The Machinery of Night

Posted 1:59 PM by Angie Schultz

Foto Friday: The Twelve Apostles

No, not a Biblical reference, but a rock formation off the coast of Victoria, Australia.

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia, Dec. 2000

In December 2000 we flew to Coober Pedy (an opal-mining town in South Australia, famous for underground houses with jewel-studded walls), then visited Kangaroo Island, near Adelaide, and afterward drove on along the coast to Melbourne. We went past Mt. Gambier (home of the World-Famous Blue Lake, which I'd never heard of, before or since), the Big Lobster, and other delights I'll get around to posting one of these days.

Near Melbourne there's a section known as the Great Ocean Road, with many very beautiful rock formations, fantastic vistas, and about ten billion flies. I think the Twelve Apostles (most of them are behind me, in this photo) are the last major formation as you go east.

We had perfect timing that day. We got there just before sunset on a beautiful cloudless day, with a strong south wind whipping up spray into a golden glow.

After taking these pictures we drove back up the coast and took pictures of other formations we'd driven past to get to the Apostles before sunset, and the next day we did it again, getting shots in full sun. As we were leaving the area I went to pay for gas and found I did not have my debit card. This was just before Christmas, and we still had to fly back to Sydney (where I was living) and get Christmas dinner. We went to lunch (Niles paid) and I went through my wallet again and -- ta da! -- there it was, put in the wrong pocket.

I tell you this trivia because you should know that there is no feeling like the one you get when you find you are not flat broke in a foreign country, two days before Christmas.

We never did get to Melbourne. We didn't have time. But we waved as we drove past it to the airport.

Labels: Foto Friday, Greece