Logans Beach - Warrnambool

Logans Beach is said to be one of the finest whale viewing location in the world. The whales perform their annual pilgrimage to Logans Beach between mid June to early October to give birth and prepare their babies for the long journey to Southern Antarctic. But unfortunately we came at the wrong time (end of May 2010) and the weather was a bit rough on that day, so there was no whale spotted. It was cold and there was not many people around on that day but still Logans Beach is worth a visit…pristine beach and beautiful rocks formation.

Whale viewing platform

Hopkins Point not far from Logans Beach

  

Stonecutter Inn - Warrnambool, Australia

I love the mural on the bathroom wall

The Stonecutter Inn is a beautiful and comfortable self catering accommodation to stay in Warrnambool. We took the spacious three bedrooms apartment for 2 nights. There are two bedrooms that sleeps 5 people upstairs and a double bedroom down stairs. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the cheerful owner, Gary (Oh My Gosh McCosh as he called himself) who showed us around the house. Gary was very welcoming and so was his affable wife.

Stonecutter Inn 

Warrnambool is a small town and Stonecutter Inn is located in a quiet neighbourhood not far from the town centre. The apartment is very unique and impressive, both the interior and exterior. Interestingly, Gary himself took the painstaking job of refurbishing the place with recycled materials from several places in Warrnambool, even from the graveyard! And that scares us Gary! Every corner of the apartment has a story as we listened attentively how Gary built this house. Gary and his wife live just on the street opposite Stonecutter Inn and one fine afternoon, we dropped by his house to meet his friendly wife and their parrots.

I love the finishing and interior of this apartment and would definitely return if I come to Warrnambool again. It feels like home and being there in winter we spent more time in the house cooking and eating.

The black wrought iron came from the cemetery in Warrnambool :)

And this one too!

Another beautiful mural

One of the bedroom upstairs

The dining area

Gary's painting

Old Warrnambool newspaper

                                                        

Great Ocean Drive

Australia is pretty easy to navigate and that makes driving enjoyable and less stressful for amateurs like me. Outside the cities, roads are not congested and drivers are well disciplined. Watch your speed limit even when you find the road is empty because the sheriff could suddenly appear from the bushes.

It was a breathtaking 4-5 hours drive (you could do less) from Melbourne to Warrnambool.  The winding Great Ocean Road is one of the spectacular coastlines in the world. Thanks to the Australian World War I veterans who skillfully cut through the coastal mountains to build the road between 1919 and 1932 and hence making the area accessible. The viewpoints are well signposted and we made several stops for the scenic views. Of course...the Twelve Apostles is the highlight of the region but as a  fan of nature I found all the rock formations in the area amazing. London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto are equally fascinating. The waves were putting quiet a show on that day, crashing into the rocks.

Port Campbell National Park

Waves crashing the coastline

Down to The Grotto

The Grotto

The split London Bridge

The erosion form the natural arch

The waves