Despite the fact that it is winter here, we have enjoyed exploring and admiring the coastal towns around Ocean Grove. The beaches seem to go on forever and the lack of development along the coast makes for a stunning natural coast line. We drove to the world famous Bells Beach where The Rip Curl Pro (surfing competition) happens each year, attracting surfers and spectators from all over the world. It is supposed to be the best surfing beach in all of Australia-I cannot speak from experience…yet!
It seemed like we were the only ones there, other than a handful of surfers. Alexis had a lot of questions about the particular style of dress and hair that she observed. She was confused by the fact that many of them had shorts on but then a toque as well. She also suggested that many of them needed a haircut or at least, a comb through.
We drove to another coastal town called Barwon Heads (pronounced ‘Ba when’ Heads-we have been working on our Aussie accent). It is a very small town where at the bluff, you can see incredible views of the ocean.
Finally, we spend a morning in Geelong. It is not exactly a coastal town, it is considered a bay town because it is on Port Philip Bay, not the ocean. It is a town of 250,000 people and it has the closest mall-important to note. We walked along the waterfront and discovered the many quirky wooden sculptures that tell of the history of Geelong and the important people who have moulded this city.
I have learned very quickly how different it is to travel with kids as opposed to just Shane and I. We spend a lot of time checking out playgrounds and open spaces instead of museums and historical sites.