23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Geelong) Belmont Village Shopping Centre

Since it's dinner time, we simply crossed the road to Belmont Village Shopping Centre to look for a decent place to have our meal.

The motel owner recommended us a restaurant called Sushi and Dumpling House.  As such, we decided to give it a try.

These were what we ordered.

Guess what?  The food here is also served by a robot, similar to the one at the Spirit of Punjab Indian restaurant in Grampians.

As mentioned in previous post, the Kmart store here opens 24 hours.  However, we did not really have the energy to go shopping at that time.

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Geelong) Check-In to Parkside Motel Geelong

From Torquay, we drove away from the coast towards Geelong, where our next accommodation was.  We checked into Parkside Motel Geelong at about 6:45pm.

We booked a family room with 1 double bed and 2 single beds.

The room size is quite decent and it also has a proper dining area and open kitchen.

Next to our hotel is Cameron Park.

One main reason for booking this motel is that Belmont Village Shopping Centre is just across the road and the Kmart store opens 24 hours.

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Torquay) Sundial

Torquay, the home of Bells Beach and birthplace of iconic brands Rip Curl and Quicksilver.  As the official start point of the Great Ocean Road, Torquay is Victoria's surfing and beach worship capital.  We read about a Sundial somewhere within the town and found it near the beach.

This Torquay Analemmatic Sundial was designed by local artists Claire Gittings and Glenn Romanis based on the flora, fauna, landscape, the indigenous sky, and oral story of the Mindii. The Mindii was a great 3 pronged tongue snake who was a law keeper under the command of Bunjil. Bunjil, the eagle, is depicted in the centre of the Sundial. Bunjil is one of the two totems of the Wadawarrung.

According to the instructions on the use of the sundial, first we stood on the body of the eagle at the correct month.  Our shadow will then indicate the time.  During daylight saving, just add one hour.  We tried and it works. :-)

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Bells Beach) Point Addis Beach Boardwalk

Our next stop along the coastal drive is Point Addis Beach Boardwalk.  There are various walking trails here that are suitable to different ages as well as fitness level.  

We followed the easy short boardwalk to the right for ocean views along Addiscot Beach and back towards Jarosite Headland with Southside beyond.

Jerlene and Javier were too tired and decided to stay in the car while we took the walk.  From this angle, our car seemed to be very near to the edge of the cliff.

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Aireys Inlet) Split Point Lookout

We continued our coastal scenic drive towards the town of Torquay.  Along the way, we were very excited to see rainbow appearing over the ocean.

We took a short break at Split Point Lookout and we could still see the rainbow very clearly.

When I drove my car up the hill along Lighthouse Road, I actually missed a turn into a public car park.  Instead, I drove straight to the Split Point Lighthouse, which we were not supposed to.  Anyway, that actually saved us the walk from the car park to the lighthouse along a gentle slope.

At the lookout point, we had an uninterrupted view of the breathtaking coastline. 

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Great Ocean Road) Memorial Arch at Eastern View

The Memorial Arch is a popular destination to stop at, as it is the start of the Great Ocean Road for visitors travelling from Melbourne.  For us, it marked the end of our Great Ocean Road adventure.

The Memorial Arch is made out of wood, with the sides being made out of stone and cement for support. The first arch that was erected weighed in at 50 tonnes. The arch was put up in 1939, and was replaced a few more times over the decades, including a time when a truck ran into the side of the arch, and another new arch was created in 1983 when bush fires set it ablaze ruining the monument. In the 1970’s, the government had plans to take the Memorial Arch down, as they saw it as a hazard to drivers, but it was shot down as it was considered a lack of respect for the returned soldiers of World War I. But with all of the rebuilds and tear downs, the original sign still sits on the top of the arch, for all to see.

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Lorne) Swing Bridge and Splitters Grave

From Lorne Visitor Centre, we drove passed a campsite and arrived at a swing bridge.  This historic Lorne's Swing Bridge has graced the Erskine River mouth since 1937.

We crossed the bridge to the other side of the river and saw a grave called the Splitters Grave.  Two sons (age 8 and 4) of a splitter, whose hut stood on the hillside above, drowned in a quicksand while at play.  They were buried here the next day.

Here we were also able to witness the power of the waves.  When we saw people getting really close to the waves, we were actually pretty worried for them.

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Lorne) Great Ocean Road Story at the Visitor Centre

We continued eastward along Great Ocean Road and arrived at the town of Lorne.  We visited the Visitor Centre where we read about the diggers that worked on the road and browse the permanent exhibition at the new Great Ocean Road Heritage Centre.

Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route.

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23 Nov 2022 - Day 10: (Apollo Bay) Marriners Lookout

Before driving off to the next town, we drove up to a nearby Marriner's Lookout.  It overlooks Apollo Bay and is located on the outskirts of the township.

Marriner's lookout is a slightly steep 5 minutes' walk from the car park.

It's an easy hike up to the lookout point where we were rewarded with spectacular expansive views overlooking Apollo Bay, Marengo and the east of Cape Patton.

The view of the township and the surrounding neighborhood is really beautiful.

We spent about 10 minutes there admiring the stunning views.  Then we saw the rain clouds approaching and it's fast!  We quickly headed back to our car and just in time to avoid getting drenched.

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