Archives for May 2013

Before arriving in Australia, I heard plenty of stories about all the free camp sites throughout the country. Turns out, that’s not exactly true. Sure, you can sleep in your car or camper van in hidden spots along the road or parking lots… but you’ll be violating the “No Camping” signs that are posted just about every 5 meters. I definitely saw a few people getting tickets for doing just that. After asking at a few information centers, we were told that free camping in much of Australia (mostly the east coast*), is a thing of the past.

However, there are still a few free places** here and there and the gorgeous Johanna Beach is one of them.

Camping at Johanna Beach instantly put me in a good mood. You know how you can sometimes get tired of moving around and having to spend money right and left? Johanna Beach was a nice respite from that. Getting to camp in an amazing location and not having to open my pocketbook? I love it.

We spent our time relaxing on the beach and cooking up a tasty dinner.

Mike and I have done a lot of camping in Australia (70+ nights), and this location was one of my favorites. Just bring your gear, good food, and plenty of drinking water… you’ll be set.

xo, jill

*We met people who confirmed that camping in the west is still mostly free.

**I just came across this website specializing in free campsites in Australia. If you have time to plot out your trip beforehand, it might be helpful. 

Continuing on with our Great Ocean Road roadtrip… we headed towards Cape Otway in search of koalas and the lighthouse. We were not disappointed. This is the place to see koalas in the wild. Once we reached a point in the road where several other cars were stopping, Mike and I decided to hop out and get a good look. Of course, my the battery in my camera died after my first photo. Thank goodness for back up point and shoots!

We walked from tree to tree staring at the koalas and taking photos. They are seriously so cute. I especially loved the mama and baby koala. That’s just too much.

Back in the car I started counting koalas as we headed to the lighthouse. I think I lost track around twenty? It’s practically a safety hazard because your eyes are much more interested in scanning the trees than the road. Luckily, we made it to the lighthouse without incident.

As much as I do love lighthouses, paying $18.50 to enter one is a bit ridiculous. We decided to skip the  lighthouse itself and took a short bushwalk instead. From the path we were able to see the lighthouse in the distance. Considering it was free, that was good enough for me!

xo, jill

PS. To see some really great koala photos at Cape Otway visit Kristina’s blog here! 

Near Lorne along the Great Ocean Road, we decided to stop and check out Erskine Falls. On the way there we saw several people outside of their cars staring at something in the trees… a koala!

Not very much water was coming over the falls, but it was a pretty little detour nonetheless. We also “officially” began the Great Ocean Road this morning, if the archway is to be trusted.

xo, jill 

Next up along the Great Ocean Road for us was the Split Point Lighthouse. The main attraction here is just looking out over the gorgeous water. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of this coastline or the perfect shades of blue.

After leaving Melbourne, Mike and I set our sights on the Great Ocean Road. It’s such a classic Australian road trip so my expectations were pretty high. Happy to say, it did not disappoint.

We started out by camping at Torquay. These photos are from just down the road near Bells Beach and the Point Danger Marine Park, I think. I have an abundance of coastline photos and everything starts to get mixed up after a bit. You know how it is.

Much more Great Ocean Road to come.

xo, jill