District 9790 GSE Coordinator, Don, and his wife, Ann, were our guides and drivers as we proceeded south from Geelong headed for the Great Ocean Road. Team member, Jacqui Scoular, reports that it is on the list of the top 1000 places you have to see before you die. So….while we’re alive and well, we’re taking advantage of the opportunity to see it. Our trip south took us through hilly and tree covered terrain…sort of like the Black Hills of South Dakota, except with different trees: gum, wattle, and ferns.
We arrived in Apollo Bay prior to Noon only to discover that they were having their annual music festival. With musicians of all ages playing in different venues up and down the waterfront street, it could have been any town in South Dakota having an annual celebration….only this time, just over the sand hill was the great, grand, expansive ocean. As far as the eye could see, to the south, east and west, there was water, water, and more water.
As one might expect, the town’s atmosphere was festive, with surfers, musicians, and the ‘regulars’ filling the closed-off street along the Great Ocean Road.
A one-man band chose to have an animated koala as his assistant, the food venues were packed, a group of men and one woman representing the Sudanese Community in nearby Colac, and a surfer rescue truck were all a part of the scene. After about an hour it was on to Lorne for lunch at an ocean side restaurant.
Don & Ann were very patient with us as we lingered by the ocean, soaking in the view. The waves breaking against the rocks were breathtaking, but even more astounding was the large sting ray that was in the water under the bridge where we stood. Estimates are that it was six feet wide. We went under the famous Great Ocean Highway arch and headed on our way to Anglesea.
From a distance we could see huge billowing clouds of smoke near Anglesea. When we arrived, we learned that the ‘controlled burn’ had now turned into an ‘uncontrolled burn,’ something that is always a possibility. There are mixed emotions about the planned burnings. For years the aborigines did the burning and we learned that this burning accounted for 3% of the carbon emissions in the air. The trade off however, was that a combination of underbrush, hot weather, and wind had contributed to the devastating ‘black Saturday’ and the deaths of over 200 people plus thousands of homes and business were burned. The discussion continues.
Upon returning to Geelong, our sponsors for the District Conference, the Rosanna Rotary Club, once again proved the gracious host as we attended the President’s reception in our motel. Then it was on to the gala. This word proved to be a challenge to pronounce for the team leader as he said ‘ga-la’ with an accent and a long ‘a’ in the first syllable. Some said ‘GAL-a’ using a short ‘a’ and the accent on the first syllable. Finally, others said, ‘ga-LA’ using a short ‘a’ and the accent on the second syllable. The problem with this last pronunciation is that there is also a parrot like bird that is called a Ga-LAH.’ The occasion on Saturday night that we were attending became known as the ‘event.’ As some team memberS would say, that’s just too much information.
Sunday morning we prepare to meet our new hosts from Alexandra who will transport us there in the afternoon.
Somewhere near Geelong and north of the Ocean Road, in a Comfort Inn in Belmont, Victoria, Australia…… G’Day.
