Road trip to Apollo Bay

Oyster Moon
Paul Foskett & Rhu Nash
Tue 16 Apr 2013 09:28

Left Melbourne for Apollo Bay which is half way along the Great Ocean Road – one of the 5 top things to do in Australia.  So far not that spectacular.  It was first constructed by servicemen returning from WWI.  The state realised that the men needed work and so started u this construction.  The men lived in camps – just as in the services and offered similar camaraderie without the death bit.  Apparently Australia lost 65% of men that went to war, the highest loss of any of the nations.  This is the statue and the memorial arch that marks the eastern start the road.

 

 

And here’s me

 

 

And here’s him

 

 

One of the typical views along the road – you can see the road curving along the coast in the RHS.

 

 

On the way to Apollo Bay we saw this koala.  Even cuter than those in the sanctuary outside Brisbane.

 

 

A huge seawall protects a harbour and small fishing fleet.  Apparently the entrance has to be constantly dredged.  Didn’t get a picture but the dredging pipe was tied up near the entrance to the man-made harbour.  Inside is a small marina.  The swell that comes in the entrance was interesting.  When we were there it was calm but the boats were heaving back and forwards on their springs.  Looking across to the marina, part of the seawall in the background and harbour entrance to the right.

 

 

This is a sculpture of a whale shark mounted on the back of the fisherman’s co-op.  The whale shark was chosen to represent the Maldives in the Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne.  Apollo Bay schools are associated with schools in the Maldives so the local fishermen and the 2006 Apollo Bay Music Festival contributed toward this sculpture on the towns behalf.