Last Wednesday we packed the newly gas-converted car (the beau had booked it in mere weeks before the rebate was announced, and now the waiting list is nine months long!) and headed to Johanna, a lovely little valley off the Great Ocean Road.

I knitted all of the way, via Colac and the Otways, and when we arrived I had only a bit of grafting to do before I handed over the beau’s latest pair of socks. (Knit out of Heirloom 4ply in a lovely black/red twist. Photo to come.)

The cottage we’d booked was every bit as lovely as I hoped, with this spectacular view.

We spent the first day just slouching about. I finished the front of the Zhivago Top (photos to come). By the end of the week I’d finished the back. I have one gripe with this pattern – it doesn’t give a new lace knitter any idea of how to add armhole shaping to a lace pattern. I eventually figured it out for myself… a few days before I found Interweave Knits in the Colac newsagent and found there was an article on the subject inside. (Oh, and yes I found IK in a country town after failing to find it in any suburban newsagent. Figures.)

I wore handknit socks every day. My Mega Boots Stretch socks saw the Triplet Falls,

Otway Winery and Colac. I checked out the Colac habby shop, which had a small but decent range of yarn and knitting bits.

My Secret Pal socks have seen Apollo Bay, Lorne and the Cape Otway Lighthouse.

My Stripey socks admired the spectacular coastline that includes the famous Twelve Apostles,

(There aren’t twelve, by the way. I’m not sure if there ever were. Erosion works at this coast pretty quickly. The bunch of rocks at the front is an apostle that recently collapsed.)

London Bridge

(Last time I visited, back in my 20s, the section linking the bridge to the coast had recently collapsed. A few tourists stranded on the island and had to be rescued. I don’t know if there’s any significance that the two times I’ve visited the area have come a little while after the collapse of something. I know neither incident spurred me to visit. And it was the beau’s idea to visit this time.)

And the Grotto

Johanna beach served up the most wildlife. Early in our week away we watched at a respectful distance as an echidna made its way down the beach and inspected a few footprints, perhaps looking for insects or crabs stirred up by passing humans.

And on the last day (just after the previous blog entry photos were taken) a surfer excitedly approached and pointed out a whale frolicking out beyond the surf. We’d spotted a whale while at the Twelve Apostles, but this was nicer, as we we could just sit there for a few hours watching it.

Okay, it’s really too far away for this to be an exciting photo for anyone but me.

We also saw two other echidnas and what looked like a venemous brown snake exploring the roadside. There were birds everywhere, pretty and drab, some that sang beautifully, and one that I think was a kestrel. And on the last day, as I started filling the sink to wash dishes, something odd floated to the surface – a cute little skink! I fished the lizard out and put him outside on the edge of the garden bed. After ten mintues he revived and took off.

It was a lovely, relaxing week and if you like what you see, I can definitely recommend Johanna Seaside Cottages to you. However, I did note that there was no airconditoning in what were pretty exposed houses, so maybe the height of summer might not be a good time to visit. Perhaps the sea breezes would make up for it, though. They do come direct from the Antarctic.

On the way home I had to take the opportunity to cross off another yarn shop in my list. I directed the beau to Web of Wool in Geelong… only to find it had closed for a temporary break the day before. And after witnessing a car accident, eating bad sushi (bbq beef handrolls are not worth satisfying your curiosity over) and being asked for directions to the local correctional facility – all within five minutes – we had an unexpected hankering to get home.

Next post: Snicket makes it very clear that, deep down, I’m just a bit anal.