The view from here.

“I seen a rainbow yesterday…”

A few days ago, I was sitting on my bed when I looked out the window at just the right moment. I grabbed my camera and then rushed downstairs to tell Mike and our roommate to look outside. We headed out the back gate (no shoes despite the wet ground) and joined the other onlookers.

From the balcony

From the street

It doesn’t come across in the photos, but the top of the rainbow was incredibly wide. At least the widest I’d ever seen. That added to the faint more dispersed rainbow nearby, and the colors reflecting in the rock pools made for one incredible view.

And speaking of views… there’s a new look going on over here. It was a quick process taking about oh six months! That’s what happens when you hate what you got but don’t know what you want. Thank you to my talented friend Julia for designing my new header, favicon, and social media icons. I’ve also freshened up my “Places” page so maybe take a little peek at that. There are a couple of tiny things I’d still like to change so anyone who has some CSS skills and wants to work out a trade*, let me know.

Since I was already making changes I decided to take this opportunity to abandon Blogger in favor of WordPress. That was a bit of a process and there may be a few kinks here and there to work out. For example, you might not even be able to see the changes yet! It should all be coming together over the next few days but if you find a broken link or something, please let me know. I highly recommend using Sharon Hujik’s easy to follow ebook for anyone who might be making the switch.

To finish, here’s my favorite Newcastle view.

Just for good measure.

xo, jill

*I can make some stuff.

The Arch & London Bridge on the Great Ocean Road

Rumor has it.

Here’s a tip: If/when you drive the Great Ocean Road… hit the attractions in order. Otherwise, you’ll be staring at very similar photos with a confused look on your face while you simultaneously consult maps to figure out which rocks go where. Really.

I had fun screaming, “What!? I was supposed to be driving on the left?!”

Instead of doing things the easy way, Mike and I skipped a few spots and went back to catch them the next day. Now that it’s ahem… four months later, it makes things difficult.

But here we are. The next rock formations we stopped to see were The Arch (self explanatory) and London Bridge.

The Arch.

Actually, we were about 23 years too late to visit London Bridge. In 1990 half of the bridge decided that a few million years of standing was long enough. It collapsed into the sea and left a sightseeing couple stranded on the other half, surrounded by ocean. The pair had to wait a few hours to be rescued via helicopter. (Seriously, that’s an amazing vacation story!) We were told a rumor that the couple were actually engaged in an affair and were outed on the national news. I even think we were told the couple was in the nude (honestly, I could have added that in myself because seriously?). A little google search took me to this Australian myth-busting website that lists the rumor as “Undecided.” How interesting…

(Being stranded on this island feels very Island of the Blue Dolphins to me.) 
 
Before the fall.

Supposedly London Bridge is now referred to as London Arch… but I don’t think that’s in everyday use. Everything I saw still referred to it as a bridge.

xo, jill

Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

The main event.

Perhaps the most famous attraction along the Great Ocean Road is the Twelve Apostles. These gorgeous limestone stacks are what most people are hoping to see. They are what made me think, “Ok! Now this is the Great Ocean Road!”

Originally, these stacks were referred to as the Sow and Piglets. However, in 1922 someone got the idea that calling the stacks The Apostles would be a bigger tourism draw. At some point later on they became known as the Twelve Apostles.

Are you trying to count twelve? Let me stop you! There were only nine stacks to begin with and erosion has brought the current total down to eight. In fact, the stacks are eroding at about 2cm per year. But don’t worry. Continued erosion on the headlands will one day create new stacks for our (grandchildren’s grandchildren’s etc.) viewing pleasure. There’s nothing like geology to make you realize just how old the earth really is.

We enjoyed the view and took photographs until it was time to visit other formations further down the road.

xo, jill

PS Now to see some amazing photos of the Twelve Apostles at sunset, visit Kristina’s blog here. (Really, do it!) 

Big Thing Thursday: Lobster

That’s Larry.

It took us a few laps around town but eventually we came upon good ol’ Larry the Lobster. The idea for Larry was first conceived in the mid 1970s and after six months of construction he was completed in 1979. Standing at 17 meters, Larry is reportedly one of the more impressive of Australia’s Big Things. The story goes that he was never meant to be quite so large. The plans were marked out in feet but the developer began building according to meters. Who knows if that’s the truth but it’s a funny story, nonetheless.

Now you can visit Larry and have a meal at his nearby seafood restaurant. The food is supposed to be pretty good if you like that sort of thing. Just don’t try to use the bathroom without making a purchase or leaving a donation. There are plenty of signs letting you know it’s not appreciated.

Big Thing: The Big Lobster aka Larry the Lobster
Location: Kingston, South Australia
Rating: 

I grabbed a juice.

xo, jill

Big Thing Thursday: Mango

If only.

Believe it or not, this big mango was one of the “big things” I was looking forward to seeing even before arriving in Australia. My friends Shirley and Tom have photos of themselves with the mango, and so does Mike (from a previous trip). I decided that I needed to have one too! So when we had a day to spare in Airlie Beach, I convinced Mike we should drive a few (78) more kilometers up to Bowen.

Yes, it was worth it. I don’t love this photo of myself (it was laundry day), but I have it!

The Bowen Mango was completed in 2002 and is of the local Kensington Pride variety. There seems to be a bit of debate as to whether or not the big mango is upside down. It is displayed with the stem on the bottom, which is how farmers pack the fruit, instead of how it would hang from a tree with the stem at the top. Have you ever wondered what it costs a to build a big mango? $90,000.

Big Thing: Kensington Pride Mango
Location: Bowen, Queensland
Rating: 
(mainly for sentimental reasons)

I definitely wouldn’t mind having a mango that big to eat…

xo, jill 

What’s better than camping?

Camping for FREE!

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. 

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