Trip - Australia D2 - Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Yoh Blog,

Let us continue from where we left off in the previous post: the Great Ocean Road. Sf recognised that I enjoy seeing the natural side of a new location, so he suggested we visit Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, which offers free admission! Yippee!

Another long ride, but not far from the Great Ocean Road.

What's Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve? In short, Tower Hill is home to some of Australia's native wildlife, including emus, kangaroos, and koalas, which live in a large dormant volcano. Visitors can explore the area's wetlands, craters, and bush. My imagination began to run wild, as if there would be a large number of animals roaming around like on a safari. Let's see if we can find any!

Welcome to Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve (insert Jurassic Park theme)

My mind kept picturing Brachiosaurus and Triceratops relaxing and chilling, and some flying ancient animals taking over the skies.

The interesting part was that we could drive to the park and experience an open safari, but instead, we found a parking spot and got out to explore.

There are many such trees around this area. I do not know what it is called, but Google Lens says it is Eucalyptus globulus. The bark is smooth, white, or creamy-coloured, with some rough, unshed bark at the bottom of the tree.

This place is a little wilder and less well-kept, allowing nature to do its work.

Unlike Singapore, most plants here are well spaced apart, and if I ever enter deep into the jungle here, I might lose my way.

It appeared that there were four different ways to explore the area. Sf suggested we visit the volcano crater (orange path) and climb to the peak (purple path) so I could spend more time at the beach.

One beautiful bird caught my eye; this is my first time seeing a blue bird (no language pun intended); it is a blue fairy wren. It is adorable; why can't Singapore have this bird?

It was a full sun day, but thankfully not too hot.

Interesting succulent! It might be Lampranthus maximiliani. Nobody seems to grow them at all.

The first path was "peak climb", and climbing stairs is unavoidable.

The scenery here is truly breathtaking and has a surreal quality to it.

Ooo, I noticed a little hut made of branches; was it for animals?

If I were allowed to build a shelter for myself, I might make a temporary one like this that would not last long.

It is only big enough for one person to lie inside.

Anyway, we kept climbing, gradually pacing ourselves because this is not for the faint of heart.

Inhale deeply and appreciate the beauty around you.

We successfully reached the summit, and interestingly, we encountered no other visitors along the way. 😂

I wanted to fly my drone, but it was too windy, so I just took some pictures instead.

If it wasn't cool outside, I would totally be sweating like crazy!

(Credit Sf) No drone? Got human!

Ooo, I saw a kangaroo resting from a distance!

Okay, let's embark on the journey to the last volcano.

What a dry landscape. I am curious about how these plants get water or moisture.

This stupid guy can not do much for these plants.

The path is obvious here as long as we stay on the pavement.

The lake here is quite tranquil and serene.

The gentle sunlight illuminated the landscape, creating a pleasant atmosphere rather than a hot and sunny one.

(Credit Sf) The sunlight will create an outline of this fat me, which I believe will make for some great photos.

It assisted me in fulfilling my dream of becoming a taller alternate self!

Have you noticed anything in the air? What do you see? I did my best to capture it.

I believe we were in the crater area, which has wetlands on the left side.

Check out the volcano crater on the right! It's amazing how nature makes water storage better than the quarries in Singapore.

Smile, Mr Volcano.

Sigh... Something happened... Another argument erupted between me and Sf. According to the map, walking on this volcano trail will form a loop, with another route available to complete the entire loop. Instead of using Google Maps to find our location, I assumed we should turn left at the first junction, but Sf advised that we should keep going and walk back to where we started the volcano trail. However, I did not want to walk back to the path that we had covered; instead, I was confident and insisted on turning left. Don't understand? Let me explain.

Let me elaborate. Look at the blue arrowed line. Look to the upper left, where the volcano crater is located. Sf wanted to return to where we were (a complete loop), but I wanted to turn left at junction 1 (circled) and continue down so we could explore a different path that also led back to where we started, but I did not realise we were at junction 2 and took a left turn. No wonder I felt something was wrong as we walked there... But I tried to take it positively, but Sf was unhappy and tired. When I managed to get the GPS reading to work, we were on the lake edge path! But he was furious with me for being an inconsiderate and stubbornly stupid individual. I knew we were walking far from where we needed to go, and I tried everything I could to find a way out, but the landscape was not friendly to him, with lots of uphills that made his blood boil. I did not waste energy complaining or arguing; instead, I kept moving forward. Even if we happen to come across rabbits, kangaroos, or other animals along the way, it will not make things better.

(Credit Sf) That is where I confirmed one thing: I am not a good travel companion. I do not have the confidence to even consider travelling with anyone. Every time I travel, whoever I am with becomes angry with me. I will refrain from planning or commenting on any future trips. I should travel alone! Last smile for this stupid person I am.

I did not want to take any more pictures inside because it would just irritate him even more... So, an information board for my future reference...

On the way out, we spotted a koala in a tree. I could have chosen to be a stupid emo person at first, but after what happened this afternoon, I think I will put it down and enjoy the entire trip first.

I was hoping the serene lake would help me relax. Anyway, thank you, Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, for this wonderful location.

Farewell, Swam. Please take care, and may we be blessed.

I knew Sf was still angry, so I told him I did not want to go to the beach (Logans Beach Whale Nursery), but he drove me there anyway.

Sigh... My mood was not particularly good... But the beautiful sunset was trying to make me feel better...

Feels like a leaky balloon... The air just kept leaking.

Thanks, Rock, for cheering me up.

Just take it easy and enjoy the moments!

I aimed to fully appreciate the present moment.

I always want to do this.

To confront the stunning beach that extends infinitely beyond the horizon.

But... one thing I forgot...

How was I supposed to wash my foot with sand? Never mind.

The wind was so cold that it turned my single fat pack into some packs! It is far too cold; it is time to return.

Due to my mistakes and delays, the long return trip was a 'dark' one...

As the night sky grew darker, I requested a stop to admire the starry night. I was aware that my actions likely caused Sf to give up on this flawed individual and stop the car in disappointment. However, witnessing the starry night is a dream I strive to fulfil. I do not wish to carry regret knowing that I cannot change how inadequate I am or how he perceives me...

I tried to snap a blurry shot of the Milky Way. While I planned to spend time getting better pictures, I chose to pack up and head back to make sure we returned to the city on time.

Ah! Managed to find a perfect maple leaf. What a beauty.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and am grateful to Sf for driving long distances to places I would never have visited otherwise. Unfortunately, this flawed me ruined the entire experience. There is truly nothing better than having a good travel companion, rather than someone as inadequate as me....

Jeff