The Great Ocean Road

What an amazing trip! Kendra and I were lucky enough to visit the Great Ocean Road this week and I have to say it is one of the most magnificent places in the world. About an hour and a half west of Melbourne, The Road winds along the southern coast of Victoria, starting in Torquay and ending in Portland. We picked up our rental car from the airport early Sunday morning and our excitement was only bated by the fear of driving on "the other side of the road". After a little bit of practice and a few wrong turns, we were on our way.

There are a ton of fantastic towns on The Great Ocean Road, including Torquay, home of surfers paradise, Bells Beach. We wound onward to Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay before finding a cabin to rest our heads in Port Campbell. The Road itself is stunning, with its twists and turns and glorious views of the crystal clear ocean. As you look out, it's hard to believe that the next land mass is Antarctica! By the end of the day we were exhausted and also a little saddened by the fact that not one kangaroo or koala had crossed our path. Luckily, day two had something very different in store for us.

We woke up very early the next day to get moving and try to pack in as much as we could. Kendra started driving that morning and while I was looking at a map, she shrieked, and there it was - a dead kangaroo on the side of the road! We were devastated. Our first 'roo and it was roadkill! Not ten minutes later did we see another corpse - heartbreaking. Luckily, we got lost on a very bumpy side road and as a looked to my left, there were three young roos staring straight at us. They hung out long enough for us to snap a few pictures and were on their way. After that, we saw another roo, about a dozen koalas happily dozing in the eucalyptus trees, a bunch of gang-gang cockatoos and even a kookaburra! Success for the O'Donnell's with the animal kingdom.

Even though I wish we had longer than two days, I am so happy and grateful Kendra and I were able to experience The Great Ocean Road. It should be on everyones must visit list. It's truly one of the most sensational places I have ever seen.