Great Ocean Road - Part 1 - Wooden Sharks

One of my favorite things about vacations is the ability to have no set schedule and be completely spontaneous.  This was such a relaxing way to start our trip to the 12 Apostles. The guide book says it's about 253 kilometers outside of Melbourne, and with driving on a narrow road curving along the coast line that's basically Australia's version of the PCH, it does take a fair bit of time. Our mission was to arrive at the 12 Apostles slightly before sunset.

We stopped in Torquay to grab lunch at Swell, a surfer hippy cafe off the beaten path place that was delicious! Thank you Jamy for the reco! The locals did seem a bit confused by our accents...

We found this beautiful park and playground area and got some epic photos on a wooden shark (only in Australia)...

We made our way through Lorne and stopped for some caffeine boosts and wine for later that night. All the towns we passed were filled with so much personality and were completely charming. I love that there are also bizarre looking trees lining the roads that look like Dr. Seuss characters. 

We spent sunset admiring different vistas throughout the drive which were breathtaking. Unfortunately, we did not complete our mission of doing sunset at 12 Apostles.

We arrived at the 12 Apostles Hidden B & B in Princetown around 8pm, and quickly settled in. We ate some tasty food in one of the nearby towns, and excitedly made our way back to the turnout for the 12 Apostles….almost hitting 2 roos on our way. Why O why do animals see light and think it's a fantastic idea to run towards it?? Their tails are enormous btw!