Good Morning, Get Going
After a glorious sleep, the friendly innkeepers gave me directions on how to get to the Road.
But first I needed fuel, so I cruised into the first petrol station I saw — and was surprised when a woman came right out to my window. Was it closed? Far from it. Turns out that particular station was full service. The prospect of full service for no charge (in that tiny town!) amused me so much I took the woman’s picture:
She, in turn, was amused when I told her how much I could have used her the day before.
After crossing into Victoria, I was closing in on the Road. Soon enough, brown signs announced “scenic lookouts”:
— as well as named formations such as The Grotto:
— and London Bridge. The “bridge” once had two arches, but (as a playful sign informs) one section collapsed in 1990.
Further down the road, and more sea-side scenery:
I stopped for the night in Port Campbell, a tiny fishing village just before the 12 Apostles (in Port Campbell National Park, naturally.) I was hungry, so I stopped for food first. At the restaurant, I introduced myself to Melissa, a 29yo from San Francisco. We shared a meal, and I learned that she had recently left her job in sports marketing to take a 2 month trip around Australia. In the process, she found a passion for landscape photography, and though she’s a complete novice, she hopes to make a living at it.
We chatted about this and other things for quite awhile — so long, in fact, that Port Campbell effectively shut down by the time I was out and looking for lodging. Everywhere in a 15km radius was shut, it seemed: even the Best Western on the highway was dark.
I was beginning to wonder what sleeping in the Falcon would feel like when I cruised by a house with a “Bed & Breakfast” sign at the curb. I crept in and was soon greeted by Maxine, the proprietor.
Soon enough, I was set up with a bed for the night.