GOR vs BER

Scenic roads or school halls? In Victoria, during the Depression, they built a scenic road - the Great Ocean Road.

Completed in 1932, it really is great. So many clear streams flowing onto beautiful empty beaches and so many caves and gorges and natural bridges that you end up stopping every 5 minutes for photos and it takes forever to get anywhere. The GOR (as it seems to be shortened to, at least in writing) begins just east of the surfing mecca Torquay where, this Easter, the 50th annual Rip Curl Pro was run. Susie's ex-Year 4 teacher's daughter was competing. Then the GOR winds west, through upmarket Lorne, via the famous bit at Port Campbell where the 12 Apostles are, and on to Warnambool.

We stopped for 2 nights at the EcoBeach YHA at Apollo Bay. The kids loved the hostel. They made a friend there who'd also brought his Nintendo. So much for computer games killing social skills!

With kids across Australia, including their new friend, returning to their BER-sponsored school halls for term 2, our trip is really just beginning. Will we last the distance? A few tears before bed tonight suggests it might be harder than we thought . . .