Photo credit for some of the pictures in this update to the lovely Kristy Chown, who has a blog of her own: Oh She Travels.
Last weekend, in celebration of Liam's birthday, I rounded up nine of our closest friends and we spend two days camping in Torquay. The trip required some planning in advance: mostly when it came to the coordination of sleeping bags, tents, vehicles, and—most importantly—beer. But, after a flurry of messages exchanged in the days leading up to our arrival, we all turned up in Torquay (with gear and drinks in tow).
We arrived at Torquay foreshore caravan park a little after dinnertime on Friday, and, after setting up our tent city, the celebrations began.What followed was two days spent exploring the beach side town of Torquay, lounging on the famous Bell's Beach, many games of chess (all hail Marty, the ultimate chess champion) and flip cup. Our stay at the campground also included a challenging hop over a metal fence that we were all required to complete (in an ever-deteriorating state of sobriety) multiple times, as the weekend wore on.
Together, the eleven of us had a blast, despite the short bursts of rain, sunburns, and lack of camping chairs. It was a memorable weekend, one that definitely made us all want to find more time to escape the city as a group in the future.
Thanks to Amy, Kent, Marty, Conor, Lorna, Clair, Michael, Kristy, Ben, and (of course) Liam, for one of the best weekends yet in Australia. You are all wonderful people, and I feel so lucky to have met each one of you.
Sappy part over! Here are some photos from the festivities:
 |
| Tents all set up! If only we'd brought more than two chairs... |
 |
| Group breakfast at a cafe in Torquay |
 |
| Spent a gorgeous Saturday on Bell's Beach (a famous surf beach) |
 |
| The girls soaking up the sun (minus, Clair who appears to be trying to hide from it) |
 |
| Kristy and I enjoying time on the beach! |
 |
| Beach views |
 |
| The curving coastline... |
 |
| Where the ocean meets the land... |
On Sunday, after our friends returned to Melbourne (hungover and exhausted), Liam and I extended our trip and journeyed west along the Great Ocean Road, towards Port Campbell, in search of koalas, platypus, and sweeping coastal views. It was a beautiful drive, despite the periodic rainfalls, gusts of wind, and twisty coastal roads. I even gave driving on the left-hand-side of the road a shot to save Liam from having to do all the driving.
 |
| The entrance to the Great Ocean Road |
 |
| It was very windy at the 12 Apostles lookout |
 |
| The 12 Apostles (westward) |
 |
| The 12 Apostles (eastward) |
 |
| The Loch Arch Gorge in Port Campbell National Park |
 |
| London Bridge in Port Campbell National Park |
 |
| Posing by this natural cave, with a glimpse of the ocean in the background |
 |
| Bay of Martyrs |
 |
| Liam with a Liam-sized portion of chips |
 |
| Safety first! About to embark on our platypus tour |
 |
| Searching for platypus by canoe in the ever-serene Lake Elizabeth |
All in all, it was a perfect three days. Even though it took me most of this week to recover from my exhaustion (and the pain of sleeping on the hard ground!) I can't wait to escape Melbourne again soon with good people, and unbelievable views.
Cheers,
Heather
