Port Fairy

I have to admit we arrived in the middle of winter on a very gray day, but the first impression was "is this it?" and yes that was all, we looked around and the magic that we were expecting wasn't there.
We took the quick way down, the M1 avoids all the twists and turns that make the Great Ocean Road so nice and slow. It was good to arrive quick, it takes less than 4 hours from Melbourne and the landscape is fairly flat country and the tarmac is average. It does help with the fuel since I could pretty much cruise at 100 kms never going over the 2000 RMP mark. On the way we went through Warnanbool looks like a city large enough to generate its own cultural gravity, I found a nice Jeff Buckley Live in Chicago for $9,90 in decent size record store full of Iron Maiden CDs.
Port Fairy lack the rolling hills so common in most coastal towns after Geelong and it is hard to see the sea unless you step on it because there is a hump along the shore that hides it from view while you are in town.
The next morning after a good night rest we saw the fishing boats along the Moyne river and under the winter sun all looked brighter and inviting. The Little cottages with their own jetties could really make a dream week, but I guess that $200 a night minimun off season can also make it a bitter experience, although a very movie like one. One last thing, I wished I had the power to throw up at will. There is a pizza place, I think is it the only one and they still haven't discovered the allure of the oregano and traded in the exotic ways of the salt. To compensate they shredded cheap ham to add weight and thickness to the tasteless pastry. and If you move the chairs you will be asked to leave, said the inkjet printed signs all over the walls.
We came back through the Great Ocean Road which was a massive antidote, the stimulus to the senses is permanent, Hills, vegetation, Cliffs and the ocean is magnificent, we even spotted a couple of whales.
APollo Bay is very pretty, clean and is developing a very personal character, just the right balance for when Lorne get too crowded which is happening very often even in winter. We stopped at Wye General Store and had coffe and custard donuts, the warmth of that place near the fireplace early in the morning made it very welcoming, not too new agey, just right.
and then back to Lorne, our second home, we cant even complain about Lorne on its bad days, we forgive the contruction taking place at the moment, trucks and tractors invading the main road and basically ruining any chance of a holiday feel. So we had Lunch and headed back.