We said goodbye to Melbourne this morning. Roslyn found the bakery our friend Annette had told us about. She said it made an almond croissant that was the best ever. They were huge,so we each bought one and planned to eat it for lunch on the road. We picked up our rental car and made our way south and west for the Great Ocean Road. I thought we might be driving too far west, so we pulled into an information center. A gentleman named Stephen greeted us, gave us maps and made notes on them about places of interest. Cost: $0.
Stephen put our minds at ease and made sure we were headed straight for the Great Ocean Road. It runs along the southeast and southern coast of Australia for about 150 miles. It was built by World War I veterans and is dedicated to those who didn’t come home, making it the world’s largest war memorial. It hugs the coastline, twisting and turning like California’s Highway 1.
You can’t make great time on the Great Ocean Road, but why would you want to? The views are stunning.
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We stopped at Aireys Inlet to eat our croissants. They really are the best we’ve ever had. If you’re ever in Melbourne, find the Agathe bakery and get some croissants. Tell ‘em Annette sent you. We also saw the lighthouse at Aireys Inlet.
We arrived at our destination for the day, Apollo Bay, late in the afternoon. Checking in at Captains at the Bay, we encountered more warm, friendly and helpful people, of which Australia seems to have an endless supply. They helped us get settled and recommended some dinner spots. We chose La Bimba, where we enjoyed oysters and paella while looking out over the bay.