Monday, 10 February 2025 - Today we travel along the coast below Melbourne.

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The city of Melbourne as we pull into port.
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We began an all-day excursion to the Great Ocean Way. Upon meeting the guide, we all ask for a chance to see Kangaroos and Koalas.

The guide takes us to a field where he thought there might be kangaroos, and there are! These Eastern Grey Kangaroos are far away. The mother is on the left, and the young kangaroo is on her right.
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Our first ocean lookout on the Great Ocean Road.

The Lorne-Queenscliff Coastal Reserve.
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Anglesea Beach on our cloudy day.
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Point Roadknight reaches into the sea.
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1 Federal Street on the road to the Split Point Lookout.
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The view from Split Point Lookout. I assume the name came from the fact that the point has a rock separated from the main coastline.
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The beach is not very inviting in the stormy weather.
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The "split" rock receives one ocean wave after another.
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Cal is having a bad hair day due to the strong winds.
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The Split Point Lighthouse constructed in 1891 was to help ships sailing through the Bass Strait.

Virginia Ann is the small white dot making her way to the lighthouse.
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An Australian Magpie native to Australia is one of Australia's most skillful songbirds
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The Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo and wwe see many of these on our trip. Our guide explains they were often pests and move in flocks to tear up lawns and destroy exterior wood finishes.
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After being on the Great Ocean Road for several hours, we come to the sign.
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A bird's eye view of the Great Ocean Road which follows the coast.
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The colorful ocean and maybe better weather.
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Ocean colors blend into the sky.
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This Laughing Kookaburra poses on a branch over our path for a long time.

The bird is in the family of the Kingfisher and is monogamous, retaining the same partner for life. The name "laughing kookaburra" refers to the bird's call, which sounds like a laugh and is used to establish territory among family groups. It can be heard at any time of day, but most frequently at dawn and dusk. One of our travelers, Tricia McDonald, reminded us of the nursery rhyme lyrics, "Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree, Merry merry king of the bush is he. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Gay your life must be!"
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Not far down the road, our guide spots a Koala high in the trees. We pull over, pile out and begin snapping away. So excited and all eyes in the trees, Tricia and a road marker collide.

Koalas are largely sedentary and sleep up to twenty hours a day, much like our beagle.
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The spines of the Short-Beaked Echidna. It has no weapons or fighting ability but deters predators by curling into a ball and protecting itself with its spines.

Insulation is provided by fur between the spines, which range in color from honey to a dark reddish-brown and even black; the underside and short tail are also covered in fur.
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The Short-Beaked Echidna's distinctive snout and specialized tongue, catch its insect prey at great speed.
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After we return to Melbourne, we dine outside at the Waterfront Southgate, a delicious seafood restaurant on the river bank of the Yarra.

The Yarra River flows through downtown and is why the town was founded.
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Beautiful Melbourne after dinner.
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Interesting building with giant wasps crawling up its walls.


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