The Great Ocean Road + The Grampians Camping Roadtrip!

The best way to travel around Australia is by camping road trip. The coronavirus travel restrictions started to ease up a bit but most people were still hesitant to get out of South Australia. I was one of them. But I had a month and a half of holidays so my spontaneous traveler self told me to just damn do it. 

I packed my bag and did it the backpacker way... 

It was a week-long camping/road trip adventure, some parts were spontaneous in between, and to summarize it all, here is the itinerary that we ended up doing:

Day 1: Mt Gambier. Naracoorte Caves. The blue lake. The Umperston Sinkhole.

Days 2-4: The Grampians National Park

Days 5-6: The Great Ocean Road scenic views 

Day 7: Great Otway National Park and back to the Great Ocean Road's nearby towns and short hikes

Day 8-9: Melbourne

Mount Gambier

Mount Gambier is a five-hour drive from Adelaide. I was too excited for our next destination that I did not find Mount Gambier very interesting. I guess there is more time for it in the future. 

The Naracoorte Caves contain fossils that can be traced back 800,000 years ago.

The Blue Lake. 

The limestone is an extremely porous rock that makes the Umperston Sinkhole. 

Traveling in time of corona: The first time that the borders of South Australia and Victoria opened. I had the perfect window for interstate travel. No restrictions, no permits, no quarantine.

The Grampians National Park

The Grampians is a chain of rugged mountain ranges, a popular destination for hiking, scenic drives, and camping. The tourism website says it has been inhabited by the Djab Wurrung and Jardwardjali people for 20,000 years. It takes two to three days to complete the hikes but took us only two days. The free campsites were terrible anyway. (We aimed for free campsites all throughout the trip).  After the trip, I met two groups who did it for one day but for future travelers, if you have the time, allocate at least two days to fully enjoy and appreciate this wonderland. 

The Pinnacle

The Grand Canyon Loop

The Balconies

The Boroka Lookout

The Reed Lookout

The Mackenzie Falls flows year-round sending refreshing mist from the gorge. My favorite spot in the Grampians!

Mt Sturgeon lookout. The signage from the base of Mt Sturgeon told us that the hike was 2km but definitely it was not! It was probably the steepest and hardest one in the Grampians!

A friendly emu and a wallaby we met along the way. There were also dingos and possums that tried to share with our food! 

Great Otway National Park: Getting Lost

The Otway Park looked like just a quick drive off the Great Ocean Road. But we found ourselves driving endlessly on the mountains. In the middle of our epic road trip, we found small towns, a symbol of life in the middle of nowhere. It's amazing to know that places like these exist. It's as magical as a modern fairy-tale waiting to be found; a void that validates your existence when you can't be found. 

Lavers Hill, Victoria

We had to call the owner and waited for 15 minutes to fuel up. 

Australian towns share distinct characteristics. They are generally embraced by the greeneries and the stillness broken by the tunes of magpies and crows that sound like sending the strangers away. This land was inhabited by the Aboriginal people millions of years ago before the Europeans arrived. 

Spending the night in the middle of nowhere. There were no toilet and shower, and only a tree to protect us from the wind and wildlife. Ferguson, Victoria.

And this was the reason why.

Hopetoun Falls

A walk through the ancient rainforest. 

The Triplet Falls. 

The Great Otway National Park is a hidden gem. Getting lost was annoying but it was part of the adventure. I loved every bit of it. 

Extreme Things To Do in South Australia: Abseil and Coastline Hike

In this quiet city of Adelaide, I know there must be more out there. True enough, South Australia boasts more than 300 hiking trails that are suitable for different fitness levels. The government protects the wildlife and makes nature parks accessible to anyone. 

If I will count the hikes I have done so far, I won't use all of the fingers. But I reckon I have my favorite hike now - the one that's off the track somewhere along the coast and sea cliffs in Victor Harbour and one of the longest dedicated walking trail in the world. However, the word hike is an understatement. Rather, it falls under the 'extreme things to do' category as it's a combination of hiking, bushwalking, abseiling, and wall climbing. 

As I am writing this blog, my mind is still all over it as if I'm on cloud 9. Although my upper body is aching, my heart is full. It is the longest time I spent in the wilderness - 2-hour drive from the Adelaide CBD, 3-hour hike, 4-hour abseiling and wall climbing (waited until everyone, 13 people, had their turn), hike back, and drive back to the city. 

14 degrees, sunny but it felt like 30 degrees and we wanted to jump off the cliff for a swim.

    

      

The shingleback also called the sleepy lizard and some South Australian native plants.

The cliff is situated along the Victor Harbour coastline, or if I have a play with words, it's the land down under the Land Down Under. :D

While waiting for my turn...

It was a two-stage abseil, 50 meters each. There was a "stop-over" where we had to walk along a narrow edge to change ropes. When I reached the bottom, I tried to climb back a little without the intention of climbing all the way up but I did it anyway!

More climbing and hiking on our way back to the mountain. 

Spot the orange crab.

Going home. Chill people, good company.

Unfolding Adelaide South Australia

This is not about a short trip, but a quick glance at moving in and living. A new life that I try to unfold for months. It began with harsh cold nights. The time was a thief with failures and success untold. It went by too fast; sometimes, it stopped completely. Time passed by unnoticed until the sun felt like fire.

Adelaide. 

One of the most liveable cities in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. The capital city of South Australia is a few minutes to the beach, malls, and the airport. A perfect place, they say. As a multi-cultural English-speaking country with Google maps-accurate metro and light traffic, no one has an excuse to get lost. It doesn't matter where you come from, what you wear, or how you look. A minor struggle is the different accents of English that one can communicate within a day.

This land down under is quite the opposite of the rest of the world. Summer in Christmas and winter in June. Driving is on the left side of the road. Although the roads are not as busy as New York or Manila, the roundabouts and traffic cameras should warn you about driving safe. The O-Bahn, a dedicated bus rail system, transports commuters from the Northern Suburbs to the city center in minutes.

There is no perfect place, I say. Adelaide can be pretty laid-back as shops close early and close on weekends. It can be too quiet for someone from a big city. 

First Sights to Check Out in Adelaide

For someone who recently moved in, the first places to check out are the ones in the city center. The North Terrace is a stretch of galleries, libraries, and museums. Also along the vicinity are shops of rare books, local and international products.

• Art Gallery of South Australia

My fascination with art galleries started in Washington, DC. Getting inside the Art Gallery of SA felt like home, a comfortable refuge, too, from the winter breeze. It was established in 1881 and now houses thousands of significant Australian visual arts and exhibitions from Europe, Asia, and North America.

• State Library of South Australia

As the official state library of South Aust9ralia, the SLSA houses general reference books, family records, heritage collections, rare books, and children's literature research. Entering the Mortlock Wing feels like opening a treasure box. This reading room, founded in 1884, looks like the Hogwarts library.

 

• South Australia Museum

Another cultural precinct along the North Terrace is the South Australia Museum. It houses millions of collections and specimens that help understand the natural history and cultural heritage of Australia. Among the items are the indigenous culture collections, minerals found in various Australian regions, and fossils.

• Festivals

South Australia is known as the festival state for hosting an incredible range of festivals year-round. It is also one of the reasons why SA is perfect for raising a family, aside from the fact that it has strict legislation for the protection and welfare of children. 

The Royal Adelaide Show in August

The Moon Lantern Festival in October

• Beaches 

This sand-filled soul rejoices for the coastal way of living. Several beach-side suburbs are part of South Australia. The array of shops, cafes, and pubs can draw anyone towards the long, sandy beach of Glenelg. For a mellow, more upscale seaside experience, the Henley beach is the place to be. 

A glimpse, for now, that is. Adelaide is the best place to settle down they say, but is it for me? As free as a bird I am, only time and patience can tell.