One place on the bucket list well and truly ticked - The Great Ocean Road.  What an amazing place!!!  The scenery is just beautiful, including the small section that goes inland through Lavers Hill - lots of grazing land and bushland.  Every turn of the road brings new and amazing views.  We have spoken to several people on our travels and they said to do TGR from west to east - I disagree.  Travelling from east to west we had pull off sections about every 2km.  Great places to stop and take in the view, but it does make for a long journey if you stop at them all.  We noticed that quite a few of the caravan parks along the way shut over winter, which is a bit bizarre, but we found some great places to stay and then spend the days just driving and looking at all the sights.  We probably have driven the road about 6 times by now!!

It truly is one of the things you just have to do - no other place like it.  Yet.

One of the many stopping bays

another place to stop

another one

another one

The iconic shot

What an amazing place Ballarat is!!!  We arrived just in time to watch snow fall!!  When we woke up the next morning the place was blanketed in snow. Beautiful, and just a bit chilly!!!!

We spent a few days at Sovereign Hill - a huge tourist attraction.  The place is set up as an old gold mining town, complete with gold mine, and all the staff are in period costume and maintain characters at all times. We enjoyed every minute being among all the old crap all day!!!  Really well done and a lot of fun.  It was set up as 'Christmas in July' so it was also very festive.  Even the weather co-operated and we had snow!!  The Christmas lights at night were amazing.

Definitely a place for the bucket list.

Chilly Morning, Ballarat

Just one of the many sights at Sovereign Hill

White Christmas!!!!

Sunset at Sovereign Hill

Some of the Christmas Lights

Some More...

We finally reached Melbourne, and what a beautiful city it is.  Even though it was cold, windy and rainy, we were still able to see the beauty of the place.  So many old buildings, so much culture and lots of shopping!!!!  We went to the market and boy, what a market!!  I have never seen so much stuff in one place.  The food hall was unbelievable.  Meat, fish, seafood, deli goods, fruit and vegies - it was all there and then some.

After that, we went on a tram ride around the main city district.  Unfortunately it was raining so we didn't get to see much.  With Wayne all shopped out we decided to visit the old Melbourne jail.  It was great fun.  Wayne was 'arrested' for being a public nuisance and we all got thrown in the cells and left to ponder our future.  I was ok until they turned the lights out!!!

Just one of the old Melbourne Buildings

Criminal.......

We then moved on to Bendigo.  Another old town with magnificent old buildings.  Lots of antique shops.  We stopped at the Bendigo Pottery - what an amazing place.  Huge old building with the old furnaces and lots and lots of pottery.  I noticed a sign for antiques and decided to have a look - I have NEVER seen so much in the one place.  It was HUGE!!!!!  Lots of old crap!!!!!!!  We also had a look through the Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral.  It is beautiful.

The free camp (Mt Franklin) between Bendigo and Ballarat was just beautiful.  A bit chilly, but beautiful.  One for the list!!!

Law Courts, Bendigo

City Gardens, Bendigo

Sacred Heart Cathedral

some of the outside of the Cathedral!

Free Camp between Bendigo and Ballarat