At the end of our week in Tasmanian we had been traveling for about two months. Accept for the Heron Island stay we were on the move most of the time. When we arrived in Melbourne on December 3rd, I don't think we realized how tired we were. Staying with our friends Joanne and Paul and their six month old daughter Holli was a perfect change of pace. We are indebted to the Hickmans. They allowed us to use their home as our base for about five weeks, and provided us with a car. Being part of a family during the Christmas holidays has no substitue. The generosity and hospitality we receivied from them, and their friends and family left us speechless. It was brilliant.

The first week in Melbourne we slept a lot, enjoyed meals and converations with Joe and Paul, worked on various projects, and became enchanted by Holli's charm. There home and Paul's photography studio are combined in a cool industrial building located within walking distance to the city. Situated next to Swan street a trendy shopping and eating area, we easily fulfilled our holiday card and present demands, and fattened up on gorgeous cuisine of all types. A little behind on our web site we gave some attention to that as well. Mostly we hung around visiting, and laughing at every little thing that Holli did. She was such a show off, and loved all the attention. We loved giving it to her. Every day she was doing something new. It was amazing to watch her development.

After seven lazy days it was time to get moving again. Jo's parents offered us the use of their cottage at a seaside town called Inverloch. Filled with new energy, we packed up the civic and headed down the coast. The next couple of days we hiked on beaches. Some were isolated by high cliffs and pounding surf, others had small caves and interesting formations fashioned by the sea. Much of the south eastern coast line of Australia is made up sandstone and limestone, two rock types very susceptible to erosion by wind and water (see images below). Unfortunately the weather patterns overshadowed our trip with an abundance of those two conditions.

Always looking for the bright spot, we encountered our first koala in the wild, in Inverloch. Driving through the neiborhood, Elke spotted it sitting in a tree on someones property. We were convinced that it was just the beginning of our Koala encounters. We looked around constantly hoping to see more, sometimes to the point of wrecklessness. We never saw another one in Inverloch.We learned later that the population had become very small due to habitat destruction. Koala get all their nourishment and water from eating eucalyptus leaves. The reduction of these forests in Australia are threatening the Koala.

Wilsons Promitory was one of the first national parks designated in Victoria, and our next destination. The peninsula is made up of low granite peaks, and is the southern most point of mainland Australia. Many coves cut into it's perimeter, and it is ringed by a number of small islands. We departed early under overcast skys hoping the weather would clear by the time of our arrival, approximately two hours later. Light rains and heavy winds accompanied us all day, limiting our options. We hiked inland through rain and eucalyptus forests in Lilly Pilly Gully. Later, we walked along a beach in a beautiful cove where a river emptied into the ocean. Huge granite bolders populated the water way creating a very interesting landscape. On our way out we attempted one more excursion to Darling beach, along a river of the same name. High winds churned the Bass Strait into a frenzy, pounding the shore with fifteen to twenty foot waves.

Since the weather wasn't cooperating we decided to go back to Melbourne. On our return, the skies began to clear, so we decided to visit the famous seal colony on Phillips Island. The seals live on a large rock off-shore. Viewing was set-up by close circuit television. Not what we expected, but probably good for the seals. The day turned out beautiful. While hiking on walkways built along the shore we discovered nesting fairy penguins. Elke got some great pictures of fuzzy penguin chicks hanging out of their burroughs. We stopped for dinner at a cool restuarant on the beach, and enjoyed a great sunset.

Tuesday morning we woke up in Melbourne. The extended forecast was clear and sunny, so we elected to keep moving. After breakfast we were off to the Great Ocean Road. A gorgeous one hundred eighty mile shoreline drive, it is certainly one of Australia's, and perhaps the world's most beautiful roadways. Charming villages on picturesque bays, and sculptured coastline greet your around every turn. In a beach front town called Lorne we stopped for lunch. At the information center we learned of a national park close by, and decided on a short hike to sparkling Erskine Falls. At the end of the drive, near the town of  Port Campbell the limestone formations starting with the Twelve Apostles take your breath away. Another example of nature's great sculpting talents.

We camped overnight in Port Campbell. The next morning we drove a bit further to make sure we weren't missing anything, then turned around. Along the return we visited a lighthouse at Otway National Park. As we made our way down a dirt road through eucalyptus forests Elke spotted a Koala. We got out of the car to have a look, and within a couple of minutes we saw three Koalas. Ninety minutes later, after creating a small traffic jam we departed with many pictures and fond memories of our amazing discovery. We counted about eighteen koalas including two mothers with tiny babies. We arrived at Apollo Bay in the late afternoon and elected to stay  for two days. In a cute cottage across the street from the beach we relaxed, catching up on journal entries and computer tasks.

Saturday morning the Hickmans took us to their bush property in Strathbogie. Here are the pictures:

Our stay was rustic but not without refinement. Paul is a great cook, and roasted lamb with vegetables in the fire pit. Accompanied by a lovely Penfolds Cabernet/Shiraz, with eyes closed we could have been in a five star restaurant. Afterwards, we enjoyed two desert wines as we made merriment around the fire. The next morning, we hiked to the stop of Strathbogie Mountain for gorgeous views of the surrounding area.

The week before Christmas, we toured around Melbourne visiting the Botanical and other beautiful gardens. It was almost impossible for us to get into the Christmas spirit with summer weather.  On Christmas day Joanne and Paul hosted twenty seven of their family and friends. We enjoyed great food and games, and plenty of children. Good fun was had by all.

On Tuesday we departed for the Victorian Alps, with plans to meet Paul, Jo and Holli in Inverloch for New Years. Our route took us through a small wine valley where we stumbled upon the Domain Chandon vineyard. We had lunch and aquired our New Years champange stash. We stayed in Mansfield for two days, hiking in the local national parks. On December 30th we arrived in a charming village called Bright, close to Buffalo National Park. Our schedule was tight because we needed to get to Inverloch by the next day. As we pulled out of town it occured to Elke that we should check in with Paul & Jo and confirm our plans. Sure enough things had changed.

Due to weather, New Years on the beach did not make sense. Consequently, we decided to stay in Bright for New Years, and hike in the beautiful mountains of Buffalo National Park. Good fortune prevailed. Although Bright was filled with people, the info center found accomodations for us at a gorgeous B&B tucked away in Buckland Valley. The driveway was two miles long. Situated on twenty two acres with a generator supplying power and a stream for water, we were not worried about Y2K. Wild pink galahs (cockatoo family), multi-colored lorikeets, and other beautiful bird varieties visited the bird feeder each day. The deep black sky was filled with more stars then I have ever seen. The Milkyway and many Nebulae could be viewed perfectly with the naked eye. I was mesmerized.

We bought Elke a new dress, and made reservations at a cozy restaurant for our celebration. Things fell perfectly into place. We spent New Years Eve day enjoying the splendours of Buffalo National Park.

When we arrived for dinner, Bright was filled with merry makers. We had a lovely meal, then strolled through town taking in the festivities. A band played on the porch of the local pub, and people danced in the streets. We were back at the B&B by eleven, and welcomed in the New Year sitting by the fireplace sipping champangne. It was the perfect end to a century.

On New Years day we drove to the coastal town of Lake Entrance. Although the place was jammed with vacationers we managed to find a campsite. We went out for an early meal to enjoy our last bottle of bubbly. The next morning we rented a small Hoby style sail boat and cruised around the bay. Poorly rigged, and with pontoons full of water it would hardly tack. After some experimentation and much swearing on my part, we managed to find a way to sail the boat. We had fun for over an hour, then during a tack I got caught up in the line controlling the main sail and we tipped over. I was able to right the boat, but unfortunately the steering mechanism fell apart, and the hardware was lost in the water. We waited twenty minutes before they came and fixed us. Totally soaked in our life vests and jackets we sailed back to the rental kiosk. Filled with enough adventure for one day we left for Melbourne.

It was hard to believe that our Australian adventure was quickly coming to an end. We relaxed in Melbourne for the last three days, attending to personal things, and dining and visiting with friends. Wednesday night we went to dinner with Paul and Jo. After, they accompanied us to the airport for a 1:00 am flight on Thursday morning. During our stay we had become part of a family. It was an emotional departure. Many thanks to the Hickmans. They made it all possible.