host a kiss on the cheek in exchange for her free breakfast coupon.  This starts a bit of a trend.  The prizewinner draws the next number and I win the next prize.  I collect my bottle of tourist park Chardonnay (which I think is a pretty good prize until I have a taste) and am loudly urged by the crowd to also give out a kiss.  I oblige.  I reach into the hat to pull the next number. which turns out to be Clark's.  I feel a bit sheepish about pulling his number but the hostess is thrilled!  She comes charging straight for Clark, shoves me aside, and starts yelling 'right here handsome, right here' pointing to her lips.  Clark dodges to the left and right but can't avoid a big smacker straight on.  The crowd roars.  We finish off the evening with some entertaining readings by some local bush poets.

 Next stop...Melbourne!!!