One last drive down the Great Ocean Road was a must before going home to Canada. Glenis, Alexis, Reid and I left Torquay early in the morning and made our way along the Great Ocean Road, heading towards Cape Otway. Cape Otway is at the southern tip of Victoria’s western coast where the Southern Ocean meets the Bass Strait. The area is protected by the Great Otway National Park, where rainforest and streams meet the rugged rocky cliffs along the coast. Along our drive, we spotted koalas in the trees, as this area has an abundance of these cuddly marsupials.

We arrived at the Cape Otway Lighthouse and enjoyed some lunch at the Lightkeeper’s Kitchen. We then explored the area, climbing up the iconic lighthouse, offering breathtaking views of the coast and a chance to spot a magnificent Southern Right whale.

The Cape Otway Lighthouse is Australia’s oldest working lighthouse and the most important one. It once offered guidance for ships trying to pass through the Bass Strait, which was considered one of the most difficult parts for ships to pass along the coast on their way to Melbourne.

We continued exploring the area, originally inhabited by the Gadubanud people. We had the opportunity to understand and appreciate the local indigenous culture by visiting the Aboriginal meeting hut where we listened to storytelling and received bush tucker (food) lessons from the local guides.

But the highlight of the area was spotting a whale, not far off the coast, for the first time!

We continued our drive a little further down the coast to see the Twelve Apostles for one last time. It is one place that can literally take my breath away, it so spectacular. We arrived close to sunset and the lighting from the setting sun on the standstone stacks was amazing.

After a long day, driving along the beautiful Great Ocean Road, exploring the iconic Cape Otway Lighthouse and finally, the stunning Twelve Apostles, we can’t help but be in awe of the beauty of this place and feel so grateful for this time in our lives.

The wildlife in Australia has been a fascination and a highlight for us, especially for Alexis and Reid. We have tried to see and learn about as many native Australian animals as possible while we have lived here. One of the more difficult animals to spot in the wild is the platypus, as they are mostly nocturnal and rather shy.

We drove to Lake Elizabeth, a place known as a home for the platypus, to spend the afternoon enjoying the surrounding forest as well as to go searching for a platypus. We went with Glenis, Sarah and Rowan and their kids, Alby and Molly, Kristy and Nick and their kids, Jack, Henry and Charlotte. When we arrived, we took the kids on a hike, exploring all things nature along the way.

By the time we made it to the lake, our group had diminished by half. Jack, Alby, Alexis and Reid made it to the lake in hopes of seeing the much anticipated platypus. The lake was so still that its reflection created a perfectly symmetrical landscape. After some time standing very still and being very quiet, we left the lake without spotting a single platypus. However, the kids were convinced the bubbles they saw in the water was from a platypus just beneath the murky surface.

After hiking back to the campsite, we enjoyed dinner together, sausages, delicious homemade soup and fresh bread. We finished the night off by roasting marshmallows and lighting sparklers.

Even though we did not see a platypus in its natural environment, we had such a wonderful day exploring Lake Elizabeth with great friends, good food and lots of laughs.

Some bits and pieces…too good to be missed and not to be forgotten…

1. The beach…the most beautiful part about living in Torquay.

2. Field trip with Reid’s kinder class to Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary and to Barwon Heads Foreshore playground.

3. Field trip to Geelong Botanic Gardens with Alexis’ year 1 class.

4. Watching footy at Simonds Stadium, cheering on the Geelong Cats with Paatchie, Wes, Liam and Charlie.

5. Watching the Superbowl at Bar 61 at 11am with Jodie and three other fans in the place.

6. Days at the beach. While Alexis was in school, Reid and I spent countless days riding our bikes around Torquay, trying out every coffee shop in town, library visits, feeding the ducks, beach hopping, playing in tide pools, searching for wildlife, building sand castles, playing ball and looking for whales.

7. Lots and lots of family adventures…

8. The beach…again…there is a path along the coast that connects Torquay to Jan Juc and beyond. Shane and I both enjoyed running on this Surf Coast trail in preparation for our respective runs.

9. Just hanging out…

10. Learning to play Aussie rules footy (AFL) through Auskick.

11. One of our favourite places to eat dinner…get a pizza or throw some snags on the barbie at the flying fox park on the Esplanade. This is how we spent one of our last dinners before Shane flew home to Canada.

12. Fisherman’s beach…one last time…

Over the past two years, Shane has spent several nights at the Crown in Melbourne on multiple occasions when he has had to be in Melbourne for work over a couple of days at a time. The Crown Melbourne is a luxury resort featuring 3 hotels, Australia’s largest casino, award-winning restaurants, highend boutique shopping and it’s in the heart of Melbourne on the Yarra River in Southbank.

One of the last times Shane stayed at the crown (I should mention that when he stays there, he has the privilege of staying in one of their luxury villas), Alexis, Reid and I came to Melbourne to join him for one night. We had been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time as it was gifted to us by a very special friend of Shane’s.

We took the train from Geelong to Melbourne and before heading to the Crown, we made a quick stop to the Block Arcade in the city centre to visit Haigh’s Chocolate shop. We picked up some freckles there, which are chocolates covered in sprinkles, as Haigh’s has the best freckles in Australia. After a delicious coffee at a laneway cafe, we headed to the Crown.

When we checked into the Crown, I was asked for ID and told to follow the receptionist to our private elevator! We walked through an unmarked door and were led to an elevator that we were told is the fastest elevator in Australia. It went from ground floor straight to floor 31, with no option to stop on a floor below that. We got off on the 35th floor and opened up to a beautiful corridor with mirrors and gold.

Once in the villa (it is so large, it isn’t referred to as a hotel room), we were blown away by the size of the villa, the luxurious finishes of gold and of course, the spectacular breathtaking view in the living room.

We spent the afternoon playing and enjoying the villa and all it’s amenities. Alexis served me coffee, tea and anything else I wanted while Reid worked on his computer, checking people in.

We quickly learned that the lights turn on when you enter a room and the toilet seat lifts up when you enter the bathroom! It even flushes itself when you are finished! We discovered that the window shades, blinds and lights were controlled by an iPad as well as the television and music.

We made ourselves a bubble bath in the jetted tub with the bubble bath and bath salts that came with it.

As part of staying in one of these luxurious villas, we had access to the Crystal Club where we enjoyed afternoon tea, evening drinks and entres and breakfast in the morning. 

We had a wonderfully comfortable and luxurious stay at the Crown. We have never and may never again stay at such an exclusive and fabulous hotel. It was fantastic and we are so grateful to have had the chance to experience it! I’m not sure how Alexis and Reid will ever be satisfied with a regular hotel room again!

A long weekend in June was the perfect opportunity for a short getaway to Sydney, our last trip before heading back to Canada. We flew out of the Geelong airport, Avalon, which was a quick one hour flight. We arrived at our Airbnb, located amongst the maze of tiny streets in the trendy suburb of Surry Hills.

After getting settled, we ventured out towards Darling Harbour, known for its amazing entertainment and waterside dining. We walked around the area, playing at the fantastic playground, admiring the lively nightlife, the lights and the fireworks display and enjoyed eating waterside at one of the many outdoor patios along the wharf.

The next day, we spent the morning wandering through the streets of Sydney, making our way from our apartment to the Royal Botanic Gardens, stopping to have a seat on Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, and then continuing on to the Sydney Opera House, admiring the large scale art works along the way.

We ended up at the Sydney Opera House, a performing arts centre, famous for its unique nature-inspired form and functional design. We spent some time exploring the outside of this iconic landmark as well as taking a peek inside. We also enjoyed the beautiful Sydney Harbour Bridge, located across the harbour from the Opera House.

Later that day, we wandered around the cobbled stone streets of The Rocks, a historic area of Sydney’s city centre, once a convict settlement, now home to artisan markets, friendly pubs and Sydney’s oldest sandstone terraces and cottages. We enjoyed lunch at the open-air market and found a German pub serving very large beers. Alexis and Reid met an Aboriginal man who showed them how to play the digeridoo.

That evening, we took a boat around the harbour to see the Sydney sights at night. At the time, Vivid Sydney, a unique annual winter festival of light, music and ideas, was happening all around Sydney. We enjoyed watching the Opera House light up at night, as well as the Harbour Bridge and many of the other buildings around. It was spectacular.

Our last day in Sydney was one of the most anticipated activities of the weekend. We had the opportunity to go whale watching, as the humpback whales are migrating along the coast during this time of year, passing by Sydney along the way. After a lovely tour past the harbour, we saw several humpback whales, blowing spray from their blowholes and we even saw one breaching.

What a fantastic way to end our epic adventures in Australia. We admire Sydney’s beauty and all the fantastic attractions we have had the privilege of enjoying.