Yarrawonga to Lorne

Stayed at the Yarrawonga Border Golf Club Accommodation – on-course self contained accommodation which was great. The club itself is HUGE with about 5000 members I was told – that included golf, bowls, gym, social members. Whatever, the clubhouse was huge and accommodated us very nicely thank you! The club has 2 x 18 hole courses and a 9 hole course so it really was a big club!

I played with the ladies in an Open Day they had and walked the 18 holes with 3 other ladies, had lunch with them and then Kemm and I did 9 holes on the 9 hole course they also have there. It was a great little course and the weather had been really kind to us – just got a little chilly by the time we came in. The spa bath then called so warmed up nicely!
Headed out to an Italian local restaurant which was a nice finish to the day.

Next morning we woke to a fine looking day but within an hour a thick fog had engulfed everything!! We were over at the pro-shop just after we checked out (might be something to buy there!!!) and talking to the locals – they reckoned their balls would need a GPS signal so they could find them! They themselves had never seen as thick a fog there and were not sure how things were going to develop as far as the golf went!!!
Driving out of town was a challenge in itself – it was now about 9.30am and at one stage we drove for about 20 minutes at 70km/h as I just could not see more than a few metres in front of the car! It’s the thickest fog I have ever been in – cars coming towards us had parking lights on which we didn’t see until we saw the car itself. Those with full headlights and fog lights we only saw coming towards us as they got within about 100 metres or so.

Drove on heading south towards Melbourne and even at 11.30am there was thick fog everywhere – an interesting drive!
As we were driving Kemm spotted ‘Nagambie’ coming up on the GPS and said ‘ oh that’s where Chateau Tabhilk and Mitchelton wineries are – so a quick detour, a couple of wine tastes and a delightful lunch at ‘their ‘Wetlands Café’, and we were off again! Ah such is life!

Skirted around Melbourne on the freeway, down towards Geelong which we also skirted around then head to Torquay, the actual start of the Great Ocean Road. Called into the ‘Big I’ as I now call them, (the Information Centre), gathered the required brochures, knowledge and maps and off we went.
By then it was 3pm and we were ready for settling down but had a couple of stops to check out the views along the way at Addis Point (just past Bells Beach the famous surfing beach) and Aireys Inlet. The ocean was amazingly calm with hardly a wave in sight and the day itself just as nice.  Yes, it was cold but no wind and warm sunshine made for a lovely day.

Arrived into Lorne, found ourselves some accommodation and visited the Lorne Pier Seafood Restaurant where I had a beautiful piece of schnapper with half a dozen oysters to start, Kemm had scallops and some delightful Italian flavoured octopus which he thoroughly enjoyed as well.

So for now, have spent the last half hour typing this ready for the ‘real’ Great Ocean Rd’ tomorrow – lots of photos to take!!!! Am sorting and preparing those I have taken so far so will let you know when they are ready to go!