T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d a place of two voices

!"TWO Voices are there; one is of the sea, one of the mountains; each a mighty voice"

On the walls of a sea view cottage in Lorne, an extract from Wordsworth in 1888

© Wildiaries, 2012

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Let us take you on our four day journey

along the Great Ocean Road. With a great nature guide, anyone can

have this experience and see this mystifying

array of animals.

© Wildiaries, 2012

Images and stories by Simon Mustoe

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d

The landscape it passes through is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most spectacular. To truly appreciate its rich

diversity though, walk away from the road itself and explore the lush rainforest, secluded mountain lakes or its

beaches shaped by ferocious ocean swells.

The Great Ocean Walk

“... the sea suddenly reached out, water clenching their ankles … like it was trying to drag them down. No-one ventured that close again”.!!

This coast is a beautiful but eery place with a long history of ship-wrecks. Nature artist Brett Jarrett spent a childhood here, combing the beach after storms, picking up the carcasses of birds that perished at sea.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d

The blueprint for the revegetation of Tower Hill still exists today, in the form of a painting from 1855 by Von Guerrard. So before you leave, head out of the park, turn left and you can visit the very place where Von Guerrard painted this masterpiece.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Tower Hill

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d

A dutch couple seemed slightly perplexed. "Are they venomous?", they asked … "yes, John said "but they are everywhere, you'll have walked past plenty". They carried on ahead of us, looking a little nervous but within minutes were back ... they'd found another one and brought us a photo to show!

Tower Hill

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Waterbirds

As the sun began to drop, thousands of wetland birds were busy foraging on the sun-tinted lakes. Recent rainfall has filled the crater at Tower Hill for the first time in ten years.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d

Seeing a platypus was only part of the thrill of canoeing through the deep valley, accompanied by the sounds of nature as the baton passed from day to night.

The sun had set a long time ago and there was one last treat in store. Along the damp gullies live glow-worms and the whole forest was covered in these tiny blue lights.

Lake Elizabeth

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d

Maits Rest... you might stumble across one of Australia's strangest carnivores, lurking in the shadows ... it has survived several ice ages, outlived the extinction of Tasmanian Tigers on the mainland and it's unique to the Otway Ranges. It hunts across the forest floor, searching out unsuspecting prey which it snares using long, sharp, backward-pointing teeth ...

it’s a snail! Colloquially known as ‘victor’ after it’s scientific name, this is one of the area’s special and easy to find animals.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Waterfalls

There's something inscrutable about the raw power of waterfalls. Against the fizzing, thundering and babbling of water, speech, apart from the whoops and yelps from excited children, is reduced to a murmur. The waterfall fosters a respect.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Satin Bowerbirds

The male had built his bower right on the edge of the walking track leading to the Phantom falls. ! He had lined it with pretty blue objects mostly bits of discarded plastic. !When the female arrived he proudly showed her his prized collection.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Fur-Seals

... another unique perspective of this amazing volcanic landscape. The ceiling architecture of the seals' caves is made up of folded and compressed volcanic ash. The contrasting colour of the turquoise blue sea and reddish cliffs is breathtaking

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Australasian Gannets

The colony is a place of perpetual noise, movement and excitement, death and life. As we prepare to leave, we spot an egg about to hatch. You can see the egg-tooth that the chick uses to break its way to freedom and the circle of life begins again.!

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Hooded Plovers

... they take up residence just above the high water mark, usually where there are mats of vegetation and bits of material thrown up by the last big winter storm. Under every stick and plant there are loads of tiny insects and crustaceans on which to feed growing chicks.

(...everywhere we stop, crowds of people gather to ask us questions. Ed)

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Rufous Bristlebird... found nowhere on Earth except for southern Australia, from the Great Ocean Road, west into South Australia.

If you glimpse a blackbird-sized bird doing a 'road runner' impression, head down, full pelt across a track - this is a Rufous Bristlebird. The best way to find them is just to listen. Particularly in the morning and evening, they will sing VERY loudly from the dense coastal heath ...

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d Koalas

... one hung ungainly on the thread of an outer branch, looking as though it would fall any minute. There were delightful 'wows' by onlookers and the chainsaw-like revving calls of other koalas above us.

They didn't seem at all concerned with the small crowd of cameras pointed at them.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d

Eastern Grey Kangaroos

A party of Americans asked us where they could see kangaroos. “Wait until dusk and check any bit of grassland near a forest” we said.

Later on, we were watching this group on the road side when the same guys pulled up and to their delight, fulfilled another of their dreams ... seeing a wild kangaroo.

To our backs was the “petrified forest”, not a forest at all but evidence of where volcanoes stood 10,000 years ago. Chunks of land were rolling, imperceptibly slowly, into the southern ocean whilst the waves thumped against the cliffs.

We stared at the distant horizon, then we spotted it, the largest animal that’s ever lived on Earth. When the Blue Whale exhales, a 20m high plume of spray shoots up in the air, visible from miles away. It’s underwater calls can be heard 1000 miles away.

This is truly where the voice of the sea and the voice of the mountains collide.

T h e G r e a t O c e a n R o a d

All the images and

stories in this document were collected over

just a few days and nights on the Great Ocean Road.