Into the Mystic

“We were born before the wind,
Also younger than the sun,
Ere the bonny boat was won
As we sailed into the mystic.”

The Great Ocean Road is a magnificent strip of highway, starting about two hours southeast of Melbourne and continuing for 270 kilometres, winding along amazing cliffs, through rainforests and past aquamarine sea vistas. Fresh-faced and glowing like a new law graduate, I went with Rachel to pick up our rental car for what was to be an amazing road trip. We were off to discover the wilds of Victoria, united as girlfriends, adventurers and foodies! Of course, the first stop was at the Queen Victoria Market to provision ourselves – only the freshest and finest for our distinguishing palates. We got a long loaf of fresh Turkish bread, smoked turkey, olive tapenade, various cheeses, fruits and veg, and three bottles of wine from my favourite vendor…all for about 60 dollars Canadian. An excellent beginning.

Rach had made some excellent mix CDs for the trip: lots of Paul Simon, Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, etc. We listened to the four discs until we were completely sick of every song…except our very fitting theme song: Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic. It is hard to describe the breathtaking beauty of the Great Ocean Road, combined with my ecstasy over finishing law school and the joy of being on a giggly road trip with a good friend.

“Hark now, hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly
Into the mystic.”

On our first day, we had a delicious picnic lunch at Torquay and wandered the beach past groups of teenagers set free from the classroom for Schoolies Week. Later, we stopped at Anglesea to run screaming into the freezing ocean and body surf on the waves, managing to avoid being bowled over by all the beginner surfers taking lessons. At Lorne, we slowed down to breathe in the relaxed atmosphere of this classy seaside holiday town. But we didn’t stop for the night until we reached Apollo Bay and the Surfside Backpackers, a very obliging little hostel edged by vast ocean.

Way back in September, when the Fraser Island crew met up at the backpackers hostel in Hervey Bay, Rachel commented on my tendency to find the only hot guy in the vicinity and immediately make friends. Apollo Bay was no disappointment; within thirty minutes of our arrival, I was chatting up a handsome German soldier, who was on leave for several months and had a slow, sweet smile. In an excellent division of labour, I nested in the dorms, organizing our bedding and belongings, while Rachel cooked a fabulous risotto with asparagus, mushrooms and steamed fish.

“And when that fog horn blows I will be coming home
And when that fog horn blows I want to hear it
I dont have to fear it
I want to rock your gypsy soul”

On day two, we did a hike in the Otway Rainforest and finished the Great Ocean Road by viewing the Twelve Apostles, a collection of majestic limestone stacks left behind when the earth between them and the mainland washed away. Once past Warnambool, I took the wheel (driving stick on the left hand side!) and directed us north on a quiet road, venturing inland past golden wheat fields, groves of eucalypts and, of course, countless sheep. Rachel slept in the passenger’s seat and I listened to Bob Dylan on low, thinking of my cousin Darryl, who passed away in August under very unfortunate circumstances. It was Darryl’s birthday that day and I thought his troubled spirit would be pleased with the peacefulness of the Victorian countryside.

We stayed at the Asses Ears Wilderness Lodge in the Grampians National Park that night. The lodge is named after a nearby mountain but I think the owners relished the derivative name – their slogan was “Kicking Ass in the Grampians!” It was pretty quiet in those parts and Rachel and I had a whole cabin to ourselves. We quickly unloaded the car, strewing our gear everywhere. I went to the main kitchen to stash our groceries in the fridge…and came across a handsome man. How surprising! Of course, I quickly made friends with Mick, a tour guide from Melbourne and definitely the hottest guy for miles around. That night in the main lodge, Rachel and I nursed a few Carlton Draughts, dined on kangaroo steak and chicken parmas and played Scrabble while the sun set to a symphony of kookaburra song. Back in the cabin, I taught Rach a couple of songs on the guitar before we retired early.

My acquaintance with Mick proved very useful the next day when he showed us all the good hikes, even waiting for us to follow his tour group van to some remote locations. We scampered ahead of his group up Hollow Mountain and were rewarded with a glorious view of that golden landscape dotted with eucalypts. After another short hike to the base of MacKenzie Waterfalls and a relaxed lunch in Hall’s Gap, we started the long drive back to Melbourne on the Great Western Highway. The weather had been glorious all three days: sunny and hot. We arrived back to wet streets and cool air in Melbs – apparently, it had been cold and rainy the whole time.

“I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
And together we will float into the mystic”

I have to thank Rachel for making those days after finishing law school very special. She rocked my gypsy soul with her humour, energy, amazing driving and cooking skills, and just general joie de vivre! The whole trip is emblazoned in my memory by senses: amazing sights, sounds and tastes. And, of course, I will never forget that amazing feeling of freedom when we were sailing along the coast or past fields and mountains, singing along at the the top of our lungs to our theme song, together floating into the mystic.