We chose two weekends (in case one was rained out or something), compared camping vs. hosteling, talked money, time, days, etc. Once we had it all narrowed down - she would meet me at the house I was staying at East Malvern on Friday morning. Since she lives in Geelong, she was going to have to drive my way anyway, plus I didn't have a car, so she drove and I gave $$ for petrol. It's always a bit nerve wracking when you meet someone for the first time, but I was about to go on a 2 day trip with someone I'd never met before. I could only hope we would at least have something to talk about. Since we have similar jobs and are both are away from our families, I knew we'd at least have that to talk about.
I booked our room at the hostel in the little town of Foster (the last town before Wilson's Prom), which was actually more like an unattended cabin/house with 3 rooms, a kitchen, living room, and bathroom (2 shower stalls, 2 toilets, and a sink). A couple days later I was packing my things and the next day I was getting ready, packing our snacks, and waiting for some girl named Katelyn to show up.
When she got there I tossed my things in the car and we were on our way. Remember how I mentioned I hoped we'd have something to talk about... How about we started talking as soon as we met and didn't stop until after she dropped me off the following day. Katelyn and I just clicked. We understood each other's sense of humor, we have similar personalities, similar taste in music, similar jobs, similar passion for mischief ;) etc. We talked about everything and anything two people could possibly talk about. I feel like we were always laughing at something the other said. I could tell this was going to be amazing and boy was I wrong... It was WAY BETTER THAN THAT!!!
On the way down we talked about my job ending, my job, her job, our families back home, school, next plans, our hostel, the day's plans, the fact that her car beeps every time she goes over 100, cars, music, and our favorite Australian animals. We have several of course, but if I had to choose one I would choose the wombat, which I had mentioned. Speaking of wombats... We were driving and we passed a knocked down road sign that just so happened to be a wombat. I didn't see it, but Katelyn did, and she immediately slowed down (no one else was on this long empty road) and looked at me and said, "We have to go get that for you! It is a wombat!! Do you want to get it?!" In my head I was like... "We can't get a wombat Katelyn! They're wild animals! Are you crazy?! Who have I taken a trip with!?" But when I looked back I noticed the knocked over sign - a yellow diamond with a black sihoutted wombat in the center and rectangle below that that said - Injured Wildlife Call xxxxxxxxx). I looked back at her and just said, "Well, I mean we kind of have to right? It's like sign (no pun intended)." So as we are both freaking out and laughing hysterically she turned the car around, parked it, and we went to check it out. I lift the pole and sign and notice the sign is bolted with heavy duty bolts to the pole (fair enough). I said to Katelyn, "Man! It's bolted to the pole! There is no way I can do this. We'd need a wrench or something." We stood quietly for a second then Katelyn bursts out, "Wait!!" She runs to the car and I thought... No way... there is no way she has a... And here she comes running back to the car with a wrench. I immediately got to work on the bolts while she held onto the sign so it didn't land on our feet. It was much bigger than we thought it would be, but once we started it would have been stupid to stop (not that starting in the first place wasn't stupid already). We left the important bit - the informational bit with the number still attached to the pole. Once the sign was down we carried it to the car and put it in the back yellow side down so it wouldn't be noticeable. While we were doing all this 3 cars drove by and each time we both got a bit nervous and couldn't help but laugh. Who knew what this would turn into! We got in the car and I said, "I can't believe you had a wrench in here!!" She replied, "She (her host mom) always keeps them in here and I never knew why!" This is the kind of humor we threw back and forth for the whole trip and why we were always laughing. As she turned the car around we couldn't help but laugh and keep looking in the rear view mirror. I made sure to let Wally know that I was sorry he was face down but that I would stand him up as soon as I could.
Shortly after we arrived in Foster at our hostel and tried to get in but there was no doorknob on the front door. I tried, "Open Sesame" but that didn't work, so we tried the white phone attached to the door frame. I called and got their voicemail, so we went around back to see if we could get in that way. There was a glass door so we could see in, completely vacant, but there was a code on the door. We tried to guess the code, but couldn't, so we went for lunch instead. During lunch the lady called me with the code and our room number and told us she'd be by later to get the money. A bit sketchy, but that's how this trip just seemed to be going at this point. When we got back to the hostel the code wasn't working so I had to call her back. I got voicemail and she had to call me back. We FINALLY made it into the hostel/cabin and unloaded the car (including Wally). Once we got situated there it was time to start our nature/wild life adventuring.
We began with heading out to nowhere (and I thought we already where in nowhere) to check out Agnes Falls - Victoria's highest waterfall. As we were driving out there we were pretty sure we were not going to the right place because all that was around us was farm land and it seemed impossible that there could be a big waterfall in the middle of all these rolling grass hills, wind mills, and cows. Sure enough though we finally came to the sign for it and it was just a short walk from the parking lot. The falls were really pretty and the sound of the water rushing and hitting the rocks, well, I could have listened to that all day. Because of the positioning of the lookout and the overgrown bush, we couldn't really get a good view of the whole waterfall from top to bottom, so we figured we'd continue the streak we were on and climb over the guardrail. The view was worth it - not worth dying for, but I'd say worth risking death for. Once we climbed back over the railing we found a wombat burrow, but unfortunately the wombat didn't come out to make friends, so I tried to climb in and make friends... I wasn't successful at that either. On our way back down to drive into Wilson's Promontory there came a point where we needed to turn left, but we couldn't tell if the road was a 2 lane road (one lane going and one lane coming) or a divided road with 2 lanes going on one side and 2 lanes coming on the other. We decided it was a divided road with 2 lanes on either side so did a wide left turn into the lane further out, before the barrier. We were driving for a couple seconds still trying to figure out if this was the correct side of the road or not, but when we saw a car coming at us head on, we decided it wasn't, so while laughing hysterically Katelyn pulled over into the correct lane. We also decided that if this was how the trip was going to continue, first the road sign, then the fence hopping, and now driving on the wrong side of the road, that we were in for a world of trouble (luckily that was the end of our "bad girls" streak though).
Next we had a bit of a drive actually into Wilson's Promontory. So we're just chatting and driving and then HOLY CRAP WHAT IS THAT and serious braking. Totally unexpected... 2 emus just sauntering slowly across and down the street... We were stopped in the road for a good couple of minutes (again, no one else on the road) just staring and saying, I can't believe that, is this for real, that really just happened!! That was just the beginning of our crazy wild life spottings though. We came across more (or the same) emus hanging out in a field, then we found our very first real and alive (there were so many dead ones on the sides of the roads before getting to Wilson's Prom) WOMBAT!! We both flipped out and were stopped for a good 5 minutes watching this one wombat just be adorable.
As we were driving through Wilson's Prom the two of us couldn't help but notice what a remarkable setting this would be for a horror film. Neither of us had cell phone service, neither of us were familiar with the area, there was practically nobody else around, it was pretty overcast, etc etc. So as we were driving along we figured out the entire plot and I must say, it would have made for a pretty good movie, however I'm glad it never actually happened because I really enjoyed our time at Wilson's Prom. After our movie planning and driving on some extremely windy roads up the side of a mountain, we finally reached the parking lot to climb Mt. Oberon. It is known to be a difficult walk/hike but the reward is well worth it.
The hike up Mt. Oberon is an incline the WHOLE way and once you reach a certain point it becomes stairs. I was so struggling to get any breath. I was sweating. My feet and legs didn't want to keep going and I was feeling pretty light headed (due to lack of oxygen from short breaths). Katelyn was so awesome though - going slow when I needed to go slow or stopping entirely when I needed to stop. She didn't run ahead (except for once to see if it was a good short cut or not) and she never got mad or frustrated with my inability to go full force or quickly. Reaching the top, I was extremely proud of myself and rewarded myself with a sit down while I just stared in silence at the view in front of me. I literally felt like I was on top of the world and it was such a beautiful view. Overcast as it was, it didn't detract from the beauty at all. Once I caught my breath I realized how absolutely freezing it was here in the open on top of this mountain with the wind blowing. My fingers, ears, and nose were instantly like ice... but the view... I couldn't pull myself away from it. Katelyn and I soaked it in, took some photos, and chatted a bit before deciding it really was time to turn our backs on this breath taking (literally) view and head back down the mountain. Down was awesome. It was nowhere near as difficult as up.
We found some more wombats and Katelyn being the awesome animal spotter she is, we found some Kookaburras as well!! Kookaburras are my all time favorite bird!! Their laugh is absolutely beautiful and slightly contagious and the teal on their wings is beautiful. On the drive back to Foster (where our hostel/cabin was) we spotted several kangaroos, wombats, and a couple wallabies. We also got the gift of a beautiful sunset for the drive.
Once back in Foster we went to the only grocery store to buy items for dinner and also lunch the next day. Luckily, Katelyn and I have the same thoughts when it comes to this process - as cheap as possible without being dangerous. There was some seriously discounted food at this grocery store but some of it was extremely questionable as real food. We each splurged on one item - mine was ice cream and hers was a couple drinks. We took it all back to the hostel/cabin and threw it in the oven because by now we were starving. While dinner was cooking we decided Wally (the sign) needed a good scrub down. We took him outside, leaned him against the cabin and used the outside faucet, a cup, and a broom, to clean him off. Once he was clean we took him inside and set him on a clean, warm towel to dry. Then we put on warm, comfy clothes (the cabin was freezing) and discovered the TV didn't work right, but there was free internet. We each checked our e-mails/facebook until dinner was ready. While eating dinner (yummy pizza and garlic bread) we somehow ended up looking for the laws regarding road sign stealing. We found one very very detailed set of instructions on how to steal road signs down to what day of the week, time of day, tools, how many people, etc. We also discovered that mostly the law is concerned with people stealing safety signs like "stop", "yield", "winding road", etc. We found a case where a few teenage boys stole a stop sign from an intersection and 2 hours late 3 teenagers were killed in an accident at that intersection and the boys who stole the sign were charged with and found guilty of manslaughter. Once we decided we wouldn't be locked up for rescuing Wally we started planning our next day - beach day! We turned in for the night since we new we had another long day ahead.
In the morning we had breakfast and couldn't help but notice Wally staring at us. Katelyn and I started talking about what my plans were with him and how I'd get him home. We decided he would be the centerpiece of my future living room. "What are you watching Nikki?" "Wombat" "What's your favorite TV show Nikki?" "Wombat" "What are we going to watch when I come over tonight Nikki?" "Wombat" Who needs anything else when you could just stare at a wombat all day?! Afterwards we packed our snacks (chips and fruits) and lunches (sandwich ingredients). We made a quick stop at a cafe for some sugar/caffeine (and I ran into the grocery store for some cinnamon for my drink) and we were on our way. Let me just say this was the biggest vanilla chai latte I had ever seen in my life. I was seriously in heaven. The day was very overcast, so we were glad we got an early start, because it was definitely going to rain. Our first beach had massive, green hills on either side, making the shore a horseshoe shape. The sound of the waves, the untouched water, nobody else around, it was beautiful. The sand at this beach was like flour it was so fine and soft.
Our second beach was my personal favorite - Squeaky Beach. The minute you step on the sand you're like, "Wait, what's that sound" but when you stop the sound stops. At some point you realize that high pitched, rhythmic, strange sound is coming from your feet. The sand on this beach is from ground granite which is a different shape than other grains of sand so it squeaks under your feet. It is also white as can be. On one side of this beach are bright red, massive boulders of granite. It was such a beautiful beach, even against the overcast sky.
We got back to the car just in time because it started raining, so we hung out in the car and chatted, listened to music, and watched Vine videos while we waited for the rain to pass. When it finally did, we headed down to our third beach. Well, about half way down to our third beach the skies decided to open back up and dump on us. We high tailed it back to the car (but not before spotting a cute little wallaby) only to quickly realize we weren't physically prepared for an uphill/upstairs climb, so we were pretty rained on by the time we got back. We decided to drive back to Foster and stop somewhere along the way off the side of the road with a view out over the ocean to make our sandwiches and eat lunch. It was then that I discovered that Katelyn likes her cucumbers cut in the shape of a stars ;)
The rain stayed consistent so we decided it was time to head back to Foster, load up the car (including Wally), and head on back to Melbourne. It was so nice having the entire hostel/cabin to ourselves because we could be loud and obnoxious, hog the computer, make a mess in the kitchen (and clean it up later), take up the whole bathroom in the morning, etc. Right before leaving Foster we stopped at the Welcome to Foster sign so Katelyn could get a picture and unfortunately she stepped out of the car and right into a massive hole of mud disguised as grass. She went and took her picture, came back, and her entire foot was caked in cold, wet mud. At some point shortly into our drive back we decided we needed ice cream. We had entire tub of cookies'n'cream from the night before so now all we needed was spoons. We stopped in a random town at a random store and I ran in and bought plastic spoons. We couldn't help but laugh at ourselves as we ate from a full tub of ice cream in the car. At some point I was talking about the sign and how I wasn't sure I'd be able to get it home and what if someone who saw us called us in and I hope it isn't noticeable that it is a road sign in our trunk. Right after that we passed a cop driving the opposite direction and Katelyn says, "Oh my gosh! He's turning around!" My heart hit my throat and I whipped my head around only to find that he was out of sight. She got me good with that one! Driving home we also decided the sign would be a good authentic piece for the Australian Wildlife Center we're going to start together in my back yard back home in the States.
As we neared the house I was staying at for Katelyn to drop me off we started talking about how fortunate it is that we met and took this trip together but how unfortunate it is that we didn't meet until the last minute. Katelyn is the kind of friend I can be myself 100% when I'm with. I can sing the Arthur theme song and rather than just laughing at me or looking at me like I'm crazy she will just join right in. We were constantly talking and/or laughing during our 2 days together.
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We wanted to get together at least one more time before I left for home so I made a day trip down to Geelong to see her. It was crazy because Geelong was one of my stops during the Great Ocean Road Tour but it was SO foggy. This time around the sky was bright blue and clear as ever. It looked like a totally different place. It was absolutely beautiful. It took me about 2 hours of train riding to get down there, but I read my book and listened to music and it was a big comfy train for half the ride, so it was okay. We walked the shore and the gardens until it started pouring when we hid under a fat short palm like tree. Then we went for a yummy lunch at a cafe near the shore. Once the sky cleared again I went and swang on a playground by the shore while Katelyn ran in to get some questions answered at a nearby uni. Afterwards we went and checked out some awesome views and beaches. To wrap up our adventure we went to another cafe that looked out over the ocean. At the end we were rewarded with a beautiful double rainbow over the water.
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| Hiding under a tree during the rain |
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| My view while swinging |
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| My view while swinging |
After we soaked in our last moment together, Katelyn reluctantly drove me back to the train station and we said our good-byes. It was sad, but I know she'll either be in Australia the next time I go for a visit or she'll be in Canada, which is an amazing excuse to see Canada. We were sad it took us so long to meet, but are thankful that we did actually meet, because we would have missed out on some great opportunities together and a great friendship, one we plan on continuing despite the distance. =]
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