Great Ocean Road, Victoria
Jun 3rd, 2010, 10:29 AM
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Great Ocean Road, Victoria
We just got back from a month in Victoria, Australia. I was there to photograph a wedding for a friend and to do some landscape work for myself. The wedding was in Sassafras, just east of Melbourne where we spent nearly two weeks. But the week we spent on the Great Ocean Road offered the best landscape work from the trip.
Most people who go to see the coastline along the Great Ocean Road tend to do it in a day or two, spending very little time in any one spot. We took a week to do the highway from Melbourne to Port Fairy. Most people would never spend that kind of time doing this stretch of the coast, but remember, I'm a landscape photographer. That elusive "Magic Light" only lasts for a few minutes each day and you simply don't pull a camera out during most of the day. So you plot out what you want to shoot at sunrise and what will be good at sunset, and plan your travels accordingly.
The weather was fairly good for the week, although the angle of the sun to the coast would have been better in the spring (September, October and November). But I was able to get a number of good photographs along the way. They'll be on my website in the coming months, once I get my new site up and running.
Accomodations were ample this time of year. At the peak of surfing season rooms would have been tougher to get and probably more expensive. And the wait in a restaurant would have been longer. As it was, we had no waits at almost everyplace we ate.
While we enjoyed the trip, we're used to more adventuresome places in the world, especially the southern coast of Europe, most of southeast Asia and parts of Africa. Australia struck us as being somewhat vanilla. Granted we only saw Victoria, but we came away with a pretty good idea what Australia was like after a month of driving there. We could have gotten away from Victoria but decided to cover it well and spent our time photographing the coast and the Grampians Mountains to the north of the Great Coast Road. Most of the places we stayed were in neat and tidy, yes cute little towns that rarely showed a speck of litter. Very nice, but not very exciting. But I came away with a nice collection of landscape photos. So I accomplished what I was after.
Most people who go to see the coastline along the Great Ocean Road tend to do it in a day or two, spending very little time in any one spot. We took a week to do the highway from Melbourne to Port Fairy. Most people would never spend that kind of time doing this stretch of the coast, but remember, I'm a landscape photographer. That elusive "Magic Light" only lasts for a few minutes each day and you simply don't pull a camera out during most of the day. So you plot out what you want to shoot at sunrise and what will be good at sunset, and plan your travels accordingly.
The weather was fairly good for the week, although the angle of the sun to the coast would have been better in the spring (September, October and November). But I was able to get a number of good photographs along the way. They'll be on my website in the coming months, once I get my new site up and running.
Accomodations were ample this time of year. At the peak of surfing season rooms would have been tougher to get and probably more expensive. And the wait in a restaurant would have been longer. As it was, we had no waits at almost everyplace we ate.
While we enjoyed the trip, we're used to more adventuresome places in the world, especially the southern coast of Europe, most of southeast Asia and parts of Africa. Australia struck us as being somewhat vanilla. Granted we only saw Victoria, but we came away with a pretty good idea what Australia was like after a month of driving there. We could have gotten away from Victoria but decided to cover it well and spent our time photographing the coast and the Grampians Mountains to the north of the Great Coast Road. Most of the places we stayed were in neat and tidy, yes cute little towns that rarely showed a speck of litter. Very nice, but not very exciting. But I came away with a nice collection of landscape photos. So I accomplished what I was after.
Jun 3rd, 2010, 12:49 PM
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<b>"Australia struck us as being somewhat vanilla. Granted we only saw Victoria, but we came away with a pretty good idea what Australia was like after a month of driving there."</b>
You're making a sweeping generalization about an entire continent after seeing just one state?
_______________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
You're making a sweeping generalization about an entire continent after seeing just one state?
_______________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
Jun 3rd, 2010, 03:20 PM
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I've lived in this state for many years and would or could never have an idea about the rest of Australia from living here. What are you comparing it too? Is it the scenery, culture people or ???? In my mind you need to see a great area of a country to make statements that could be seen as credible. Scenery wise eg Victoria is as different from the Kimberleys as you could possibly see .
Does vanilla mean bland? Then again perhaps you love vanilla and that is your highest compliment
Does vanilla mean bland? Then again perhaps you love vanilla and that is your highest compliment
Jun 4th, 2010, 03:21 PM
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Has to be one of the most inane posts I've ever seen on this board. Of no help to anyone whatsoever, and actually very misleading. I have a hard time with travel snobs who brag about all the places they've been and how place x doesn't compare to place y in their "expert" opinion. I did the Great Ocean Rd years ago and enjoyed it immensely. Want to go back!
Jun 4th, 2010, 03:53 PM
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It is that, RalphR.
"Australia struck us as being somewhat vanilla. Granted we only saw Victoria, but we came away with a pretty good idea what Australia was like after a month of driving there."
The OP saw a small part of Victoria, nowhere near the whole of it according to his/her post. In comparative terms, a miniscule sample of Australia; geographically, demographically, culturally etc., etc.
To declare they have "a pretty good idea (of) what Australia was like after a month of driving there" , is the equivalent of my saying I've spent a month in Manhattan & Long Island; therefore I know enough about the whole of the US to make a proclamation about it.
Quite amusing, really.
"Australia struck us as being somewhat vanilla. Granted we only saw Victoria, but we came away with a pretty good idea what Australia was like after a month of driving there."
The OP saw a small part of Victoria, nowhere near the whole of it according to his/her post. In comparative terms, a miniscule sample of Australia; geographically, demographically, culturally etc., etc.
To declare they have "a pretty good idea (of) what Australia was like after a month of driving there" , is the equivalent of my saying I've spent a month in Manhattan & Long Island; therefore I know enough about the whole of the US to make a proclamation about it.
Quite amusing, really.
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