Drive safely

Although these signs have been on the Great Ocean Road for a few years now, they still amuse me!

Why "Teddy's"?

Why is Teddy's Lookout (at Lorne) so called?

In enquiring locally (after a comment on a blog posting), I was told that someone called Teddy used to use the place as a lookout.   In fact, this is consistent with one of the explanations given in Doug Stirling's book, "Lorne, Living History".   The author states that it is said that one of the early cattlemen who used the lookout to spot stray cattle was called Teddy.   However, he says that no-one really knows how the lookout got its name, and another possibility is that it was named after Edward, the then Prince of Wales, because the reserve surrounding it was (and still is) named Queen's Park in honour of his mother, Queen Victoria.
He also puts forward another story:   there was a man who owned a donkey called Teddy that  roamed around the area.  The donkey often came too close to the edge of the steep hill overlooking St George's River.   Someone asked the owner if he was worried that the animal might fall over the edge, but he replied, "Well, that would be Teddy's look-out, wouldn't it?"

 (Painting is a view of St George's River from the air, from a point close to Teddy's Lookout)

New Year

We saw the New Year in with a BBQ in the forest (this has become something of a Lorne "tradition") followed by plum pudding at a friend's house, before watching the fireworks at the pier.

Lorne's floral emblem?

It's been a good year for agapanthus.   I guess there have always been a lot of them around Lorne, but this year they're very noticeable because they're all in flower:

Then I noticed these signs.   Seems agapanthus aren't popular with everyone!

A great view

It's a great view from Teddy's Lookout!

Qdos

One of our favourite places around Lorne is Qdos.  This is a gallery/cafe/B&B, set in a natural amphitheatre.   Over the years, we've bought lots of coffees here, and once attended a wedding reception, but we've not yet acquired any works of art.  

Traffic

There can be great traffic congestion on the approaches to Lorne during summer, especially from late morning until mid-afternoon.   It's always a mystery to me where all these people are going!    I know some are headed to the Falls Festival, but not many were taking the turn off towards the festival site. Nevertheless, there was a tailback for several kms on Tuesday.

[Edit - another image, showing some traffic management in place]

Just a couple of hundred metres away from all the traffic, things couldn't have been quieter at the lily pond.

Why these screens?

Each year when we return to Lorne, we notice a few changes. Often, these aren't great, although the roadworks over the last few years have changed things. This year, as we arrived, we noticed these new screens – why have these been erected, we wondered?

On closer inspection, we noticed that some of the old vegetation had been removed and new vegetation had been planted in the area.

 

And lo and behold, a sign on the screens! It seems that it may be difficult to apprehend those who illegally remove vegetation presumably to enhance their view, but steps can be taken to minimise the benefit that  might otherwise result from such actions.

Lorne

We've survived Christmas, including the rain and thunder during the late afternoon and evening.   We've even managed to pack up sufficiently to enable us to head  off to Lorne today for a short break.