Our first stop was Mount Lofty, just outside Adelaide. This is one of the higher peaks of the Adelaide Hills and it offered a stunning view of Adelaide below. It was a crystal clear day with a stunning blue sky. We didn't stay very long as we had to get going but the view was truly magnificent.
Isabella and I drove out of Adelaide and began passing the many farming communities that dot the landscape outside Adelaide. We passed Hahndorf, a community heavily rooted in German traditions, and other places with names like Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend. And it was just outside Tailem Bend that we turned south along the Princes Highway.
The scenery changed from one of farmland to one of semi-aridity. Much of this land is unsuitable for farming and is punctuated by scrubs and saltpans. It was very interesting how such a bleak landscape could exist so close to the sea. Along the way we saw the water of Lake Albert, a local lagoon and part of the mouth of the Murray River, also known as the Lower Lakes. It gave the water a very unusual green colour; I'd never seen water that colour before. After some time we reached the Younghusband Peninsula, a protected long spit of land. It's home to several species of bird and I believe is composed mainly of sand dunes. The whole is a national park which is great but means that the view to the sea is obstructed.
Further along we finally got a view of the sea, bright and blue. Kingston S.E. is a pleasant little community and the largest on the coast south of Adelaide. It was given the addition S.E. (southeast) to avoid confusion with another South Australian town also called Kingston. Kingston S.E. is still a fishing community largely although tourism does play a large part in its existence. It is also the home of the Big Lobster which is in much better shape than the Big Prawn in Ballina.
Isabella and I found ourselves a nice little fish and chips shop for lunch. We figured that since we were in fishing communities we should indulge ourselves in the local cuisine. I don't remember what fish we had but I do remember that it tasted alright. We sat on the beachfront, eating our lunches, and looked out over the sparkling sea. From Kingston S.E. we split off the main highway and took the B101 the South Ports Highway along the coast.
The South Ports are now sleepy little fishing communities dotting the coast towards Victoria. In days gone by they were fairly important centers of trade and fishing but now, with their importance waned, they're just small places off the beaten path. Our first stop was Robe, small community that seemed to have a bit of a resort quality to it. There weren't many people about but it was by no means empty. We reached the beach and thought about swimming but the air was a bit cool and the wind quite strong, which would have made swimming and drying off somewhat uncomfortable. We decided that it might be better to try at the next stop, although Isabella did go for a walk in the water as consolation.
The other South Port town we stopped in was Beachport, a community much like Robe but smaller and less touristy. When we got to the beach, to our dismay, the wind was still blowing strongly and the water was quite choppy. We went for a walk along the beach but decided it was unsuitable for swimming. This was unfortunate as from Beachport the highway reconnects with the Princes Highway but at least we got to see an interesting part of South Australia.
From Beachport we reached the town of Millicent and from there we drove on to Mount Gambier. Mount Gambier is a mining town and we decided not to linger. We crossed the border into Victoria and headed along the highway stopping in small port town like Portland and Port Fairy. It was in Portland that I was randomly breath tested by the police for a second time. Actually, I asked the police officer the best way back to the main highway since we'd gotten ourselves spun around. We reached Warrnambool just as the day's light was fading.
Warrnambool is a large town west of Melbourne on the coast and the largest on the coast west of Geelong. It's also the entrance to the Great Ocean Road. Isabella and I decided to have some Mexican food at a restaurant in the city center. From there we got in contact with our couchsurf host, a young German engineer, who showed us our accommodation. He was very pleasant and has a huge house all to himself. He was an engineer working on some project north of Warrnambool and his firm had bought the house for him. It was very modern with furnishings that seemed to have had the price tag only just taken off. Isabella and I weren't the only ones couchsurfing as there was a young Finnish couple there too. I think we all got along quite well. It was sort of a shame that we could only stay there overnight but the road was calling in the morning and it was one of Australia's great drives too.
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