We left Geelong on a rather windy and overcast morning for Anglesea, our first stop on the Great Ocean Road. Anglesea is a few kilometres to the west of Torquay. We took a ‘back road’ north-west of Geelong through Bannockburn and then more or less south to Inverleigh and Winchelsea before heading to the coast.

Inverleigh Hotel

Some sheep on green pastures, total contrast with sheep out in western Queensland on our Birdsville trip.

Bannockburn Railway Station, now a restaurant, the trains just zip by!

It was a rolling countryside with green pastures, plenty of sheep and grain crops. A few vineyards too. Many of the old buildings in these towns are constructed from bluestone and have a bit of old English character about them.  We had lunch in Inverleigh at the Bakehouse. A trap to avoid in travelling around country towns is to go lunching on Mondays or Tuesdays, most places seem to close on these days. But the Bakehouse was ok, not sure my father had corn kernels in his pasties though!

A pastie with a spinach and feta ‘sausage’ roll at the bakehouse in Inverleigh.

Old Winchelsea town hall

This odd little building at Winchelsea is now the Information Centre for the town.

We got to Anglesea eventually, going via Torquay just for a quick look. We are going to come back to Torquay on another day. Have settled into the campground at Anglesea, on a big site with the beach on one side and the river on the other.