Back on the road today heading to Port Fairy.
We stopped at the Gibson Steps and climbed down to the yellow sands to enjoy the crashing rollers and see our first ‘apostles’. David was very impressed with the lovely waves. Later we discovered that these stacks are Gog and Magog.
Just down the road is the main viewing area for the real apostles. They used to be called the sow and piglets with mutton island being the sow.
This was not considered a pull for tourists, so the name was changed to the apostles to give gravitas. Someone at sometime added the 12 as that’s what apostles usually come in.
As for number we counted 8 here, without Gog and Magog (!) and there are more further down. They are being formed and destroyed by the sea all the time. As one crumbles into the sea, a new one is wrenched from the land.
In the 1990s a pair of terrified tourists were left stranded on top of one when the connecting ‘London bridge’ fell down into the sea. They had to be rescued by helicopter.
We also saw blow holes and caves formed well back from the edge
We stopped again to view mutton island – home to mutton birds (shearwaters) who nest here; as it was daytime they were all out fishing. The birds are amazing as once the chicks are fat enough, the parents fly off leaving them to find their way up to the Arctic all by themselves!
We also saw a short-tailed rat – don’t know if it’s native but the tail is furry.
Further down are lower stacks called the Martyrs – we didn’t stop.
The road leaves the coast and enters farm land and the landscape is suddenly very European.
We decided not to stop at Warnambool, a big town that started as a whaling station, then became industrial.
Onto sleepy Port Fairy, a summer holiday place with a sweeping beach. They are mending the sea defences in time for the holidays that start in December. We saw only a few surfers and dog walkers and tiny sanderlings running down to the sea looking for food and then running away from each wave.
As I walked down along the sea
A kangaroo was looking at me…
We had a nice meal in an Italian restaurant; Aussies are very friendly, but a bit different to us…
