More adventures in Victoria

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/11/2019 (2348 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This column is the second in a two-part series about Australia’s state of Victoria. You can find the first part at www.canstarnews.com.  

Outdoor enthusiasts visiting Australia’s state of Victoria must check out Grampians National Park, a rugged mountain range consisting of sandstone ridges carved into steep craggy slopes.
With more than 50 trails winding through a system of sparkling lakes, cascading waterfalls, and magnificent panoramic vistas, the region is favourite among hikers, cyclists, paddlers and climbers.

Four-wheel drive backwoods tours can also take you deep into remote regions teeming with native plants, birds and other critters — the kind you knew just had to be there, but didn’t want to ever see.

I’m talking about Australia’s infamous spiders and snakes. Yes, they exist. And yes, they can kill you. But the locals I was travelling with weren’t at all fazed, and I paraphrase: “We grew up knowing about them. They’re just part of our environment. We don’t think about them much.”

Gariwerd is the Indigenous name for the Grampians, a place pivotal to stories by Indigenous communities insouthwestern Victoria, and a cultural landscape with much physical and spiritual significance. The region has the largest number of rock art sites in southern Australia and over 80 per cent of Victoria’s rock art sites, with some dating back more than 20,000 years. Other ancient sites have revealed stone tools, the remains of settlements, and artifacts of all kinds.

For stunning marine scenery, the Great Ocean Road is hard to beat. This popular driving route ranks among the world’s most stunning drives, hugging the contours of the coast and covering 300 kilometres from Nelson to Australia’s surf capital, Torquay. Highlights include the Twelve Apostles — giant stacks of eroded sandstone soaring up from the swirling ocean waters. Lined in a row like silent sentinels guarding the coast. Perhaps guarding seafarers against dangers that lurked below the surface. In centuries past, it’s believed that more than 700 ships met unexpected demise along the Shipwreck Coast. Today, commemorations at different points mark some of the sites of these tragic tales.

Beachcombers like me just love idyllic seaside villages, and Apollo Bay is one of the best anywhere. Midpoint along the Great Ocean Road, outdoor patios with spectacular views are everywhere, while every water sport under the sun can be pursued. Just a few kilometres inland the valleys of the Otway mountain range give way to rainforest with its own lush climate and wildlife. Once settled by timber workers and farmers, the hills now host artists, holiday makers and beach seekers.

Bushwalking in the Otways reveals petrified forests, fireflies, rainbows, and some of the highest ocean cliffs in Victoria. Test your fear of heights or thrill of treetops at Otway Fly Treetop Walk, an exhilarating experience high above the fern-covered floor offering birds’ eye view of the tranquil rainforest setting. Its 600-metre-long, 25-metre-high series of walkways ascend to the edge of the tree-covered canopy, and the spiral tower rising up another 45 metres puts you right over the top.

A pretty thrilling place to be when you’re Down Under.

RoseAnna Schick is an avid traveller who seeks inspiration wherever she goes. Email her at rascreative@yahoo.ca