31st – 1st
We headed off to Geelong, specifically the Geelong showground, for the camping at $22 a night, (thanks Stuart). This location is the closest cheap camping before the Great Ocean Road so it is ideal being about 2 hours’ drive from the previous camp spot. Again no electrical work to be had here, the issue is that these places have their own contractors and the places need to issue work orders via the management or a committee for anything to be done. This showground is not quite as nice as at Akoonah, but it has nice grassy areas, power, toilets and hot and cold showers. We are pretty much self-sufficient in the caravan so the amenities are not that important, but what is needed is simply a location to park for a time. We were planning to head off the next day but the weather has turned bad, raining overnight and up till now (10am) so we might stay on for another night. There is no problem travelling in the rain but we would like some clear skies as we go down the Great Ocean Road. While there is a chance of rain tomorrow it is supposed to be clearing so we will go then.

Change my mind; the weather seemed to be improving so we headed off about 11am for the camp site at Johanna Beach Campground taking in the sites along the great ocean road on the way. Called into Bells Beach near Torquay where 4 surfers waited patiently in the rolling sea for a wave.

This iconic surfing spot had a great feel as you looked down on the water from the road which is surrounded by natural, low vegetation, and grassed areas. Much of the areas around the beaches have been protected from the advance of buildings making the area very peaceful. Unfortunately the rain still persists, and the wind is quite chilly, so wandering around was a little uncomfortable.

We continued on cruising along the Great Ocean Road. The road winds its way along the coast, the terrain being mainly undulating hills with typical coastland low shrubbery moving in to bigger trees up the hills and further inland. Lots of farming country, dairy, inland. Driving along the Great Ocean Road so far, well my comment would be nice, pleasant, good to see. Words I wouldn’t use are Wow, spectacular, look at that, amazing but don’t let me put you of it for it certainly is one of the great drives of Australia.

We arrived at Johanna Beach campgrounds to be greeted by a sign saying this site was managed by the National Parks of Victoria and that bookings are essential. Our previous intel on this site was that it was a free place, and about the only free site, along the ocean road, and I was going to use it has a bit of a base to explore the area. We drove in and noticed sites set up with numbers, separated off, and with well-maintained dirt tracks for access. Well intending to stay we pulled up in a nice sheltered spot, being the only ones here at this time. Then recalling the issue with price rise’s back at Buchan Caves I checked wiki camps and sure enough, since July this site was now worth $34 in the off season. Well I don’t mind paying a fair price for a fair product, but what am I paying for here. All I need, want, is a bit of dirt to park on for a few days near the sea so what right does anyone have to prevent that. All along this Great Ocean Road there are no overnight rest areas, no easy place to pull over, and now a place that should be so is now not available. My farther, my brother, and untold others, fought for such freedoms now the very people that have inherited the management are denying such basic freedoms. The National Parks are making money out of our birth right, to pay for their infrastructure, excessive salaries, and advancement. No doubt they have great arguments as to why such fees are needed, but they would all be based on some economic reason.

So I called up the caravan Park 10 minutes away, yeah 10minutes, Lavers Hill, $20 so we went. It was a pretty ordinary Caravan Park if you like the finer things in life, but we could plug into power, and had a bit of dirt to park on, which is all we wanted.
Called further ahead, Princetown Camping reserve, also $20, $15 non powered. Looks pretty good on the wiki camps pictures. Cause these two are non-government, they are privately or council run, what a difference. You would think it would be the other way around.

Answer me this – there is a natural wonder (Uluru for instance) and as such should be a treasure for all. Why then should people be priced out of the ability to see it.

Toll roads, used one to escape Melbourne, and thought it best with the caravan on. I must have travelled on it all of 10, maybe 20 minutes. So called up to fix up the cost, $15.10 for pity’s sake, and I think there computer that talks to you when you try to pay doesn’t understand English. You can trick it to get through to a person, by making enough mistakes cause it doesn’t seem to understand swear words, but the person doesn’t understand English either …… yeah it was a good day ..