What’s in a name? In the case of the 12 Apostles – eight 50-metre columns of limestone off the southern coast of Victoria, Australia and the state’s single biggest tourist attraction – quite a bit of a mystery. How did these majestic and much visited blocks of limestone near Campbelltown, the last stop on the Great Ocean Road southwest of Melbourne, get their name? After … [Read more...] about The Mystery of the 12 Apostles
Australia
Time out in Victoria
All roads to the Great Ocean Road pass through Geelong, once a bustling port and now an attractive retirement town. At Geelong, travellers can head due west on the inland road or take the more common route south west to the Victorian Riviera. We took some friends’ advice and went inland to avoid the holiday crush. It turned out to be good advice. The first part of our … [Read more...] about Time out in Victoria
Doing a great trip in reverse
The Great Ocean Road is a 500km return drive from Melbourne to the wild windy coast and into the luscious hill country of Victoria. I took four days to do the trip, although it can be done more quickly, and one and two-day bus tours will give you the highlights in less time. From Melbourne travel west to Geelong, a lovely sea-side retirement town with along pier – … [Read more...] about Doing a great trip in reverse
Plenty to enjoy in the Margaret River and Perth
The Margaret River area to the south and west of Perth is the state's playground. Famous for its wine and food, it also attracts surfers, fishers, and other recreators to its many prosperous towns. Once just farmland with small dots of housing on the river or the coast, this part of Australia now bustles with traffic with towns like Busselton Dunsborough and Bunbury thriving … [Read more...] about Plenty to enjoy in the Margaret River and Perth
Life, coffee and adventure
How many of us are prepared to go to another country and work up a business from scratch, at a starting age of over 60? Wellington brand and advertising guru Dave Bassett has reinvented himself in an expanding coffee franchise business in Western Australia, and he's loving it. After a long career creating advertising and branding in Wellington (Consultus and then his own … [Read more...] about Life, coffee and adventure
A taste of Margaret River
Just three hours south of Perth, the wine and food attractions of this prized pocket of Western Australia is largely centred around the township of Margaret River. Certainly, most of the good wineries, the beaches, breweries, galleries, glassworks, and the olive oil, cheese and chocolate establishments are an easy driving distance from the township itself. Caves Road, west … [Read more...] about A taste of Margaret River