Southern Australia (photos)

March 7-10

The Grampians National Park

After driving down the Great Ocean Road, we moved inland to the Grampians National Park. It was a nice way to spend a couple of days. The weather was better too, although the temperatures were colder than normal for this season.

Being on an animal hunt and all, we learned that there were emus at the nearby golf course. Jim was able to get a couple of good close-up photos of emus. We decided to get their attention by waving a red dish towel at them. It worked for a few moments, and they moved a little closer. But then, they trotted away. Go figure.

We did a moderate hike up the pinnacle the next morning. It was a relatively steep climb up the mountain over flat-edged rocks. It took us about 2-3 hours overall (being out of shape and all), but the view was worth it.

After the hike, we decided to rest and eat a little lunch in the sun. We then journaled for a couple of hours. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.


Collection of Animal Signs

Yes, animal signs .... after the little penguin sign on Phillips Island, Jim started a collection of photographs of animal signs along the road. Lots of koalas, kangaroos, emus, cassowaries, etc, are often hit by drivers. In the case of cassowaries, there are only 40 noted in the Mission Beach area of Australia. We never saw one of those either. Anyway, this is the beginning of a rather large collection of animal signs.

Below are two of the signs found in the Grampians National Park:
a wombat
an emu



Mt. Gambier

From the Grampians National Park, we decided to cruise back down to the coast to catch some more ocean views. We passed through this little town known for their volcanic lakes. Mt. Gambier Lake was a nice place to eat lunch, but definitely nothing too spectacular.


Coorong National Park

This campsite was listed as one of the top 10 in Southern Australia. Definitely for a reason. Our campsite was on a small piece of land surrounded on three sides by water. A perfect location for the sunset and sunrise. There were so many birds resting near our campsite. The pelicans were fun to watch off shore too. A peaceful place to be ... better yet, we were the only ones in the campground.

That night, the wind was strong and cold as it traveled across the water. We actually postioned the car to block the wind for both our table and our tent.

Check out the sunset shots:
Sunset Dara & Dinner.
Sunset East
Sunset West

With the great location, we decided to wake up early and watch the sunrise. This is the reflection of the sun to the west. It was still a little cold. That is me underneath that blanket. Looks like Jim snuck in another picture of Betty.


Deep Creek Conservation Park

Well, we found another secluded campsite along the coast. This conservation park was overlooking the ocean from the hills. Just another spectacular view of the coast here in Australia. :)

Check out a couple of photos:
coastal views #1
coastal view #2