The state of Victoria is simply amazing. There’s always somewhere to go and something to do. Last weekend I went to Torquay, the start of the Great Ocean Road and also known as the town with Australia’s best surf beach.
On the way we had a quick stop off in Geelong, where Becky felt like taking me in a mini car tour of the area. It’s small with a pretty beach. But it’s still big enough to have a Westfield shopping centre. It’s not a long way from Melbourne to Torquay by car, so Geelong makes a good quick detour on the way.
Torquay is a seaside town home to surf beaches like Bell’s Beach and Jan Juc Beach. It’s also the place that sprouted out brands like Rip Curl Pro and Quicksilver. It seems everyone in Torquay has a surfing obsession, including a group of my friends who moved there a few months ago. It sounds like they surf whenever they can, already with their own pink surfboards. One of the guys heads to Bell’s Beach ‘cause he obviously knows what he’s doing.
And then there was me, needing to be coerced to even dip my toe in the rougher waters. After a few hours I eventually went in. Two of my mates basically talked me through it. I started off by sitting on the board. Then by letting a few waves go over me, because let’s be honest, the waves were always going to be excessively taller than I am. Before I knew it, my mate has got me lying on the board and going with the wave. I loved every single bit of it. Actually, stepping into the jagged underwater rocks every time wasn’t ideal. After a few more goes, I even got onto my knees. I realise I’m giving a bit by bit of my surfing experience but it was honestly the best. Maybe next time I’ll stand up. It’s amazing that I still don’t know anything about surfing. They basically put me on a board until I figured it out and got tired of swallowing seawater.
Denied The Pleasure In Torquay
Before the surfing I wanted to check out the ochre cliffs at one end of the beach. On the way I saw a starfish but Becky didn’t allow me to touch it, considering we’re in Australia and everything is deadly or poisonous. I was being moody about it and then saw a group of young boys come along and pick it up, no fear in the world. They were allowed to hold it and I, a 26 year old woman, was told not to. How unfair! I reckon I’ll never let Becky live that one down.
These are the beautiful cliffs, shaped from being hit by years of eroding waves. There are little hiding spots with perfect nooks and crannies, with little people footprints showing that the kids around use their imagination to make huge worlds and play among them.
Luckily the day we went was thirty-three degrees, because the next day was windy and a little rainy. It still made for a beautiful walk along the beach and through some woodlands.
Next time I go to Torquay I want to do the walk from Point Impossible beach. It’s always good to leave something to come back for (as well as for the boys in their pretty beach town house).
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