Sunrise in Apollo Bay
We were up early again, and the sunrise over Apollo Bay made it worth it: the sky over the sea went orange and pink while the town was still waking up.
Scallop Pies for Breakfast
Breakfast was at the Apollo Bay Bakery, “home of the scallop pie”. Australians eat meat pies like we eat curry puffs, and here the famous one is filled with scallops in a creamy sauce. A giant stuffed koala guards the window.
Into the Otways
From Apollo Bay, the road turns inland and climbs into the Great Otway National Park. The sun was coming up over the hills, and we stopped for a short walk in the rainforest: tall trees, giant tree ferns and moss on everything.
On the road down to the cape, we passed a strange stretch of bare, dead gum trees, white and leafless on both sides of the road.
Cape Otway Lightstation
At the end of the road is Cape Otway Lightstation, where the Southern Ocean meets Bass Strait. The lighthouse was built in 1848, which makes it the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. Around it are the old keepers’ cottages and the telegraph station, with displays about the ships that were wrecked on this coast.
Then we climbed up the lighthouse to the balcony at the top. Up there, it was windy and drizzly, with grey waves smashing on the rocks far below.
Next: the Twelve Apostles.
Information About Cape Otway Lightstation
The lighthouse dates from 1848, and you can climb right up to the balcony at the top. Around it are the old keepers' cottages and the telegraph station, set up as a small museum.