Great Ocean Road

“A trip unlike any other” is how I would describe the Great Ocean Road drive. Many of our friends here recommended us to explore the scenic route as soon as possible. Not only is it extremely close to Melbourne but it also runs through a lot of little maritime towns that are just as picturesque as the drive itself. I would have to say that our weekend exploration along the coast of Victoria was by far my most favorite trip since we’ve moved here. We got to see so many things in just two days and if I had to do it all over again, I think tourists could easily make the drive into something a lot longer. I think a week is recommended and I completely agree. We did get to see heaps of things along the way but if we had more time, we could have backpacked and slept on the beach and ventured off of the road a little bit more to actually experience all that the coastline has to offer. Unfortunately, Matt doesn’t have much time left of vacation so we restricted the trip to a weekend. From Portland to Geelong, we experienced the following: a hike along the highest coastal cliff in Victoria (Cape Bridgewater), a petrified forest, the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere, blow holes, a seal colony, wallabies, Bay of Islands, The Grotto, The Arch, London Bridge, The Loch Ard Gorge, 12 Apostles, Johanna Beach, Otway National Rainforest, Otway Fly treetop walk, waterfalls, whale watching, and a beautiful lighthouse. Everything we saw seemed so surreal. It was as if I was thrown into Mother Nature’s calendar of the most beautiful landscapes of all time. I think that Australia is fortunate to be so secluded from the rest of the world. If it was at all convenient, the landscape would change from open pastures and rolling hills to high-rise condos and touristy death traps. Everyone would want to see and take advantage of Australia’s beauty. Thank God for those long expensive flights. If it wasn’t for them, the land Down Under would change drastically. Check out my 12 min slideshow of our weekend! It’s quite long but just know that the original slideshow was 24 min!

Great Ocean Road Trip from Erica Mabe on Vimeo.

It’s only been a few weeks since I’ve written in the blog so not a lot has happened. I continue to enjoy my job at lulu and the people I work with are great. I am sad to say that some of the people I have gotten the closest with are leaving lulu but I’m sure that we will remain in contact after they leave. I hate to see them go but a new adventure awaits for them and that’s exciting to say the least. Hey, I’m all about seizing the moment these days!

Matt is starting to put in longer hours like the good ole ATL days. He is trying so hard to prove himself in the Melbourne office and it’ll just take some learning and being comfortable with the procedures before he will feel like he’s progressing. Like I’ve said many times before, I have no doubt that he will become one of the best Seniors/Managers in the office by the end of the year.

Jackson continues to put on weight even though we have been very rigid with his 30+ min walk a day plan. I truly believe that it has everything to do with his food. Within the next few weeks, we’ll change his diet and see if that helps. I can’t wait for the warm, sunny weather. Hopefully, that 30 min cold, wet, and windy walk will turn in to a beautiful, bird-chirping, sun filled walk!

Today is officially the first day of Spring but you honestly couldn’t tell. It’s been in the low 50’s (teens in C) with continuous clouds and rain. I think next week will be much better but we’ll see. The weather is so unpredictable here. If you think you could be a meteorologist in the States, you DEFINITELY could be one in Melbourne. Just slap on a “Partly Cloudy with a 40% chance of rain” and you’ve described 90% of the days we’ve experienced since we’ve moved here.

Anywho, Matt and I love and miss you all! Just a few more months and we’ll be back home to visit! November 6th couldn’t get here any faster!!!

P.S. Here's a slideshow I've put together for Emma's 3yr Birthday! I can't believe how quickly she's grown. Isn't my niece so beautiful?!

Emma Grace Turns 3! from Erica Mabe on Vimeo.