Ocean Grove Getaway

During the school holidays we booked a last minute getaway to Ocean Grove. With borders between states snapping shut at the drop of a hat (or covid case) here in Australia, we stayed away from booking any interstate travel during these holidays, even though we would have loved to have travelled north for some warm weather. Ocean Grove is less than a two-hour drive from Melbourne, located on the coast of the Bellarine Peninsula. We had no real reason for choosing this location, except that we'd never stayed there before, and we wanted to be near water. Not for swimming, it's far too cold for that here at this time of year. But the kids love playing in the sand and there is something about gazing out at the ocean that is just so calming. Because we don't live near the beach in Melbourne, whenever we are at one it really feels like a holiday to me.

Steve and Michelle ended up joining us and we booked an airbnb together two days before leaving. Love a last minute holiday, and even better when it's with friends. Needless to say, both kids were very excited about the prospect of staying in a beach house with their friends Gemma and Archie. 

Our airbnb was GORGEOUS. It was a four bedroom, two level apartment with a balcony that had a view of the ocean. The interior managed to be both stylish and kid-friendly, which is a difficult balance to pull off! The balcony had a heater so we were able to enjoy sitting outside on it even though it was winter.

The aim of the holiday was to just have a few days to relax, while the kids were hopefully entertained with each other, and that's basically what happened! Michelle and I managed a morning run along the beach together which was stunning. 

Archer is obsessed with fishing so we spent one sunny afternoon fishing off a dock in the Barwon River. The kids had fun though we didn't have any luck catching fish. There were two huge pelicans swimming in the river and we were able to watch them take off flying, their wingspan was incredible!

We all went down to Ocean Grove beach one afternoon but the tide was in, meaning there was very little actual beach. The kids still had fun running away from the waves, but they got knocked over and very wet in the freezing cold water so we had to make sure we were more careful.

Our beach house had the game Hungry Hippos and Ollie was obsessed with it. He played with it for hours on end. I think we'll have to get a copy of the game for him!

One morning we took the ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento. The kids loved the ferry ride and the beach on the other side was the perfect shallow and calm water for the kids to play in. We had gorgeous winter weather and the four of them played for over an hour on their own, finding shells and other treasures in the water. 

For lunch we ate fish and chips on the beach before heading back on the ferry. 

Ollie was so tired on the way back that he fell asleep in my arms. I'm not going to lie, I loved holding my little man while he slept - it's not something I get to do often!

On our last night we had a surprise birthday party for Gemma and Ella. Both girls have their birthday in early July so it was the perfect time to celebrate. They were so surprised and happy with our little party, and we spent the evening dancing in the living room and eating cake. 

On our last day Michelle and I got to meet up with two of our friends who were also holidaying nearby. We went to The Dunes for brunch, which is part of the surf lifesaving club, and therefore right on the beach. We had a table overlooking the ocean and it was the perfect end to our little holiday!

On the way home we decided to stop and explore something on the way. We decided to check out You Yangs Regional Park, which is located between Geelong and Werribee. The name You Yangs comes from the Indigenous Wadawurrung words "Wordi Youang" which means "Big Hill". We headed to the Big Rock, which is just what the name says it is, a giant rock. It was a significant landmark for the Wadawurrung people, as it allowed them extensive views of the surrounding area. The Big Rock has lots of smaller rock wells carved into them, as it allowed the Wadawurrung to collect rainwater. The views from the Big Rock were stunning, and it was a great place for us to stop and break up the drive back home.

We had a great few days away from home, and I'm particularly glad we decided to go on this short break as we enter another snap lockdown here in Melbourne. We'd only been back at school for four days before this lockdown was announced! It is currently supposed to last only five days, but only time will tell if it gets extended beyond this.