English (part 4): Cape Otway - Princetown
Door: Franziska
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Franziska & Klaas
16 Januari 2015 | Nederland, Groningen
Saturday 1st of November: Cape Otway
Despite the gusty winds and the heavy rainfall last night our tent has survived the storm without any damage. We didn’t sleep too well though, but at least haven’t been blown away. Maybe being a few pounds over-weight isn’t such a bad thing after all :)! As it is still windy and not completely dry we have breakfast under the gazebo. Then we pack the table and the folding chairs into the tent, in order to make it heavier. Then we take the car and drive south to the car park at the end of Cape Otway Lighthouse Road. As you can’t get anywhere near the actual lighthouse without paying the 20 $ entrance fee to the precinct, we decide to do the free walk to the old graveyard of the lighthouse. On the way there we pass the top of a big sand dune. From here you can see the lighthouse lying in the distance. Most of the walk goes through dense vegetation though with almost no views of the coast line and the surrounding bush land. In the hope to get a glimpse of the sea eventually, we follow the path, which is part of the Great Ocean Walk, even further than the graveyard. However as soon as we approach the sea, it starts raining again. The rain combined with heavy winds from the sea makes it impossible for us to go any further and we decide to turn around and walk back to the car park as quick as possible. Of course by the time we reach our car, the showers are over and the sun is shining again.
We drive a few miles back on the Lighthouse Road and take the turn-off to the unsealed road leading to Blanket Bay. Of course we know we are taking a risk, as driving on unsealed roads is actually against the rules set by the rental car company and in case of any damage to the car we are not insured out here. On the other hand camping in Australia would be virtually impossible, if we were living strictly by the rules, as not only the tracks within the campgrounds but also many of their access roads are usually unsealed. On top of that we are driving in a high clearance vehicle, which reduces the risk of damage to the car on gravel roads considerably. The first part of the track has been recently graded and is in very good condition, but as soon as we turn onto the side road leading to the Point Franklin carpark, the gravel surface gets a lot rougher and we are happy with our high clearance vehicle. At our arrival the parking lot is completely empty. No other living soul to be seen. The beach is only a 5 minute walk from here. A shallow reef out in the sea makes this coast line very dangerous. Heavy winds from the sea and the rocks of the reef produce huge waves and enormous breakers today. A truly spectacular view! The wind is so strong, that we are almost blown off the sandy beach and get sandblasted on top of that.
With the storm making walks along the beach almost impossible, we decide to spend the rest of the day in the rainforest further inland. Our destination is Triplet Falls a few kilometres northeast of Lavers Hill and not far from the famous Otway Fly. On arrival it’s raining again and the temperature outside is only 9° Celsius. What an enormous drop in temperature compared to the 30-plus degrees we have been experiencing yesterday. Because we are not keen on walking in this kind of weather, we have a sandwich in the car waiting for the rain to stop. Luckily it doesn’t take long before it gets dry again and fitted out with warm jerseys and rain-jackets we hit the walking tracks. We do the 2 km signposted loop track, which takes us through a pristine rainforest environment similar to the one we saw at Maits Rest yesterday. The path lined with lots of ferns and huge trees, many of them covered in mosses and fungi, leads to a series of lovely cascades called Triplet Falls. There are signs all along the track telling interesting facts about the vegetation and the fauna as well as the history of this rainforest. One of the most unique species of this area is the carnivorous Otway Black Snail and luckily we manage to catch him on picture. There are also a few remains of an old saw mill, which used to operate in this area before it became a national park. A huge steam engine reminds walkers of the time, when this area was prime logging territory.
It is late afternoon, when we start on the drive back to Bimbi Park. In Lavers Hill, the only place with a gas station in this area, we fill up our fuel tank. Unfortunately they are well aware of their monopoly and gas prices are about 35 cents a litre higher than in towns like Geelong or Warrnambool. So if you can, gas up before you hit this stretch of the GOR. Back at Bimbi Park the sites of the caravan park have filled up with city people planning to spend the long weekend in a more natural environment. Still too cold to sit outside, I update my diary in the car, before cooking dinner under the roof of the gazebo. The pasta dish and a hot cup of tea and coffee manage to warm us up for a while. By the time we finish dishwashing though, it is definitely too cold and also too dark to stay outside, so we decide to go to bed early.
Sunday 2nd of November: Cape Otway – Princetown
Although it has been another windy and rainy night, we slept much better than yesterday. As this is a travelling day and we won’t come back to Bimbi Park tonight, we break up the tent right after breakfast. Unfortunately it just started to rain again and thus the tent is wet, when we pack it in the back of the car. Not an ideal situation given the fact, that the two upcoming nights we will sleep in motel rooms and therefore won’t use the tent. However we don’t have much choice.
Our first destination today is another set of waterfalls near the village of Beech Forest, not very far from Triplet Falls where we were yesterday. Just outside Beech Forest we take the signposted logging road to Hopetoun and Beauchamp Falls. Most of the hills surrounding us have been stripped of their native rainforest vegetation and are covered by much faster growing plantation timber such as Douglas Fir now. Luckily it is Sunday today and there isn’t any logging activity going on. Just before we reach the car park of Hopetoun Falls, we leave the timber plantation behind us and find ourselves in one of the few remaining patches of pristine native rainforest. It is still early and we have the whole sight to ourselves. The upper viewing deck is just a short stroll from the car park, but if you take the steep steps down to the base, the falls look even more spectacular from there. Beauchamp Falls is a bit more strenuous to get to and involves a 3 km return hike down to the falls and back. Another branch of the same logging road takes us to the basic campground situated at the trailhead, where we leave the car. This being the Melbourne Cup Weekend there are quite a few campers around and we are certainly not the only ones taking this hike. However it is still far from crowded and the walk is certainly worth the effort, as Beauchamp Falls are the most beautifully shaped waterfalls we have seen so far in the Otways and the fern-fringed pool at its base makes for a very romantic setting. After returning to the car we drive back to Lavers Hill and stop at Yazie’s Café for lunch. Then we follow the GOR to Melba Gully and walk the Madsens Track, another loop walk through the rainforest. Supposedly one of the wettest places in Victoria Melba Gully proofs that to us with another rain shower. Of course as soon as we reach the shelter of the car, it stops raining and by the time we reach the coast near Princetown, the weather has cleared up completely and the sun is shining. Nevertheless we decide to check into our accommodation first. The 12 Apostles Motel , named after the most famous rock formations along the GOR, is ideally located for a visit to this natural feature only 3 kilometres inland from the main car park. Although it is only 2.15 pm our room, which turns out to be a lovely little cabin with a kitchenette and a front porch, is ready for us. We bring all the luggage inside, spread the tent out on the front porch and leave it there to dry. Then we take the car, return to the GOR and drive to the little town of Port Campbell to do some shopping. Although there isn’t much in terms of a real supermarket, we manage to get the most essential food supplies at the local general store. After picking up some brochures about the sights in Port Campbell National Park we drive back east on the GOR. Our first stop in Port Campbell National Park is Gibsons Steps. This is one of the rare places along this rugged coast line, where you can actually get down to the sandy beach at the base of the rocky cliffs. As it is still pretty windy the waves rolling towards us are huge and look spectacular. Standing on the beach facing the furious sea we suddenly feel terribly small and vulnerable, but at the same time also very fascinated by the sheer power of nature. Next on our agenda are the lookouts over the 12 Apostles a bit further to the west. This is one of Victoria’s prime tourist attractions visited by millions of people every year and the main parking lot on the northern side of the road is huge. Although it is late afternoon and most of the big tourist busses have left by now, the car park is still crowded, but we manage to find a spot. Through a tunnel we reach the viewpoints on the other side of the main road. From here you have a spectacular view of the giant eroded monoliths called the 12 Apostles. Most of them are lying in the shadow at this time of the day, but two of the fairy like rock pillars are still bathing in the warm evening light. Luckily passing the night so close to the 12 Apostles, we will be able to come back tomorrow morning and hopefully see the rest of the Apostles glowing in the light of the rising sun. As for now we return to our cabin, where we find our tent to be nice and dry. After a drink on the front porch we prepare a dinner of hamburgers and corn salad, watch some tv , kill all the mosquitos which had unwantedly slipped into our room and finally go to sleep.
Despite the gusty winds and the heavy rainfall last night our tent has survived the storm without any damage. We didn’t sleep too well though, but at least haven’t been blown away. Maybe being a few pounds over-weight isn’t such a bad thing after all :)! As it is still windy and not completely dry we have breakfast under the gazebo. Then we pack the table and the folding chairs into the tent, in order to make it heavier. Then we take the car and drive south to the car park at the end of Cape Otway Lighthouse Road. As you can’t get anywhere near the actual lighthouse without paying the 20 $ entrance fee to the precinct, we decide to do the free walk to the old graveyard of the lighthouse. On the way there we pass the top of a big sand dune. From here you can see the lighthouse lying in the distance. Most of the walk goes through dense vegetation though with almost no views of the coast line and the surrounding bush land. In the hope to get a glimpse of the sea eventually, we follow the path, which is part of the Great Ocean Walk, even further than the graveyard. However as soon as we approach the sea, it starts raining again. The rain combined with heavy winds from the sea makes it impossible for us to go any further and we decide to turn around and walk back to the car park as quick as possible. Of course by the time we reach our car, the showers are over and the sun is shining again.
We drive a few miles back on the Lighthouse Road and take the turn-off to the unsealed road leading to Blanket Bay. Of course we know we are taking a risk, as driving on unsealed roads is actually against the rules set by the rental car company and in case of any damage to the car we are not insured out here. On the other hand camping in Australia would be virtually impossible, if we were living strictly by the rules, as not only the tracks within the campgrounds but also many of their access roads are usually unsealed. On top of that we are driving in a high clearance vehicle, which reduces the risk of damage to the car on gravel roads considerably. The first part of the track has been recently graded and is in very good condition, but as soon as we turn onto the side road leading to the Point Franklin carpark, the gravel surface gets a lot rougher and we are happy with our high clearance vehicle. At our arrival the parking lot is completely empty. No other living soul to be seen. The beach is only a 5 minute walk from here. A shallow reef out in the sea makes this coast line very dangerous. Heavy winds from the sea and the rocks of the reef produce huge waves and enormous breakers today. A truly spectacular view! The wind is so strong, that we are almost blown off the sandy beach and get sandblasted on top of that.
With the storm making walks along the beach almost impossible, we decide to spend the rest of the day in the rainforest further inland. Our destination is Triplet Falls a few kilometres northeast of Lavers Hill and not far from the famous Otway Fly. On arrival it’s raining again and the temperature outside is only 9° Celsius. What an enormous drop in temperature compared to the 30-plus degrees we have been experiencing yesterday. Because we are not keen on walking in this kind of weather, we have a sandwich in the car waiting for the rain to stop. Luckily it doesn’t take long before it gets dry again and fitted out with warm jerseys and rain-jackets we hit the walking tracks. We do the 2 km signposted loop track, which takes us through a pristine rainforest environment similar to the one we saw at Maits Rest yesterday. The path lined with lots of ferns and huge trees, many of them covered in mosses and fungi, leads to a series of lovely cascades called Triplet Falls. There are signs all along the track telling interesting facts about the vegetation and the fauna as well as the history of this rainforest. One of the most unique species of this area is the carnivorous Otway Black Snail and luckily we manage to catch him on picture. There are also a few remains of an old saw mill, which used to operate in this area before it became a national park. A huge steam engine reminds walkers of the time, when this area was prime logging territory.
It is late afternoon, when we start on the drive back to Bimbi Park. In Lavers Hill, the only place with a gas station in this area, we fill up our fuel tank. Unfortunately they are well aware of their monopoly and gas prices are about 35 cents a litre higher than in towns like Geelong or Warrnambool. So if you can, gas up before you hit this stretch of the GOR. Back at Bimbi Park the sites of the caravan park have filled up with city people planning to spend the long weekend in a more natural environment. Still too cold to sit outside, I update my diary in the car, before cooking dinner under the roof of the gazebo. The pasta dish and a hot cup of tea and coffee manage to warm us up for a while. By the time we finish dishwashing though, it is definitely too cold and also too dark to stay outside, so we decide to go to bed early.
Sunday 2nd of November: Cape Otway – Princetown
Although it has been another windy and rainy night, we slept much better than yesterday. As this is a travelling day and we won’t come back to Bimbi Park tonight, we break up the tent right after breakfast. Unfortunately it just started to rain again and thus the tent is wet, when we pack it in the back of the car. Not an ideal situation given the fact, that the two upcoming nights we will sleep in motel rooms and therefore won’t use the tent. However we don’t have much choice.
Our first destination today is another set of waterfalls near the village of Beech Forest, not very far from Triplet Falls where we were yesterday. Just outside Beech Forest we take the signposted logging road to Hopetoun and Beauchamp Falls. Most of the hills surrounding us have been stripped of their native rainforest vegetation and are covered by much faster growing plantation timber such as Douglas Fir now. Luckily it is Sunday today and there isn’t any logging activity going on. Just before we reach the car park of Hopetoun Falls, we leave the timber plantation behind us and find ourselves in one of the few remaining patches of pristine native rainforest. It is still early and we have the whole sight to ourselves. The upper viewing deck is just a short stroll from the car park, but if you take the steep steps down to the base, the falls look even more spectacular from there. Beauchamp Falls is a bit more strenuous to get to and involves a 3 km return hike down to the falls and back. Another branch of the same logging road takes us to the basic campground situated at the trailhead, where we leave the car. This being the Melbourne Cup Weekend there are quite a few campers around and we are certainly not the only ones taking this hike. However it is still far from crowded and the walk is certainly worth the effort, as Beauchamp Falls are the most beautifully shaped waterfalls we have seen so far in the Otways and the fern-fringed pool at its base makes for a very romantic setting. After returning to the car we drive back to Lavers Hill and stop at Yazie’s Café for lunch. Then we follow the GOR to Melba Gully and walk the Madsens Track, another loop walk through the rainforest. Supposedly one of the wettest places in Victoria Melba Gully proofs that to us with another rain shower. Of course as soon as we reach the shelter of the car, it stops raining and by the time we reach the coast near Princetown, the weather has cleared up completely and the sun is shining. Nevertheless we decide to check into our accommodation first. The 12 Apostles Motel , named after the most famous rock formations along the GOR, is ideally located for a visit to this natural feature only 3 kilometres inland from the main car park. Although it is only 2.15 pm our room, which turns out to be a lovely little cabin with a kitchenette and a front porch, is ready for us. We bring all the luggage inside, spread the tent out on the front porch and leave it there to dry. Then we take the car, return to the GOR and drive to the little town of Port Campbell to do some shopping. Although there isn’t much in terms of a real supermarket, we manage to get the most essential food supplies at the local general store. After picking up some brochures about the sights in Port Campbell National Park we drive back east on the GOR. Our first stop in Port Campbell National Park is Gibsons Steps. This is one of the rare places along this rugged coast line, where you can actually get down to the sandy beach at the base of the rocky cliffs. As it is still pretty windy the waves rolling towards us are huge and look spectacular. Standing on the beach facing the furious sea we suddenly feel terribly small and vulnerable, but at the same time also very fascinated by the sheer power of nature. Next on our agenda are the lookouts over the 12 Apostles a bit further to the west. This is one of Victoria’s prime tourist attractions visited by millions of people every year and the main parking lot on the northern side of the road is huge. Although it is late afternoon and most of the big tourist busses have left by now, the car park is still crowded, but we manage to find a spot. Through a tunnel we reach the viewpoints on the other side of the main road. From here you have a spectacular view of the giant eroded monoliths called the 12 Apostles. Most of them are lying in the shadow at this time of the day, but two of the fairy like rock pillars are still bathing in the warm evening light. Luckily passing the night so close to the 12 Apostles, we will be able to come back tomorrow morning and hopefully see the rest of the Apostles glowing in the light of the rising sun. As for now we return to our cabin, where we find our tent to be nice and dry. After a drink on the front porch we prepare a dinner of hamburgers and corn salad, watch some tv , kill all the mosquitos which had unwantedly slipped into our room and finally go to sleep.
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