We started our Great Ocean Road adventure at the surf capital of Australia, whose name has already escaped me. But I assure you that this is the place to go for all of your Rip Curl, Billabong and Roxy needs. Having no such needs myself, we watched the people pull up in their Campervans and unload their surf gear, resting assured that we would never be that cool, and continued down the coast.

Erosion has done magnificent work along Victoria’s coast, leaving elegant pillars and chunky islands of various shapes and sizes scattered just off shore. The shore has had its share of personal tragedy, claiming several ships as they tried to “thread the needle” between islands to Melbourne. Standing at Loch Ard Gorge, the location of the coast’s most famous wreck, I felt an eerie personal connection to the place. One of the most famous segments of the coast is a series of islands known as “The 12 Apostilles.” We, along with every other tourist in Victoria, watched the setting sun light the islands and, despite the crowd, it was very peaceful.