More of my Melbourne Holiday

 Hi there

Over a half-dozen years ago I went on a Melbourne day tour along The Great Ocean Road to see the Apostles rock formation.  I enjoyed it all, but it was a 12 hour trip and extremely tiring.  However, just about an hour out of Melbourne that tour bus shot through Lorne, a little seaside village that looked so inviting.  I always wanted to go back to Lorne. I even emailed the Lorne Visitor Information Office to see if there were any day trips from Melbourne city.  There weren't.

But a month ago, after digging through dozens and dozens and dozens of Viator's Melbourne tours , I discovered a day tour from Melbourne to Lorne.  I went for it.

This day tour was relaxing, with stops for wandering, and fun.  It was run by this lovely lady named Kel who grew up in the area around Lorne, so she knew everything about the area.  We stopped off in many places including beach areas, The Great Ocean Road sign, and Erskine Falls.  There was a lovely lighthouse view, rocky cliffs, rural vistas, dead or alive kangaroos - you know how we kiwis count dead possums on motorways?  I think it's what Australians do too, but with kangaroos.

In case, anyone is going to Melbourne, Kel can be reached at www.amazingoceanroad.tours.  Or from overseas, phone +61 481 771 485.  See her card above.

This Lorne day tour wasn't tiring. We got back to Melbourne at a reasonable time.  

The tour went a little way along The Great Ocean Road but very soon we veered off to visit a chocolaterie shop.

This chocolaerie was set on 15 acres of beautiful gardens and with a huge carpark.  The shop plus cafe plus factory gave out brunch, lunch, beautiful pastries, hot meals, cakes.   There was a beanery, and a chocolate workshop.  The complex was huge.  There were stands and stands and stands of all type of chocolate.  There were samplings of light chocolate, dark chocolate, and a new 'breed' of chocolate called Ruby. There was a Vegan chocolate stand that must have had dozens of vegan varieties.

I got myself a hot chocolate drink.  It came as white chocolate, with a little tub of Ruby liquid which I stirred into my chocolate -

above.  we stopped off at Erskine Falls.  One can walk right down to the bottom of the falls.

above:  our shuttle bus reached Lorne.  So lovely.  I adored walking along the beach.  I should have brought my togs and had a swim.  I had a nice wander through the seaside shops and cafes.

Or...

Instead of Lorne, there was the choice to go to a nearby zipline park.  I actually wanted to do both and begged to please-please-please can I just fit in one meagre little zipline, instead of all the different ziplines and adventure park doings that were being offered.

Yes!   I went on the Roller Coaster Zipline.  Now, my four readers will know that I've been on ziplines before, but they've just been in one straight line whooshing across something, or down to something...

This Roller Coaster Zipline zoomed up, down, over, under, around trees.  There were parts where the trees were so close to me that I was sure I was going to crash into them.  Wow, I loved everything to do with this zipline. I ya-hooed and hooray-ed all through the experience.   It really did feel like I was on a roller coaster.   (There may be some photos later on...)

above:  On the Lorne beach area, the cockatoo parrots were like our seagulls; dozens of them flapping around for food.  My goodness, cockatoos!  I couldn't believe it.  There were dozens of them.  I've only ever seen one cockatoo in my life and that was the Farmers Department Store parrot in Auckland , way back in the 1950's.  

I cannot emphasise enough how great I found this tour.