You will need a thick wetsuit but if you love to surf this is the place to be today! As I walked to Bells Beach this morning the big waves and the black suited surfers sweeping down them drew my eyes to this fabulous winter display of long lines of Antarctic swells that break from Jan Juc to Bells. Walkers, bikers, runners and dogs with owners were all out enjoying the morning sunshine and the surf display with me.

If you are viewing this from the Northern Hemisphere you may not be aware that our winters are very mild - not unlike summer in many northern countries - so it is also perfect for walking, bike riding, and running with fabulous views always in front of you. You do not have to be a surfer to truly appreciate this wonderful natural environment so close to Melbourne (only 1and 1/2 hours) at the start of the Great Ocean Road.

Wild life is abundant too. If you are a “twitcher” the heath is home to many native birds - Rosella’s, honey-eaters, blue wrens, and even the rare Bristlebird may cross your path. This morning a group of kangaroos were attracting attention on the hillside opposite Bells Beach. And for flower lovers the Pink Heath - Victoria’s floral emblem has just started to blossom.

Photos from mobile phone - sorry only device I had with me because I was taken by surprise by the spectacle.

Jodi Picoult came to a lunch in Torquay yesterday to the welcome of over 200 keen readers. Her latest book Change of Heart is hitting the top of the best seller lists right now so she has been travelling the world talking to her readers.

Torquay was one of a limited number of events that Jodi attended in Victoria, so there was a real buzz in having an internationally known writer in our midst. Attending with a bunch of book group friends meant we were all talking books, along with a glass of wine and food. We enjoyed the time nattering over lunch before Jodi took the stage.
After an introduction by Rosemary Featherston of Torquay Books Jodi did a short reading from Change of Heart and then answered questions before settling to signing over 300 books and generously accommodating photographs.

It was a lovely day with sunshine and wonderful views to the sea over Torquay. What more could we ask for! And if your interest is books and writing then the Surf Coast has a number of great opportunities coming up. Torquay is hosting a mid-winter writers and readers festival called Froth and Bubble over the weekend of June 21-22. Aireys Inlet has the Festival of the Word from 15th to 17th August (contact Nicole on 0419 110 097 or nicole@greatescapebooks.com.au) and a 3-day Freefall Writing workshop will be held in Jan Juc - October -16th to 19th. We look forward to seeing you along the coast soon.

This time of year is marvellous anywhere in our region. March has been a most unusual month with the hottest temperatures on record for some days (over 40C) as well as very high rainfall for the month at other times. As April begins the cooler nights and clear days are wonderful for walking - beach or bush - and as we have a new puppy we are indulging in our daily walks along the cliff top of Jan Juc with the expansive views to Point Lonsdale lighthouse and even to Point Nepean an Arthur’s Seat on the Mornington Peninsula on a fine day. We watch the surfers catching the best breaks of the year and celebrate that the Ripcurl Pro was a fabulous success this year with warm weather and big waves. Fewer visitors means the roads are easier to drive and accommodation is easier to find. The native birds visit the bird bath in our courtyard each morning and evening for a drink and a good wash. Magpies love to indulge in the full bath; wattle birds take a quick splash and a shake on the nearest tree. Last week the king parrots put on a rare display of group hand feeding for visiting grandchildren. Our guests love the birds too.

As the Great Ocean Road is such a spectacular part of the world for a golfing holiday, I asked my friend Glenda who is a keen golfer (shown here with her new puppy Scully)to give me a tour of her favourite courses and some tips for golf travellers.

Not only can you play golf on some of the most picturesque courses in the world, but you can also drive along the Great Ocean Road with all the beaches, food, art and nature then return home truly satisfied.

1. LORNE is Glenda’s favourite course because “it is like paradise”, especially the views from the Club House on the top of the hill overlooking the pier. The course itself is challenging due to the hills and Glenda advises, “Do not expect your balls to land where you think you aim for. The hills are tricky.” She asks, “Do you hit straight? Because accuracy rather than length is the value of this course. It is all about placing your shots.” It is a nine hole course so when you play the full eighteen you will get a second chance to look at the views. The other lovely thing is that in some places you will be amongst the bush, which is also gorgeous. While Glenda has not ventured beyond Lorne for golf she has had the Port Fairy course recommended as highly enjoyable to play.

2. THIRTEENTH BEACH – The Beach Course. “There’s not a bad hole on this course. The fairways are undulating so you will not be able to see where you are hitting until you get close to the green. The greens are wonderfully consistent for putting. “There is an advantage in being a female golfer at this course because the men’s course is longer and tougher,” advises Glenda. She also mentions that any golfer must take into account the WIND at 13^th Beach where it can be a “4 club breeze”. The Creek Course is not as pretty according to Glenda and has some water so shots need to be given more thought. Glenda prefers the Beach Course to the Creek course but would never pass up the opportunity to play either.

3. ANGLESEA - Glenda’s home club, is a very challenging course, and Glenda would rate it the hardest on the coast because the hills make the fairways seem longer. Glenda also suggests that you will need longer clubs than you might usually use. For example the Par 3 16^th hole is approximately 110 metres from the ladies tee but the front of the green slopes away so you will need a club that will take you plus 10 metres. Female players who are unfamiliar with this hole will frequently under-club Glenda has observed.

KANGAROOS – are fellow residents of the Anglesea Golf Course and must be given due respect. October is the best time to see the new joeys (baby kangaroos) trying out their feet. They have been known to approach quite close to golfers. HOWEVER it is a strict rule that no golfer approaches a kangaroo as they are wild animals and can be dangerous. Glenda advises that if you just play as usual they will go about their business accepting you as part of their habitat. TOURISTS are not allowed on the golf course but can view from the car park or the Pro shop.

4. TORQUAY is a very accessible and easy course. There are views of the ocean on some holes particularly the par 3 17th hole which overlooks Jan Juc beach as you will see on the website. This course does have some tricky spots but it is also a great course for juniors to develop their skills. If you are planning to play a round during the summer holiday season it is important to phone ahead as this course is very popular with visitors.

5. THE SANDS is the most heavily bunkered course in the district so it is very challenging. Glenda advises that this is a course where course management is essential. The fairway bunkers are deep and Glenda likes to avoid them so she will often take an extra lay-up shot to ensure that she gets to the green via the fairway rather than through the sand.You may need to take 2 shots to get to the green to avoid the bunkers and if you find yourself in a bunker it will be very difficult to recover, as they are deep and sandy. Glenda likes this challenge and if you are a thinking golfer you will too. While this is a private golf course anyone with membership at another club can organise to play.

I hope that this will pique your interest in packing the clubs, bringing some friends to travel the Road stopping off to sample the courses and little towns along the way. Maybe you will see Glenda on the course – say “Hi” to her and thank her for the tips.

Some clubs you might like to try along the Great Ocean Road and on the Bellarine Peninsula:

• Portarlington 445 A9 MELWAY map
• Clifton Springs 456 J4
• Queenscliff 487 A7
• Barwon Heads 497 A5
• 13^th Beach 496 D1
• Curlewis 470 B1
• The Sands 506 G1
• Torquay 505 J9
• Anglesea 196 B6
• Lorne 518 G4 Phone: 03 5289 1267 has no website.

Wow! As soon as school is over for the year, Aussie holiday-makers come to Torquay and other spots along the Great Ocean Road. The caravan parks fill and every bit of accommodation is taken up with families and groups ready to relax. Beach cricket or footy, building sandcastles or just relaxing in the shade is the very essence of an Aussie summer.

English visitors are fascinated by the Aussie Christmas and imagine us eating turkey, ham and plum pudding in our bathers. Of course many of us still do! Most around here seem to opt for a barbecue with salads and seafood these days though. And I enjoy demonstrating my gourmet credentials with some new exotica - this year it was duck confit and our tradition of summer pudding.

Our pre-Christmas family gatherings culminated in a trip on the ferry between Queenscliff and Sorrento to meet with cousins on the Mornington Peninsula - always pleasant and relaxing. Quite often dolphins swim beside the ferry, although the only dolphin we saw was at the Sorrento pier enjoying leftover fish from a fishing boat.

As I sit here blogging, the plink-plonk of tennis balls against rackets just behind our house reminds me that at the end of January the Australian Open will be held in Melbourne, and all eyes will be watching the television until the winner is declared. This is the signal for the end of the school holidays.

Meanwhile all along the coast, every age of surfer and swimmer will be out enjoying the cool waters as temperatures climb above 30C. Inland, where I grew up, temperatures have reached 40C lately. Fortunately for us, here on the coast the heat is tempered by the daily sea breeze.

We love the excitement and buzz that this time of year brings to our small town as we see so many people enjoying what is ours all year round.

Let me tell you about how Michael swims and contributes to life savers in Victoria.

Around twenty years ago Michael first jumped into an early “Lorne Pier to Pub” event open to amateur swimmers who like ocean swims of around 1 kilometre. Many years later he moved to the Surfcoast to live and his friend Jan, a twenty-plus veteran of the event, inspired him to dive in again.

I see Michael quite often at the Peppers Gym in Torquay, swimming, swimming, and more swimming. Last night before settling down to a relaxing game of Bridge I asked Michael about his programme for this summer.

First on the list is the Rip View Swim Classic, a 1.4 km swim with up to 1500 swimmers on 29 December 2007. Point Lonsdale SLSC is the sponsor and beneficiary of the event.

He will be in Lorne on 5 January to swim the 1200 m from Pier to Pub, the largest open water swim on the planet with a capacity of 4300 swimmers. This year’s entries are closed but keep it in mind for next year.

Closer to home for him at Jan Juc are:

	Danger 1000 Ocean Swim The Danger 1000 ocean swim will be held at the Torquay Front Beach (Cosy Corner) on Saturday, 12 January 2008. Entries now open.
	Bells Bash Cliff Run The Bells Bash 8km cliff run between Jan Juc and Bells Beach will be held on the eve of the Danger 1000 Ocean Swim on Friday, 11 January 2008. Entries now open.

Michael will give the run a miss. The swim will take care of 12 January.

A week later, on 19 January, he’s off to Anglesea for the 1200 m Rock 2 Ramp event.

Australia Day, 26 January, has Michael back on the Bellarine for the Queenscliff Blue Water Challenge. Will he make it back on time for rehearsal in the Geelong Repertory play in which he is a cast member?

Will Michael participate in the 2008 Great Ocean Swim? Will he be swum out by 9 February and give Apollo Bay a miss?

Above all, Michael makes a great contribution to surf life-saving in Victoria through his entry fees - fees that support the clubs, clubs that perform a valued community service. A vital contribution is his presence, for without him and the thousands of other Michaels and Maudes, there wouldn’t be any events.

What does he get out of it? Only his health, bragging rights, groovy tee’s and the satisfaction of making a difference!

In my last post I promised to write next about dinner in my favourite restaurant. The Bellbrae Harvest is tucked away in the bush just 15 minutes from Torquay.

Just getting there is a treat. As we drive from Torquay to the restaurant, it seems there couldn’t possibly be anything out here in the bush … until we nearly miss the sign (again) and enter the quiet sanctuary overlooking the duck pond.

We are here today with a group of friends after a special tasting and tour of Brown Magpie Wines - one of our new local wineries that is winning prizes for its Pinot Noir.

We watch the tiny native blue wrens flitting amongst the grass looking for insects as the sun shines through the gum trees. The waiter is friendly, knows the food and is disarmingly relaxed. It’s difficult to choose because everything sounds and looks wonderful. But finally we come to a decision and our efforts are well rewarded.

I decide on two first courses:

1. Zucchini flowers stuffed with buffalo mozzarella on vine-ripened tomatoes and black olive tapenade dressing, and
2. Spicy quail with baba ganoush and an orange, mint and date salad.

As there are 12 of us, we expect to wait for our meals, but everything comes at a nice pace and we’re more than satisfied. Next time the family visits us from Melbourne we plan to come here for one of their bucolic, leisurely Sunday brunches.

Last Sunday we joined our granddaughters and their parents for a casual lunch. The café scene easily seduces Tim, but it takes a family visit to remind me to relax and enjoy it.

Tim’s favourite for a morning coffee is Mejavo’s, which is a café cum deli that faces the north for sun and has a friendly long table, as does the Sandbah Café (see Extras).

We chose the Sandbah for our Sunday lunch. Any warm day you will find crowds flowing onto the footpath at this iconic Torquay café in Gilbert Street. There is room outside for the many dog owners to tether their dogs with a bowl of water, bike riders to hitch their bikes, and elders travelling in motorised carts to find space.

The girls wanted only chippies! Their mum and dad had a veggie burger and a wrap. Tim had fish and chips and I had a really fresh salad with lamb.

Our lunch reminded me that sitting in the sun, watching people stroll by is one my greatest pleasures in life - second only to a meal in my favourite restaurant. I will post about that next time.

Well, here we are driving our beloved Great Ocean Road once again. We are testing a two-day itinerary from our home in Torquay – at the start of the road – and we’re interested to see how far along we can get, comfortably.

Along the way, we’ll bring a few tips for places to stop, admire, photograph, shop, dine or sleep.

This first post sees us leave Torquay and make our way along the road (the B100) to the seaside township of Lorne - a stretch known as the Surf Coast.

Naturally we start by paying homage to the famous Bells Beach where a dozen or so keen surfers in thick winter wetsuits are making the most of some reliable waves.

The first tourist bus of the day has already departed ahead of us as we join the winding road through the Great Otway Park. It’s a quiet stretch, and we have to work hard to remember that some folks might need the other side of the road to come the opposite way. Luckily, regular signs remind us to keep to the left!

Most of the road is now limited to 80 kilometres per hour, and in many places we drive slower due to the curves and switchbacks. These are what make the road beloved by motorbike riders, who come in their hundreds at weekends. Their favourite haunt is the Arab Café in Lorne, where you will see every kind of bike lined up as the riders drink coffee and compare notes.

Today we slip past Point Addis and the Ironbark Forest Koori Walk, which we already know to have a spectacular cliff-top view over glorious beaches – worth a stop and an uphill walk on a fine day.

Anglesea, sitting at the join of the Anglesea River and the sea, is a big favourite with Melbourne holidaymakers. The heath-covered slopes provide a backdrop on one side of the road to the ocean on the other.

Today we are lucky to have few fellow travellers. The grey day is contrasted with the bright yellow of the first wattles heralding spring just around the corner. It has been a long, cold winter and we’re looking forward to some warm sunshine. The temperature today is predicted to reach about 14C.

We pass by Aireys Inlet Lighthouse as we have been there before. We used to holiday in this town prior to our move from Melbourne to Torquay, so we’re already familiar with the lovely view from the lighthouse down the coast to Lorne.

Instead, we stop in a parking bay to take pictures of the new Memorial Arch sculpture completed this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the building of the Great Ocean Road by soldiers returned from World War 1.

There are a number of smaller commemorative plaques along the road. We stop to photograph one about a white man named Buckley who lived for many years with the Wathaurung Aboriginal people of this area.

I love the way the view of Lorne peeps out and then hides as we weave our way around the bends – this is one of my favourite views because we are right against a cliff face on one side with the swirling ocean on our other side. Awaiting us ahead are Lorne’s horseshoe shaped Louttit Bay, accessible sands and groovy shops.

The Visitor Information Centre is just round the corner after you cross the little bridge at the entrance to the town and is well worth a visit. We buy some souvenirs to take when we visit Canada later this year – a platypus, koala and kangaroo. Maps, DVDs, books and other information about the Great Ocean Road are available here too. And there’s a toilet.

Next, we climb up the VERY steep back streets of Lorne to visit Teddy’s Lookout (follow the signs and keep going to the end of the road). This is a lovely surprise - we stand as if hovering like birds viewing the winding road to the west (the photo at the top of this post is taken from the Lookout). Viewing platforms and tables for morning tea make this a delightful detour.

Next post: stopping for lunch and continuing on to Allansford.

Welcome to Torquay and our brand new blog! We will be posting regularly on events, tours, accommodation and other points of interest relating to Torquay and the Great Ocean Road.

Tim and I know the road from end to end, so do contact us too if you need advice or would like help with booking your holiday - whether it’s a Great Ocean Road drive trip or a relaxing few days in Torquay.