Project 365 day 83: To Lorne

So it was the first day of our week-long mini road trips. The first thing in our agenda was the Great Ocean Road. I fell in love with the Great Ocean Road the first time that we traversed it so I always have it on top of my list of things that I want my visitors to see. If my visitor had the time I always do recommend it and I do not think I can ever get tired going there again and again. We left our place at around lunch time and arrived in Geelong for lunch at an hour past 12. Since the weather was not particularly good that day, we just went inside the first restaurant that we saw. Nonetheless, the food that we had was still superb. We took a few pictures of us with the coastal view as our background then we went back on the road to head on to Bells Beach. I love Bells Beach because there were not much people around when we first went there and the views were just spectacular. This time around, it was still mostly the same. The only thing that was different was there was more surfers now than before. Maybe because we arrived late afternoon and afternoon is the hottest part of the day. The Bells Beach is the perfect starter for this drive. It was so serene and it eases you into an abundance of coastal views. Just before the sun set, we left Bells Beach and headed to the Aireys Inlets, particularly the Split Point Lighthouse and its amazing viewdeck just few meters from it. I still remember the first time that I went here. It was a random decision. We just saw cars taking a left to a particular road. Unbeknownst to me, that road leads to one of the most amazing views that now sit in my mind. It is still fresh in my mind: the houses near the edge of the cliff facing the ocean; the lovely ocean backdrop, the jaw-dropping shore view from the Loutit Bay Lookout; the creek in front of where we parked our car; the creek opening to the Lorne - Queenscliff Coastal Reserve which was partly dried up when we went so we were able to walk to the shoreline. That memory was etched in my mind. And now, it happened again, sooner that what I was expecting but I was not disappointed. Thought the season has already changed it was still the same spectacular location. Moreover, I was not the only who enjoyed our time there but the whole family. It is such a happy memory for me to be able to show what I saw to them.

We stayed at Lorne that night. We got a family unit near the beach which accommodated all of us. We arrived there just an hour before the latest check-in time. We were still at Aerys Inlet when the sun went down. We travelled 30 minutes to Lorne from there, passing magnificent views that are invisible during the night and stopping over as well at a grocery store which has everything you may ever need for a roadtrip and more. We were so tired to roam around and by the looks of the city that time, majority of the stores were already closed so we just settled in the hotel’s restaurant that night. We bought a huge feast; a feast that still proved to last until the next day’s breakfast. Upon coming home, some of us decided to watch previous episodes of Black Mirror, a series which I am undeniably a fan of. The kids slept early while we slept around 11 PM, just enough to have a decent sleep and wake up for tomorrow’s sunrise back at the Split Point Lighthouse.