We’ll wrap it up with this post. Today was busy, I went off to get new tyres on the bike so it is ready to go next year.  Robyn began sorting through our gear into what is staying and what is coming home. I also gave the bike a bit of a clean and we will be taking it to storage in Elizabeth G’s garage. Thanks Elizabeth. We are staying in a spacious apartment in South Yarra so we have plenty of room to sort it all out.  We fly home on Thursday and can’t wait to see everyone.  Australia has been fantastic. It has blown us away with the ever changing landscapes and scenes. We have seen and experienced so much and met some really lovely people along the way.  I’m not one for statistics, but we have travelled 19652km Melbourne to Melbourne. 2 1/2 sets of tyres. Lots of petrol and 2 services.  Thank you to all the readers of our blog. We hope you enjoyed following us. It brings us great pleasure to present the blog for people to read as well as providing us with...

 Packing up for the final time today we had mixed feelings. We have had such a great time on this trip and we both agree that it has far exceeded our expectations. On the other hand we miss our family and cannot wait to see them all and give the grandies big hugs.   It was a lovely day to finish with, mild temperatures, stunning winding roads and one gorgeous beach after another . Of course because of this combination the roads were very busy. This really is a beautiful part of Australia, the beaches are pristine and the whole coastline has a holiday vibe to it.  Some of the beach houses are pretty stunning too and some architects have obviously been given free reign.  If you have the money there are no limits. We left this paradise behind and headed into Geelong, there is a motorcycle gear superstore there and we had to call in and replace some of our worn out stuff and check out some items for possible future adventures. Then it was on the motorway and soon the sky...

 We had a laid back day today. A leisurely breakfast and we set off along the tourist trail. Thankfully it is a bit warmer than yesterday.  We visited several lookout points at the Loch Ard viewing area. The Loch Ard was a sailing ship that went down here with 52 lives lost and only 2 survivors. Looking at the coast line and the beach they washed up on it’s a miracle that those 2 survived.  We then went to the 12 Apostle view point. This is one of those iconic viewpoints and totally Instagrammable I think is the modern term for it. As soon as we turned into the carpark I remembered being here with Catherine and Gareth many years ago.  We then turned inland and rode through lovely rolling countryside. Very green pasture not unlike NZ with sheep and dairy farms. We had lunch at a small village called Timboon and  then a leisurely ride back to Port Campbell and we chilled for the rest of the afternoon.  It is nice to be winding down like this, with a bit of re...

 Another chilly day on the bike, it did struggle to 16 but stubbornly 14 for most of it. At least the threatening rain did not eventuate. We visited the lovely beachside town of Beachport and the major port town of Portland.  We had lunch in Port Fairy and I think we agree we will buy a beach house there. Gorgeous old buildings, a marina, and a wonderful surf beach that stretched on and in around the bay. Just lovely. It was obviously founded by the Irish as many of the street names and buildings had Irish names.  We then rode on to a very large town Waarnambool and after negotiating 150 sets of traffic lights of which only 2 were green for us we headed towards the coast on the Great Ocean Highway.  We stopped  for photos at 3 lookout points, Bay of  Islands, Martyrs Point and The Grotto. Breathtaking beauty. We the headed for our motel for the next two nights in Port Campbell, a very small but pretty little bay which is a tourism hub  We are looking f...

We said goodbye to Hairy last night as he had to leave early this morning but we bid farewell to Lee and Budgie, it was lovely to meet you and safe travels back to WA.  A bit chilly today, the temp struggled to get to 18 and the cold wind blowing off the sea made it feel quite cool. We only just have enough clothes with us to stay warm and we’re wearing the lot.  We set off for Wellington which has a gas station and nothing else but it does have a free ferry service across the Murray River. (No Wellington wisecracks please) The riding is pleasant enough without being spectacular but lots of farmland on one side and a National Park on the other.  At one point we slowed down significantly to let two Emus cross in front of us.  We stopped for brunch in Meningie and had a wee look around and then on the road again and we had a good look around Kingston which is a lovely seaside town.  Then on to our destination, Robe. What a great little place this is. We checked in...

 Another extraordinary day has unfolded. Just as we think we are winding down in the last leg of our journey another day of surprises and delights happens.  We had a late start as we arranged to meet Marion an old friend from NZ visiting her family just a few km away. We spent an hour with her and son Bede chatting over coffee at the seaside resort of Seacliffe.  One thing I forgot to mention yeaterday is that there are several beaches along this coast and some beaches acrete sand and others lose it. So they have installed an underground pipe connecting the beaches and they then mix sand and seawater together at the beaches with surplus sand and pump it to those that have lost it. Genius but it must cost a fortune.  So we then set off to find a car museum I had heard about. Our route took us into the hills behind Adelaide, winding up and up on very narrow roads. The views were good, looking the city but there was nowhere to stop for pics. Some pretty nice real estate...

We have had a very nice day today. Quite a bit cooler, overcast but fine and low 20’s.   After breakfast at the local bakery we wandered off to the tram station. After a chat with the customer service guy at the station we boarded the tram for the city. It was only about a 25 minute ride, good value for $2.50.  We got off at Victoria Square and headed for the Adelaide markets. A wonderful foodie paradise. Bespoke cheeses, fish stalls, French pattiserie, fantastic butchers, fruit and veg, you name it it’s here  We had a good wander around, taking in the sights and smells, lovely. We then wandered into the main shopping area Rundle Mall and wandered about the shops.  We had a cuppa and pastry and then set off to the university district. Such a nice feel to this place. It was very nice seeing students wandering about and there were some who were obviously graduating.  We then took a stroll through the very nice botanical gardens, we only scratched the surface...

Well the day didn’t start too promising but it got better. Our hotel did get one other guest, we didn’t see them or anyone else for that matter but the hotel was great and without a doubt the best quality bed of the trip.  The street outside was marginally busier than yesterday but no real options for breakfast.  So off we went and as per yesterday through a very barren landscape. The Tomtom soon had us turned off the main road and we headed in the direction of the Southern Flinders Range. The road was single lane bitumen but as rough as guts and many dips into dried up waterways. It seemed to go on and on and we were thoroughly  sick of it and doubting the parentage of Tomtom by the time we arrived at a junction of a decent road. It was obvious that in one direction would lead us back to the A1 so we thought we’d just make life easy for ourselves and we headed in that direction. After a couple of km’s Robyn suggested we pull over and check the map. Best suggestion of the...