 It's been way too long between drinks -- drinking deeply, that is, of the wild and wonderful Otways. Our return trip in February '23 was long overdue. So, on the way home from our visit to the Portland gannet chicks, we decided a few days in the Otways was timely. So we made a bee-line for Lavers Hill where we knew there would be a good old-fashioned lunch and (hopefully) a liberal helping of king parrots. Admittedly they come for the seed provided at the cafe feeders, and we're not really fans of this idea, but we were just so glad to get some glimpses of these magnificent birds. Heading further along the Great Ocean Road, we made a quick detour to Johanna Beach where crested terns were too numerous to count. They made for a brilliant display against the wild waves as they wheeled and whirled around. On to Apollo Bay and our excellent digs just inland from the ocean, an area we hadn't visited before and really enjoyed. More on that shortly. A real highlight was a day trip to the Cape Otway National Park. We visited Blanket Bay where two excellent surprises awaited us. The first was a proper sighting of the rufous bristlebird - a lifer that had until now eluded us. We watched one enterprising chappy scurry around the day use picnic area, trolling for worms. He was successful! We put together this short clip of that event. The campground at Blanket Bay looks really well maintained and worth adding to the list of potential sleepovers. road into Blanket Bay is gravel but still very accessible. We were making our way out when the second surprise appeared: this little fellow came along the road towards us.  We hopped out to say hello, and found him (or her) lunching in a roadside tree. We also learnt from our friends who live locally that koalas are in fact a problem in the park. Not natives, but an introduced species, the koalas have bred abundantly and are now in danger of killing the very trees that sustain them. This explained the numerous dead trees we saw on our way into the park. It's undoubtedly a complex problem.  We were also delighted to see a tawny frogmouth and a flyover of gang-gang cockatoos. What a wonderful place to live!  Back to our digs: we always think of of the wonderful wild oceans when we think of the Apollo Bay but our accommodation just in behind the coastal town led us to discover new places to explore. Firstly, on our farmstay, we found a delightful small creek which was home to several birds: New Holland honeyeaters, a crimson rosella, eastern yellow robins, fairywrens and silvereyes. Birding is a hobby that just pops up in front of you. Oh, and we had a resident Australian hobby watching over us, as well as three cows and two donkeys. It turns out that we were at the beginning of the Barham Paradise Scenic Reserve. This long narrow roadside strip runs for many kilometres and includes a picnic area. The closest eBird hotspot shows an interesting range of birds that we think warrants a return visit. On this occasion, we called in briefly - and what a beautiful and aptly-named spot.  We returned to Melbourne via the Skenes Creek Road - always an amazing drive - with a detour and walk at Lake Elizabeth near the quaint township of Forrest. (If you're looking for provisions, the Forrest General Store might be the place for you: lunch was delectable!) We arrived home determined to revisit the Otways more frequently. This wild and wonderful wilderness really has it all.
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