Life is a Journey – Page 17 – The life and times of Libby Withnall

Great Ocean Road wonders

Posted on December 14, 2021October 11, 2026 by Libby Withnall

Today started with another visit from a King Parrot. Just one today and it was much more timid so I don’t think it was one of the ones that were happy to land on my head. We put out some more granola, but since we were checking out today I didn’t really have time to watch him enjoy his breakfast. Later he did get some friends – and there was a bit more arguing over the food. A cockatoo is came in to see what was happening (and scared all the parrots off) only to fly off himself when he realized it was only granola.

By 9.30am we were packed up and continuing on our journey along the great ocean road. And it was a stunning day for it. The last time we made this trip in June 2008 it was freezing and raining. Today sunny and warm – 24C. Just perfect !!

We stopped first at the Gibson Steps – but just to see the view from the clifftop, not to walk down (& UP) 89 steps. The beach did look lovely and I’m sure you get an awesome view looking up at the sheer cliffs but I knew it would be a real struggle coming back up the stairs (I’m just not that fit).

Next up the very famous 12 Apostles (though there are now actually only 8 Apostles standing. I can understand why it’s such a big attraction though as it really is stunning, esp. on a day like today with blue skies and white fluffy clouds. There was a guy here is a little dog in a back pack and it was adorable.

We course took quite a few selfies before heading back to the car.

Next up was Loch Ard Gorge.

Another simply stunning location with a steep walk down to the beach. We had recently seen a few vloggers visit here so Kevin wanted to go to the beach – which he did while stayed at the top taking yet more photos and video. Kevin was again pretty wrecked by the time he reappeared so I was glad I hadn’t made the attempt.

From here we visited the Arch. You can’t really see through the gap at the first viewing area.. It’s much better from the second one which isn’t too much of a downhill walk. It’s definitely worth it.

London Bridge has fallen down but not been renamed. There is an arch here so I guess maybe that’s the new London Bridge. The original was still intact when we were here in 2008 but has since fallen into the sea. Luckily no-one was on it at the time but some people had to be rescued from the island.

We thought we had seen most of the attractions and even drove past the carpark the Bay of Martyrs (thinking it would be another big walk down to see anything) but as we drove past I could see the view from the carpark so made Kevin turn around and go back.

This was one stunning spot, possibly even better than the twelve apostles. The rocks seems redder and there are islands dotted about. It was also the only place we stopped at to not have a NO DRONES sign. So glad because from the air this place is just magical.

At about 2.30 we arrived in Warnambool and headed straight for the car wash. We especially wanted to get the windscreen cleaned, esp since I finally had the go-pro working.

We then headed to our airbnb. Even though I had seen photos I was super impressed. It was bigger than I had imagined and had EVERYTHING you could wish/hope for. So many little touches. And beautifully decorated. I was glad we were here early enough to get to enjoy some time this afternoon.

I made us an Asian Noodle salad with a veggie burger for lunch. I probably should have sat outside and enjoyed the backyard area but wanted to get some photos sorted.

Later, when it cooled down, Kevin lit the fire and we ordered in Noodle Box for dinner. I had ordered a vegan satay but was instead sent vegan black bean sauce. It was okay but not great (later when it had cooled, I discovered I really like it cold!!). Kevin enjoyed his choice – chicken with egg noodles).

Amazingly we can see the sunset from here – which was a lovely surprise. It’s not quite what we’ve had so far this trip but it was still nice. It was a strange night because just before 9pm we headed out for our the show at Flagstaff hill.

After having a look around the gift shop and waiting for our “departure time” we were given briefing and lanterns to lead us through the village to the stands were the shows takes place. We did this in 2008 but I couldn’t really remember it. We both enjoyed the show – which was a combination of video stories/images, a water screen and lighting – telling the stories of the indigenous people who lived here, the whalers and whaling industry and finally the shipwreck of the Lock Ard. Definitely well worth staying up past our bedtime.

Luckily our accomodation is right in town so only 5mins (after walking back up the hill and to the car) we were back home and off to bed.

A day in the Otways

Posted on December 9, 2021October 11, 2026 by Libby Withnall

I managed to get some sunrise photos today.

And when I went outside to get the camera 2 King Parrots came and landed on the handrail. Then almost immediately one flew on top of my head. I couldn’t believe it. But what an exciting start to the day. It’s Kevin & my 29th Wedding Anniversary so I asked him if he organised this as a surprise :-). The second parrot chased the other one off and also had a turn on my head !! Luckily I remembered we had granola so Kevin got them some to eat and I spent a long time hanging out with them while they had their breakfast.

We set out about 8am for our day to the Otways National Park. The first stop of the day was going to be the Californian Redwoods, but we rang into a bit of a problem when we discovered that the road to it was closed/blocked. I had planned our whole day going in a loop and this really threw a spanner in the works – the main one being there was no way we could be at the Otway Fly for our treetop walk at 10.30am.

I realized we could change our day up and just do things in the reverse order – provided the two bookings could accomodate us. But, of course, we had no service so couldn’t phone anyone. None-the-less we finally made it to the Treetop adventure (one of the places owned by the company Kevin works for) and he was able to do the adventures climbs/ zippiness etc. We were the first ones to arrive and the girl who does the safety test every morning was just setting out so Kevin went with her for the first few courses. I wasn’t feeling the best so stayed in the car, enjoyed last nights leftovers for breakfast and read on my kindle. Apparently there was an area I could have watched from and would have done so if I’d known. Kevin tried to take some video but found it hard with having to hold on and do things as well. He came back to the car about one and half hours later absolutely wrecked but very proud to have done every course – even the Black one which is rated extremely hard.

There were lots of kookaburra’s around here and I managed to catch a few hanging out on some posts.

Next stop was a strawberry farm to pick our own strawberries. Neither of us had ever done this before and found it to be a fun activity. I loved that is was an organic farm so had flowers growing to help ward off pests. They also grow blue berries but they weren’t ready yet.

From here we headed to the NourishShed to pick up some lunch. They sold some local products and Kevin got himself quite a bit of soap. The staff here were lovely. We collected our lunch and drover on the California Redwoods – we were able to get to the them from the other side.

We had lunch sitting at a picnic table (my vegan wrap was ok – it was toasted and I would have preferred it not). But it was nice to sit outside and have a little “picnic” lunch. We then went to explore the forest. The trees are stunning. So tall. It was pretty magical wondering around the trunks and looking up at their branches.

From here it’s just a few minutes drive to Hopetoun Falls. The viewing platform is not far from the carpark and provides an okay view. The best is apparently from the bottom but neither of us were inclined to hike to the bottom…. And then back up. Kevin did decide to fly the drone though so we still got to see all of the falls.

Back in the car I was having fibro pains in my legs and Kevin was getting sore from his earlier endeavours so we decided to skip the last stop of the day – which was the Otway Fly that we were supposed to start our day with – and get started on our drive home.

We did end up making one last stop at a lookout. Kevin flew the drone again and he got a great selfie shot for us (and an even better one for the other couple you can see in our photo).

One and half ours later we had driven back through Apollo Bay and onto our accomodation.

Before going upstairs we decided to head across the road to the beach. However we quickly realized just how far away (and downhill) the beach was and decided to give it a miss.

Instead Kevin took the drone out for a flight and I went around taking photos of all the beautiful flowers in the garden.

I washed up all our strawberries and we had some as a snack. They are SO GOOD. Just like the ones we used to grow at home many years ago. Dinner tonight was tacos again since we had enjoyed them so much last week. I was out of lettuce though (the horror) and had to improvise when some of the Asian salad mix had.

The day ended watching vlogs, having another lovely bath and enjoying another beautiful sunset.

Wildlife Wonders

Posted on December 5, 2021October 11, 2026 by Libby Withnall

Surprisingly we were able to see the sunrise this morning. I wasn’t expecting it so will try to get some better photos tomorrow. Boy was it special being able to drink my tea snuggled up on the lounge under a blanket and watching the waves roll in and clouds float by.

We had a slow morning watching waves, doing some things online and having some breakfast (sourdough toast with jam) before we headed out. There was rain expected later in the day but for the now the weather was lovely.

The coastline is just stunning and there are some spectacular trees around Apollo Bay. We hsd about a 20min drive to Wildlife Wonders where we were booked to go on their guided tour. We got checked in and had a look around the gift store since we were early. There were quite a few things we wanted to purchase but wanted to wait until after the tour so we wouldn’t have to carry them around.

Our tour started with a little info session at 10am giving us an ear piece & radio so we could hear the guide, some binoculars and a bit more info about the conversation center. Then we headed outdoors on our walk to learn about and see some of the wildlife and fauna that are native to the Otways. The animals are free to roam around the property but there is a fence that is fox and feral cat proof to protect them. We saw some emus, a wallaby, a cute tiny bird sitting on a nest, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, and a few koalas (most of them spotted by Kevin) high up in the trees. We also learned about some of the plants, including one (2nd row center) which was only discovered a few years ag.

One thing I found really fascinating with the Mother Shield fern, which grows a baby fern on a frond , the weight gradually lowers it the ground and the “mother fern” then protects/shields it.

It was nice easy walk along the boardwalk through different kinds of ecosystems that are found in the area and then out onto the open clifftops where we had stunning view of the ocean and could even see people hiking /walking the Great Ocean Walk. It was rather windy up here and chilly too.

We then visited the research center. It was odd because the staff who work there obviously leave (I assume) when I group comes on (or they are off doing something else) but their computers are mid work and their bags are left lying by their desks. There are some information posters and guides and cute little tortoise.

And there were a few kangaroos watching the going ons. On the way back to the center we learnt more about how they conduct research around the grounds.

It was a really good tour, and something different. Would be an amazing way for international tourists to see our wildlife in a more natural setting. We picked up the things we wanted from the gift shop and got a piece of this vegan ginger loaf. I ate in the car and it was AMAZING.

We drove back into Apollo Bay and parked near Food Works as we were needing a few more grocery items, which we got before walking to the main street to go to the bakery – which I had read had some vegan options. The vegan pasties looked good but we had walked past a noodle shop on the way and decided to get that for lunch. Instead I picked out a vegan lamington. Kevin got an apple cake. We had super quick walk the small markets that were being held and then want to Chopstix to order lunch. They had quite a few things on their menu that could be made vegan. Oh,how the world has changed for us vegans !! We decided to get it takeaway since we have such an amazing view at our studio.

Back home and we were super excited to dig into our lunch. I had sweet and sour tofu. And it was AMAZING. So sad I can’t get this at home. Kevin also really enjoyed thi beef & noodle dish.

We had a really lazy afternoon – some of which was spent writing blog posts in bed (since was nice and comfy and cozy). And yes, I had already gotten into my pajamas :-). Outside there was a bit of rain but it didn’t really come to very much.

Later on I had my lamington and it was really good. Such a spurlge having two sweet treats in one day but they were so worth it. Kevin really liked his apple cake (I really need to start photographing more of his food).

Dinner tonight was some veggie burgers.

After dinner we enjoyed a nice bath (complete with a lush bath oil). The nights still get pretty cold here so Kevin has enjoyed putting the fire on in the evening as the sun goes down. And I managed to capture another lovely sunset.

Starting the Great Ocean Road

Posted on December 4, 2021October 11, 2026 by Libby Withnall

Today was the start of the proper part of our road trip. With Kevin now officially on holidays for a week it was time to start our drive along the Great Ocean Road. Packing is always more of an ordeal than you expect and with Kevin’s work sending things home with us, we didn’t end up with the extra space we had expected. After Kevin rearranged and packed the car we set off about 8.30. Our first stop was Geelong, where we charged the Tesla and walked over to a nearby petrol station to buy Pie Face for breakfast. Not the ideal choice but it was what was on offer. We decided to try the vegan sausage rolls and I’m pleased to report we both enjoyed them (though I did need tomato sauce on mine to cut the meaty flavour). By the time we had finished eating the car was almost fully charged, and we headed of to Torquay. First up, the Australian National Surfing Museum. I’m obviously not a surfer but it’s something I find fascinating and they have quite the collection.

Kevin really wasn’t interested in this museum at all but he knows I enjoy it so was a good sport about it. I found it interesting reading about the origins of surfing in Australia. And we watched some of a documentary, part of which focused on women in surfing and how big a roll the movie Gidget played in making surfing more popular with women. Another thing I learned was that skating boarding was invented by a surfer.

On the way out I made a little purchase at the gift shop and then we visited a number of the nearby surf shops to try and find a part for the gopro – I’m missing the part that attaches it to the car mount ! Sadly only one sold any parts but only for the older models. Apparently either surfers no longer use go-pros or they (like Kevin) already have ALL the parts they need.

I had two places listed as lunch options for today. – both of which were vegetarian. We drove to the first one Ginger Monkey – which looked really cute but there wasn’t really anything on the menu that we felt like and I don’t think either of us were feeling this cafe. We decided to hop back in the car, drive to Bunnings (for Kevin to pick up some double sided tape to try and fix my cameras wind muff) and then drive to my other suggestion – Little Things Big Things cafe. This turned out to be another cute cafe but empty when we arrived and thankfully had more appealing things on the menu. I opted for the create your own salad and Kevin had a peanut butter & jelly chia pudding.

Before leaving Torquay we visited the Super IGA to pick up a few things including dinner. I got very excited to discover they had Gardein Mandarin Chicken – just one packet left, which I scored. I’m sure they usually had more varieties but the shelves were empty. They had quite the number of vegan products and I picked up a few other goodies. A quick stop in at Bakers Delights for some bread…

Then it was time to visit Bells Beach. We stopped at the carpark, took photos and Kevin flew the drone. I wasn’t feeling up to walk to the viewing area. As we were leaving Kevin pulled into the next carpark (since I told him we had to stop at ALL the lookouts today) and it turned out we could see Bells Beach from here. No walking required. Silly thing is I think we did exactly the same thing on our visit here in 2008.

Not too far from here was the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery. Loved the caution sign on the way in. There was a viewing area that you could see chocolates being made but this is mainly a store. A very beautiful store I must say, esp. with their Christmas items. Kevin found quite a few things he wanted to buy, and we got some stocking stuffers for the kids. And of course I got a few of the vegan chocolates to try. And since it’s an ice creamery Kevin felt he had to have one. They did have a few vegan sorbet options but I didn’t have any.

Back in the car (yep, there was LOTS of in and out of the car today) again and we were off.

We thought we must have missed the memorial arch but finally I spotted it, yelling at Kevin to pull over into the parking bay. I mean have you really driven the Great Ocean Road if you don’t have a photo with the sign? :-).

From here there were many, many photos stops (I won’t bore you with pictures from all of them).

The town of Lorne was especially pretty. At first I didn’t get why it was such a popular town, and then I spotted the beach… and this was at a cloudy moment in time !! Kevin flew the drone again but didn’t get any photos.

Finally around 5.30pm we arrived at our airbnb. Right on the Great Ocean Road in a cute little area/town called Sugarloaf. And boy did we hit the jackpot.

Can you believe that view? From the couch and from the bed !! Once we lugged up all the luggage (yep, the downside of this place is stairs) we sat and enjoyed some tea while watching the waves for a good hour or so. Later Kevin cooked up the Mandarin Chickn, which we enjoyed while watching some vlogs.

A great surprise was that, though we faced South, we still managed to see the sunset from the balcony.