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Dispatches from the Field:
Koala Bears and the Great Ocean Road
By Michelle Di Fiore
Aug. 20, 2007
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| Di Fiore in front of the of Elephant Rock at the Lock Ard Gorge site on Shipwreck Coast. |
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It is hard to realize that we only have a few weeks left in Melbourne and that soon we will have to say goodbye to the friends that we have made down here. To make sure that we live each moment to the max, our sightseeing and adventures continue. A few weeks ago we took a tour of the Great Ocean Road, which hugs Melbourne’s beautiful coastline for more than 400 kilometers. We left our hotel early in the morning for a day full of windy roads and postcard-perfect scenery.
Our tour guide, Eddie, explained that the Great Ocean Road is known for its three main parts: the Surf Coast, the Green Coast and Shipwreck Coast. Starting off at the Surf Coast we made a stop at Bells Beach where many of the local surfers catch waves that can reach up to 15 feet. In January, there is a big surfing competition called the Bells Beach Surf Classic, but when we were there only a few surfers in wetsuits dared to go into the icy-cold water.
We then ventured up the coast to make our way through the Green Coast. Amongst all the twists and turns of the road, Eddie suddenly pulled off to the side of the road and told us to get out. Confused, our tour group followed his lead, and we made our way through a grove of eucalyptus trees. Eddie then stopped and pointed to a tree not too far away. There, we saw a mother koala sharing a lunch of eucalyptus leaves with her baby. It was amazing to see the koalas in their natural habitat.
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| Some of the rocks known as the 12 Apostles. |
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| A local surfer at Bells Beach. |
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Piling back in the bus, we got ready to see the third part of the Great Ocean Road -- Shipwreck Coast. This part of the coast is filled with sharp cliffs and beautiful rock formations. The first one we saw was Loch Ard Gorge, named after a ship that crashed off Muttonbird Island, yielding only two survivors. There were huge rock formations with a palette of many different colors leading down to turquoise-blue water. Not too far away, we saw a rock formation called the Twelve Apostles, which have now turned into the eight Apostles because of erosion. The sun was setting just as we arrived, creating a perfect scene to end the day.
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| PRIME students pose in front of the Great Ocean Road sign. |
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| A mother koala huddles in a eucalyptus tree on the Green Coast. |
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Having time to explore Melbourne inside and out makes me feel like I am no longer just visiting here. Meeting friendly Aussies, jogging along the Yarra River and watching footy games, as Australian rules football is known here, made it easy to see why Australians are known to be so friendly. With the end of my stay drawing near, I hope I can absorb as much of the Aussie lifestyle as I can, so that I can bring it back with me to the States.
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Di Fiore studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. |
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