Missing Apostles

With a week off between exams I thought I'd back track a bit and talk about some adventures I had before that I didn't have time to write about. One really fun weekend I had was going to the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is a famous trip in Australia with stunning beaches and sights like the 12 apostles. I went with 4 of my international friends on a tour with STA travel. There was a giant tour bus with a big group of other internationals (mostly American). Our first stop was Bells Beach- home to a famous surfing competition. The tour promised surfing lessons and all of us were very keen on try it ourselves after our touring the surf museum. Our lessons were on a beach a little ways from Bells with waves appropriate for beginners. After a short discussion about how to stand up we were sent off to the water. I got a few good rides in, but mostly just ended up falling.

After surfing we traveled along to see some gorgeous beaches. With a bright sunny, warm day, it was perfect beach weather. All the scenery up the coast was breathtaking.

The next stop was supposed to be a koala sanctuary, but we ended up taking a prolonged rest stop at a small town along the road. The bus was parked on a hill while everyone used the toilets- or we assumed it was parked. The emergency break failed and the bus rolled down the hill hitting 2 cars. Luckily nobody was hurt, but one of the cars was close to wrecked and bus was pretty badly damaged. We had to wait for another bus to show up to take us to Apollo Bay for our night’s accommodation.

Apollo Bay is a cute small town where we could see billions of stars. I don't think I've ever seen more in my life. It was a perfectly clear night away from the bright lights of the city. For dinner we all worked together to make sausages, burgers, and salad before staying overnight at hostels.

The next morning we drove to the famous sights of the Great Ocean Road, but first we stopped to see wild koalas! They just sat lazily in the trees- most of the sleeping, but all looking insanely adorable and cuddly!

First was the ever famous 12 Apostles, but there weren't 12. Apparently the site used to be called the sow and piglets, but that name was deemed not to be interesting enough. Some have fallen from erosion, so now there are only 8. Still it was a spectacular sight.

The next stop was Loch Ard Gorge which was my favorite. The gorge was home to a lovely beach and some caves as well as several short walks to see more the rock formations.

And the final destination was London Bridge. You know the song 'London Bridge is falling down'? Well this one actually did- There used to be a land formation connecting the rock pillar to the mainland, but it is long gone now although the beauty of the sight remains