I like revisiting past destinations when I travel. It's not to recreate the past, for we can never fully recreate the past, but to see how an old friend has been doing. As that line from Kung Fu Panda notes:
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."
Today's old friend was the Twelve Apostles rock formations off the Australian coast. It's a catchy name for a unique grouping of limestone formations near Port Campbell, but there have never been twelve. There are eight, down from nine as time and tide claimed one that appears in much older pictures I have.
The entire coastline is amazing, but having a collection of formations that are closely grouped makes for a prime tourism destination.
The visitor's center is quaint, as it should be, for the stars are a brief walk to the ocean down a well-paved path. A twist, a turn, and they present themselves for your admiration. There are two viewing areas from which to take it all in. Currently the easternmost is under construction to offset erosion effects, so I'm giving you the westward view.
The connecting path between the two viewing areas is visible on the right side of this wide angled picture. The vastness is humbling, as wind and wave perform their inevitable destruction that forged the land gaps in the first place. An example of this is further down the roadway, at London Bridge. The "bridge" part collapsed years ago, leaving visitors to imagine it.
Upon completion, it was time to drive to a friend's place in Naracoorte for the night. Once again, the GPS route that appeared to be a simple, primary highway route proved to be nothing but. This time it was a choice. I intentionally avoided that in lieu of another that still looked like "normal" roads, but would introduce me to areas I had bypassed before.
Well, it truly did present and adventure. Seventeen roads later, we arrived in Naracoorte. Two lane roads, single lane roads. Some dirt and gravel, but mostly paved. At one point, we decided we'd had enough and sought out a connection back to a major highway, only to find that we didn't have a signal.
In the end, it turned out to be a delightful experience. We saw Australian Fox. We stopped in the highway to ensure a koala crossing the road would do so safely. Once it finished and climbed up a gum tree, its look back was a combination of "thank you" and "what the hell are you doing out here?". It was a drive through long-forgotten towns and expansive acres of pasture. Nibbling our charcuterie food while soaking up vast, rolling hills.
As sunset approached, a welcoming pair of kangaroo appeared on a hillside. Should we stop and sit with them? I think not. They're beautifully docile when seen from a distance. Up close, however, could pack a punch, or a kick. We resorted to a look, a nod, and appreciation again for the discoveries.