Katin kontissa: And they hit the road again

14/7/12-16/7/12

Aamu Apollo Bayssa sai hyvan alun, kun aurinko lammitti sateillaan ja saimme infokeskuksessa kuulla, etta laheisella rannalla on bongattu vaeltavia etelanmustavalaita. Aloitimme siis aamumme bongailemalla naita Antarktikalta saapuneita vieraita. Itse nain jo edellisena paivana autosta yhden yksilon ja en malttanut odottaa, etta voisin bongata muutaman lisaa ! Valaat pakenevat Antarktikan kylmaa talvea Australian lampimammille vesille ja palaavat takaisin kevaalla, kun ankara talvi on helpottanut. Paras aika nahda naita mahtavia yksiloita on kesa-elokuussa, mutta valaita on nahty myos jo maaliskuussa ja myohaisimpaan marraskuun paikkeilla. Ilmeisesti onni suosii kulkijaa, silla talla kertaa emme nahneet edes pyrston pilkistavan vedesta, kun oikein yritimme tiirailla.

The morning in Apollo Bay was good as the sun was shining and we heard that the Southern right whales had been spotted from the nearest beach. I was excited as I had already saw one day before and I couldn't wait to see more ! So we started our morning by trying to spot these visitors from Antarctica. Whales come to this coast from Antarctica as they are running a way from the cold weather. They come to Australian coast earliest on March and leave around October-November. It seemed like that I wasn't too lucky as we didn't see even a tail this time .. Better luck next time !

Pitkan autossa istumisen jalkeen oli aika saada vahan liikuntaa ja kontteihin liiketta. Seuraava maaranpaamme oli Otway Flyn kanssallispuisto ja sen pusikoissa sijaitseva Treetop Adventure -kohde. Otway Fly Treetop Adventures tarjoaa vierailijoille mahdollisuuden paasta kokemaan ja nakemaan sademetsaa korkeammissa sfaareissa. Sademetsan keskelle on rakennettu 600 metrin pituinen teraksinen kavelysilta, joka vie vierailijan korkeimmillaan 47 metriin ja ihastelemaan sademetsaa puiden latvojen tasolta. Kavely muistutti Malesiassa Taman Negaran sademetsassa olevaa Canopy Tree Walkia, jonka teimme Katen kanssa. Jalleen kerran latvuston ylapuolelle nouseminen oli hieno kokemus ja oli upeaa ihastella 47 metrin korkeudessa edessa aukeavaa sademetsaa. Muuten kokemukset poikkesivat taysin toisistaan. Malesiassa sai pyyhkia hikea kostean ja kuuman ilmaston vuoksi vahan valia, kun taas Otwayssa oli parempi pitaa vain pipo paassa ja vauhti ylla, ettei kylma paassyt yllattamaan. Tosin kylman saan vuoksi paikalla ei juuri ollut muita ja saimme nauttia kavelysta rauhassa ja kuulla vain tuulen havinan puiden oksissa. Puiden, joiden ika voidaan laskea vuosisadoissa ja joiden rungot olivat useamman sylin kokoisia ja saivat itseni tuntemaan muurahaiseksi niiden rinnalla. Kavelyn loppupuolella eksyimme pienelle polulle, jossa vastaamme tuli jos monennakoista otusta. Kyseessa oli esihistoriallinen polku, joka esittelee metsassa 280 miljoonaa vuotta sitten asuneita asukkeja. Itse suosin metsissa nykyaan asuvia sopoja porroisia koalakarhuja, kuin naita lisko-otuksia ..

Our legs started to feel numb after sitting long time in the car so it was time get some exercise. Our next destination was Otway Fly national park and Otway Fly Treetop Adventure. Otway Fly Treetop Walk is a 600 metres long walkway made from steel and it's 30 metres off the forest floor and the highest point takes the walker until 47 metres. The walk reminded me from the Canopy Tree Walk which we made with Kate in Taman Negara in Malaysia. Again seeing the forest from the higher ancle was an amazing experience and seeing the whole forest opening in front of your eyes was great like in Taman Negara. Otherwise the experiences were totally different. In Taman Negara I had to wipe sweat off my forehead because of the heat but this time it was better to keep the woolly hat on. In the other hand because of the cold weather there weren't much other people and we could enjoy the walk in peace and hear birds singing on the branches of the trees.Trees which are centuries old and their trunks are so huge I felt like an ant next to them. In the end of the walk we straggled to a smaller path and met some weird little creatures. It was the prehistoric path for the kids which introduces the habitants who lived in the forest 280 million years earlier. I must say I prefer todays fluffy koala bears than those lizards ..

"Damn that's a big tree .."

Walkway

Otway Fly is cool temperature rainforest so the plantation is little bit different than in "traditional" rainforest

IIK !

Yep, I prefer koalas.

Kavelyn jalkeen kadet tarisi kylmasta ja maha murisi nalasta, joten oli aika pysahtya lounaalle. Ajoimme Beech Forestiin, jossa pysahdyimme The Ridge Cafeen, joka tarjoaa paikallista luomuruokaa (!!). Ravintola on perheyritys ja meita itseasiassa palveli kassalla ihanan suloinen n.10 -vuotias perheen pellavapainen tytar. Ruoka oli mahtavaa ja nakymat ravintolan ikkunasta melkein yhta upeat. Ja kun sisalla viela lammitti puulammitteinen hella .. Olin taysin myyty. Upea paikka. Upea ruoka. Yksinkertaisesti taydellista.

After the walk my hands were shaking because of the cold and my stomach growling of hunger. So it was time to stop for lunch and we drove to Beech Forest where we stopped at the Ridge Cafe. Restaurant offers food made from local organic products. First of all points from the concept ! It's also family run business and actually the family's cute little daughter was serving us at the counter. The food was delicious and the views from the window awesome. And when there was a warm fireplace warming the cold hands .. I was impressed. Great place. Great food. Simply perfect.

Are we in Scotland or South Australia ?

This guy I liked !

Roasted pumpkin, caramellised onion and camembert cheese tart with salad - big YUM !

Syopottelyhetken jalkeen oli aika aloittaa kotimatka kohti Torquayta, missa pysahtyisin yoksi ja sen jalkeen jatkaisin matkaa Melbourneen seuraavana aamuna. Kotimatkaan sisaltyi mutkittelevia ja kapeaakin kapeampi metsateita, upeita rannikkomaisemia Great Ocean Roadia pitkin ajaessamme seka sokerina pohjalla .. Kenguja ! Naimme naita suloisia otuksia Angleseassa. Ensin nakoalapaikan vieressa tienvarressa ja myohemmin useita kymmenia golfkentalla. En tieda, mita kenguruilla mahtoi olla mielessaan. Olikohan niilla swingi hukassa? Se jaakoon arvoitukseksi. Matka kuitenkin saapui paatokseen, kun Torquayssa viettamani yon jalkeen matkasin jalleen bussin ja junan avulla takaisin Melbourneen ja Southern Crossin asemalle. Roadtrip oli paattynyt ja kontit olivat selvinneet ehjina ja onnellisina matkasta jalleen monta kokemusta rikkaampana.

Then it was time to began our home trip first towards Torquay where I would continue next morning to Melbourne. Trip included twisting and narrowest roads ever through the forest, beautiful coast views on the Great Ocean Road and the icing on the cake was .. kangaroos! We saw these cute creatures in Anglesea. First couple close to a viewpoint and then a whole pack on the golf course. I wonder what they did there .. Perhaps they came to practise their swing? You never know .. After spending one night in Torquay I travelled with the bus and train back to Southern Cross Station in Melbourne. The roadtrip had ended happily and I had many new happy memories to remember.