Melbourne 2006 - Day 4 (251106)

What is synonymous with Melbourne? Good-looking guys? Tick. Good food? Tick (sorta). Cosmopolitan city? Tick. Queen Victoria Market? Tick. Twelve Apostles? Hmm... Wasn't on our list!

Seeing how Chapel Street had shops like anywhere else in Australia, on day 4, the day meant for shopping at Chapel Street, we decided to change plans and go on a day tour to the Twelve, Eleven, Ten, Nine, Eight Apostles instead. Well, before they all fall into ruins.

Despite the brochure claiming that the tour agency have 24-hour service, it was but a miscommunication. What they had meant by 24-hour service was that you get hooked up to a machine where you are to state your business and their 'friendly representatives' will get back to you asap. No good. We thought that since we would have to wake up early if we were to hop onto the tour bus that lumbers all the way on the Great Ocean Road, we might as well make our tour reservation in the morning. I think we were the last pair allowed onto the big, useless (you will see why later) tour bus because it was packed.

We couldn't have chosen a worse day to embark on a sightseeing tour. It was cloudy and gloomy.

Note the fake smile. Witness the lack of emotions in my beady, sleepless eyes.

And it was not a cheap tour. At over $130 per pax, we were mostly kept on the bus, sitting on our asses or nodding our heads violently over the lullaby sang by the bus.

Nevertheless, we managed to do something else besides napping and sitting, such as:

Having a seafood platter where an insect decided to investigate the crack in my ass and luckily I was sensitive enough to know it dropped there and I went to the toilet to investigate its inevitable death;

Noting how poor the artisan of this signboard must be in mathematics for 12 - 4 = 8;

Snatching a photograph with the rocks themselves, all the while cursing the overcast skies;

Trying to calculate when this particular arch will join its demised siblings in The Hell of Collapsed Apostles;

Wondering, along with PY, how long it would take to run across these hills, whilst singing The Sound of Music and getting bitten by the poisonous, poisonous snakes of Down Under;

Exclaiming at the beauty of this gorge when really, the star(s) of the Great Ocean Road should have been the Apostles;

Adding more beauty to the gorge with our presence;

Wowing over this lovely piece of secluded and deadly paradise because it was said to have very, very, very strong undercurrents;

- Waiting over 30 minutes for the bus to get over its tantrum because the driver could not start the engine after we paused for a mini photo session;

- Waddling in the soft sands of the gorge, using all the energy we gained from the seafood platter; and

- Buying raisin biscuits and nuts to eat on the bus despite warnings from our not-too-friendly driver that none is allowed aboard. Pah!

How was the Great Ocean Road/Eight Apostles? At least we've been there, done that. I discovered that I was happier looking at the green hills than at the multiple beaches (which all looked the same) and rock formations. If you cannot stand road trips, it's not for you. The journey took a whole day, I think up to 12 hours. So take that into consideration before signing on the dotted line!

On a happier note, we had our best dinner in Melbourne.

Greek food at Lt Lonsdale Street. Open 24 hours. Simply amazing!!! For the BBQ lovers!

Oh! Did I mention that we stay at one the prettiest hotels?

Hotel Rendezvous!

I hope I can finish blogging about this trip and my Gold Coast trip before I forget everything. x: