And The Beauchampion Is…

Day: 318

Towns / Cities Visited: 213

Countries Visited: 31

Steps Taken Today: 20,279

Steps Taken Around the World: 5,020,939

The soft patter of rain stirred me back into the world, my partner having slipped out earlier to brave the laundromat scene of Colac to get our washing dry. As I listened to the ebbing and flowing downpour, I thought to myself what a great day for waterfalls it was. Of course, by that I mean a great day for the waterfalls themselves, not for us and our extensive plans to go and visit them. No, no, the wet conditions meant nothing good for us other than slightly more spectacular cascades to view.

When my partner finally returned, we were soon donning clean clothes and heading out. Our first stop, although not a waterfall, was one we weary souls were excited to start the day with: a visit to Platypi Chocolate in the tiny town of Forrest. What better way to start a day of vigorous adventuring on a chilly late autumn day than to begin with a breakfast of hot chocolate and pastries? I’ll be honest, it was an even better idea than first thought. The hot chocolates may have been a little milkier and not nearly as minty as we make for ourselves at home, but the peppermint slice was delectable. It was the citrus and cinnamon scroll that did it for me, though. It was everything I wanted, the pastry warm and yielding with just enough crunch to make me long for fresh croissants, or at the very least, six more scrolls. Luckily, I resisted the urge.

Next, we had planned to visit the Otway Distillery, but we soon discovered that although there is a distillery in town, it does not have a cellar door at which to taste their products. Unwilling to pay $110 for a bottle of their liquor I didn’t even know if I’d like from the general store, we moved along quickly to the day’s first foray into nature.

A short distance down the road, we pulled into the carpark beside the trailhead to Stevenson’s Falls, the first of three waterfalls we had planned to visit. Luckily, the walk to this one was short and relatively flat. A perfect way to ease ourselves into yet another day of hiking.

As we began the walk, we admired the truly enormous pine trees lining the edge of the river, the…