The 12 Apostles

We left the Grampians on Wednesday morning to head down toward the coast.  I was up early to make apfelpfannkuchen (otherwise known as pannekuchenhaus) for breakfast.  :)  Even Cameron, who claimed he "could not be satisfied" was completely full.  Haha!

We all had pfannkuchen babies...

Then we packed up the car and headed South toward Timboon, hoping for cheese.  Sadly, the cafe in Timboon was mostly closed for the season, so we stopped in Port Campbell instead for chips (french fries) and vanilla slices.  *Vanilla slices are not something I've encountered in the US.  They're a sort of thin pastry crust, layered with thick vanilla custard, topped with another layer of pastry and then icing, then cut into squares like a bar cookie.  These desserts (charmingly known as "snot blocks" because of what happens when you bite into one) are a delicacy here, and it turns out that they make the best ones in Hall's Gap, so we grabbed some as we headed out of town.

This part of the coast is evidently pretty treacherous and has a fairly dramatic history of shipwrecks.  I learned about a few, including the tragic tale of Loch Ard Gorge.  (What the Wikipedia entry doesn't mention is the role of a beautiful ceramic peacock...if you are curious, I'll tell you the more complete story.)

We finally reached the coast and the Great Ocean Road, which runs all along the coast.  First stop was the Twelve Apostles -- really beautiful limestone pillars formed from the erosion of the coastline.

The Twelve Apostles along the Southeastern coast of Australia (view to the West)

More Apostles (view to the East)

 

 And more of the Apostles

We followed the winding Great Ocean Road East along the coast, heading toward our next stop, Cape Otway.  (I have some awesome vids coming up, but for now, I am going to bed.  I have to be up early to tag along while my uncle takes the dog to the vet and the kennel in preparation for our New Zealand trip.  Then, catch Cam's football game in Geelong and get back to Melbourne for a professional AFL game: Essendon vs. Geelong.  Go Cats!)

PS:  You might have noticed that I am going nuts with the hyperlinks.  But Wikipedia is awesome.  What did we do without it?