Melbourne, OZ
Well, I'm back in Melbourne after driving the Great Ocean Rd. I was booted from bed last Friday and promptly headed Vaciendo (the Van) out of town. I drove till dusk and parked by the beach in a deserted parking lot. I cooked myself some dinner then read for a bit before turning in. It was a beautiful evening, the stars were out in force and I'd loved hearing the waves as I drifted off to bed.
The next morning I was awoken by the surfers who'd come for a sunrise session. I brewed some coffee then took off along the coastline drive, stopping for a breakfast of croissants along the way. The weather was mixed, it started alright, the sun shining but this gave way to clouds and at times, pouring rain. I stopped off to view the 12 Apostles and was buffeted by the wind coming over the cliffsides. When I returned to the carpark, I saw that the wind had not been kind to Vaciendo either, and had ripped the skylight from the roof. I mended it as best I could with the universal remedy I know...duct tape and continued on the road. I stopped off for dinner and drove for a bit as it grew dark. My next stop was an unexpected one as I found myself stuck in a ditch on the side of a road.
I'd pulled off to go to the bathroom and hadn't seen the puddle that I found my rear wheels sunk in. After a few determined efforts I realized that I was going to need some help to get out. I wasn't too worried however, worst case I slept at angle in a ditch for the night. Eventually, a car stopped though, and a woman returning from the movies with her kids went off to find someone to tow Vaciendo out of the ditch. A farmer was found and he showed up with a 4x4 which quickly pulled Vaciendo back onto the road. I continued on to the next town where I decided to stop for a few drinks, it was saturday night, after all. I hit a club in where everyone seemed to know everyone, except me, and stayed there for a few hours. I eventually called it an evening and found a factory building to park behind for the night. And so, Sunday, I made my way back to Melbourne driving through myriads of farms, passing grazing cattle and sheep. I'm stopping to retool and clean Vaciendo, before leaving Melbourne for good, and head towards Sydney and warmer weather.
The next morning I was awoken by the surfers who'd come for a sunrise session. I brewed some coffee then took off along the coastline drive, stopping for a breakfast of croissants along the way. The weather was mixed, it started alright, the sun shining but this gave way to clouds and at times, pouring rain. I stopped off to view the 12 Apostles and was buffeted by the wind coming over the cliffsides. When I returned to the carpark, I saw that the wind had not been kind to Vaciendo either, and had ripped the skylight from the roof. I mended it as best I could with the universal remedy I know...duct tape and continued on the road. I stopped off for dinner and drove for a bit as it grew dark. My next stop was an unexpected one as I found myself stuck in a ditch on the side of a road.
I'd pulled off to go to the bathroom and hadn't seen the puddle that I found my rear wheels sunk in. After a few determined efforts I realized that I was going to need some help to get out. I wasn't too worried however, worst case I slept at angle in a ditch for the night. Eventually, a car stopped though, and a woman returning from the movies with her kids went off to find someone to tow Vaciendo out of the ditch. A farmer was found and he showed up with a 4x4 which quickly pulled Vaciendo back onto the road. I continued on to the next town where I decided to stop for a few drinks, it was saturday night, after all. I hit a club in where everyone seemed to know everyone, except me, and stayed there for a few hours. I eventually called it an evening and found a factory building to park behind for the night. And so, Sunday, I made my way back to Melbourne driving through myriads of farms, passing grazing cattle and sheep. I'm stopping to retool and clean Vaciendo, before leaving Melbourne for good, and head towards Sydney and warmer weather.
posted by Bob Stein at 6:23 AM
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