The Great Ocean Road
It was a beautiful morning with patchy clouds as we headed southwest from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road (a 243 kilometer stretch of road along the coast of Australia). Knowing that our time was very limited and that we would need to drive all the way to Port Campbell before sundown, we planned on only stopping at Artillery Beach, Apollo Bay, and the Twelve Apostles.
Even with our "plan" in place, the scenic overlooks were just too tempting - we made a handful of five-minute stops in order to capture some quick memories along the way.
Artillery Beach
Stopping to view the unique rock formations at Artillery Beach, I was fascinated by the patterns, and textures formed by years of erosion.
A few feet away, it looked as if alien creatures were emerging from the rock.
Breathing in deeply, you could smell the eucalypts mixed with the fresh salt air.
The Twelve Apostles
We arrived at The Twelve Apostles as the sun was setting. The winds were fierce and the rain began to fall as we walked down the trail (rain really stings at 45mph!). The lightweight tripod that I had was useless, but I used the railing to steady my camera for some longer exposures before having to cover the camera from the weather and heading towards Port Campbell for the night.
I included the clip below just to show how strong the wind was blowing. Even pressing the camera to the railing wasn't enough to stabilize the lens...
The next morning we returned to The Twelve Apostles before sunrise. The winds had calmed to a more manageable speed, the rain was farther out to sea, and I was able to capture a few additional exposures before heading farther west.
Loch Ard Gorge
After a short drive, we arrived at Lock Ard Gorge and quickly descended the stairway. The gorge was named after the Loch Ard ship which ran aground nearby in 1878 leaving only two survivors from the shipwreck.
The Arch
Watching the clock, we decided that we had enough time to venture a bit farther west to see The Arch. By the time we reached it, the wind had picked up again, creating impressive waves that whipped the water into the air before crashing down.
London Bridge
I was mesmerized by the ebb and flow of the ocean at our farthest destination - London Bridge.
A little farther along our route back, we were treated to one of the most vibrant rainbows that I have ever seen. Since there wasn't time to stop, I hoped that the wet window that I was shooting through would "add atmosphere".
Kangaroo Island
After catching our flight to Adelaide and then Kangaroo Island, we took a short scouting trip to the Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park for the next day's photo workshop.
Remarkable Rocks
The Remarkable Rocks are granite boulders have been shaped by wind, rain and water over the past 500 million years. The brilliant orange color is lichen growing on the rocks.
Admiral's Arch
We continued our scouting at Admiral's Arch - the oceans vibrant colors were breathtaking.
As we left the arch, and dove by Cape Du Couedic light station the sun broke through the clouds, making the landscape even more impressive.
A short walk along the cliffs at the Southern Ocean hotel revealed a magnificent vantage point to watch waves breaking.
After the sunset, we photographed the night sky before the Milky Way dipped below the horizon.
Rising early the next day for the sunrise was well worth the effort as the crisp air turned warm with a gentle sea breeze.
The early morning light completely changed the color of the ocean.
I was able to take some time, slow down, change to my macro lens and capture some of the flora and fauna along the coast.
Unique branches always catch my eye, and there were plenty of them to choose from, just steps away from the hotel.
The color of the water changed throughout the morning, as the sun rose and the clouds traveled across the sky.
We were fortunate to watch dolphins playing in the waves.
Seal Bay
We made one last stop before lunch to see the New Zealand fur seals, and then, far too soon, were on our way home.
Credits:
© 2016 Julieanne Kost All Rights Reserved.