Great Ocean Road part2

The G.O.R. seems to me to be divided into distinct zones; travelling East from Warnnambool we travelled through lush green dairy pastures. 80% of the cows on these farms were Jerseys, to boost the cream content of the milk. Then we encountered the dramatic coastal cliffs, famous rocks and beaches. After Princetown, where we posted the last blog, we travelled through scenery more in keeping with the Great Alpine Road, winding through forests with tall tree ferns and dramatic deep gullies. Part of this was the Otway National Park, then we descended into a stunning coastal area, and into Apollo Bay.
This is a seriously tourist-oriented town; souvenir shops, cafes and accommodation abound. We stopped for a coffee and to replenish the fresh provisions (at IGA).
After Apollo Bay the road hugged the cliffs following the coastline, twisting and turning as the rocks and valleys dictated. This is what an Ocean Road is all about!!
Suddenly we came around a bend and there was the flat plain of the Kennett River mouth - our destination. We'd decided to stay at the Kennett River Holiday Park for one major reason -

Yes, there are koalas in this caravan park.

And a short walk through the surrounding bush revealed lots more!

The birdlife is amazing too - Michael became the birdman of Kennett River for a short while.

These King Parrots were incredible but the Sulphur Crested Cockies nipped Michael's fingers and toes, thank goodness they don't fly up into your hands like the King Parrots do.

The Rosellas weren't shy either.

All of this lead us to ask ourselves, "Have we peaked? Can it get better than this?"

But we have to move on and so reluctantly we left Kennett River to head to the Bellarine Peninsula before crossing to the Mornington Peninsula on Friday.

We considered going into Geelong, Michael fancied the Ford Centre, but on inspection it was not a tour of the factory but a static museum display so we gave it a miss and travelled through Torquay to Barwon Heads (where the tv programme SeaChange was made). We checked out the caravan park and saw "Laura's cabin",  we then drove on across the bridge (fans will know the significance), and on to Portarlington.

 We were going to spend 2 nights in this very pleasant town but the caravan park was enormous, with a large permanent contingent. Then we found out that the foreshore seasonal camping areas further along the coast at Indented Head and St Leonards are cheaper, so we are now staying at St Leonards, right on the coast of Port Phillip Bay.

The weather is typically Victorian, we've had all 4 seasons today! 

We're hoping for a clear day tomorrow, and that we'll see The Spirit of Tasmania as it sails across the Bay. 

We'll be on it Monday week.