Aussie Adventure [Part 11/12] - Great Ocean Road

NOTE: THIS IS A LONG PHOTO-POST! 70 PICTURES!


What is a trip to Melbourne without taking a tour to Great Ocean Road? One can either rent a car and go on the leisurely drive or follow a group tour for a 1/2/3 day tour.

As for me, tight on budget and tight on time, I took the 1 day Great Ocean Road, courtesy of Bunyip Tours. Bunyip Tours has won many awards including TripAdvisor's Excellence Award. I must say, they really earn it.

For a start, they are THE company to go to for tours in Victoria as they are good in what they do.

Bunyip Tours inside Neighours Official Centre
570 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

A selfie just because the sun is awesome.
This was taken at about 6.30am and temperature is about 4 or 5 degrees Celcius

Yea that's how cold Melbourne was that day

The cabinet where all their awards are.. just look at that.. 

My guide and driver was Rael, a young friendly chap from south Melbourne (if I remember correctly) and is an excellent player of the the didgeridoo. Now, since I've never been to Australia and I've never seen a didgeridoo in my life before, this is something new and fascinating to me.

And what is more interesting is that, you don't need a special instrument! Rael plays it off on a normal PVC pipe! I knew cos I tried when he taught us how to blow it.

Rael and me

Rael blowing on the plastic PVC pipe, teaching us how and letting us try..
I tried!!!

Mind your head... err yea...
and there's a skull.....

The arch marks the beginning of Great Ocean Road

A must place to take photo!

The construction of Great Ocean Road is written here. Built by soldiers returning from the war.

On Great Ocean Road, we passed by the coastal towns of Apollo Bay, Lorne before finally reaching Port Campbell and onwards to the Twelve Apostles.

The following pictures were taken along the way as we made stops. Unedited shots of scenary and taken only using my iPhone4S.. It is that awesome..

We went inland into the eucalyptus forest for koalas spotting!

Can you see the koala?

Can you see now?

As we moved on, we made a lunch stop at Cape Otway Lightstation.. Bunyip Tours is the only company (I was told) that has exclusive entry to the otherwise heavily gated light house at the southernmost point of mainland Australia.

There we had sausages and salad for lunch, one can choose to sit indoor in the cafe or on the grass.. With the weather so fine and cooling, of course I opted to sit on the grass.. This is my view as I have my lunch..

Really like a photo from a postcard, right?

Lunch on the grass!

The cliff below from the top of the light house!

The lighthouse keeper's wife.. Very friendly woman and she cooked the lunch..
Her dress is really simple but gorgeously elegant and she's up for a selfie with me!

As we arrived in the Twelve Apostles, something struck me.. It was already 3 something in the evening and the sun was already beginning to set, with the sun directly behind the apostles, one will not be able to snap good photos... so this is what I decided to do!

For $95 and no second thoughts (and no regrets, although my credit card was almost maxed out!), I grabbed a ticket and hop on to the helicopter!

One hell-icopter ride of my lifetime.. Truly, simply amazing..

Got my ticket! That's a scream of excitement, can you see!?

Ready to take off?
Here we go... up up and awayyyy....!

Flying over the apostles! As you can see, the helicopter is flying at an angle... tilting to the right!

You don't see this view everyday...

 

View of one of the apostles..

Being cheeky in-flight with the other people..

How far out we were into the ocean! 

That's my pilot.. She's amazing and she does some really heart-stopping maneuver with the helicopter! 

Look how tiny things were below!

And.... landed safely...

See what I mean by the sun behind the apostles? This is the kind of photos that will turn out.
Dark.
Taken from viewing platform no. 1.

Loch Ard Gorge from the top...

Loch Ard Gorge from the beach..

Loch Ard Gorge.. from another angle..

Was this the "London Bridge" apostles that collapsed?

Gibson Steps.
Tiny people below. Yea.. it's a loooonnnngggg way down the narrow wet steps..

And here's the panoramic photos taken along the tour... Enjoy!
The most panorama photos I've ever taken on a single trip.. !

One truly amazing journey..

Very remarkable.. I'm in awe of the beautiful coastline and scenary..

With that, my Aussie Adventure is almost over!