Day 3 The Otways strike again

Today started from our accommodation in Johanna. It was a steep rocky descent, which was a little challenging on 30mm road tyres. After a cautious beginning I made it down to the tarmac and took a slight detour to Johanna Beach. It's a quintessential, windswept southern Australian beach. Given that there were strong gusts this morning, it was the perfect time to visit. I did notice that there were signs urging the punters not to swim at any time. It certainly looked pretty rugged out there today and I didn't need the sign to deter me from an early morning dip!

Next it was onwards and upwards, as Project Apollo Bay started to get serious. It was a pretty steady climb towards the Great Ocean Road from Johanna Beach. However once I reached the turnoff there was the encouraging sight of a downhill straight.

Needless to say the downhill bit didn't last long. but the straight bit did, albeit uphill for quite a long stretch. Just to add insult to injury, it was starting to get quite blowy, to the point where the bike was getting a little unstable on the next exposed downhill stretch. The good news was that there was a nice lookout at a place called Castle Cove, which me chance to regroup and grab a snack. There were good views to be had and quite a decent crowd of sightseers for a blowy winter's day. I was tempted to walk down to the beach, but Project Apollo Bay beckoned.

After the lookout there was a nice descent which was quite protected from the wind. Then it was flat, easy riding for quite a while, apart from an unpleasant encounter with a Vic Roads flagman, who clearly had a thing about cyclists. At the Hordern Vale turnoff we struck another road plant and it was here that the hill climbing fun began. The roadworks gave us a chance to catch our breath before the Otways sucked the oxygen out of our lungs.
The first 600 metres or so were pretty intense with a gradient consistently around 10%. This looked and felt a lot like the beginning of yesterday's climb, so I was prepared for the worst. I might also add that the shoulders are sketchy at best and non existent at times on this stretch. It wasn't such a problem today, but it might get a bit hairy if there's more traffic on the road, so you've been warned.
It wasn't too long before the gradient dropped back and the climbing became quite manageable, albeit not pleasant. The good news was that the average speed was up on yesterday and we actually felt like we were making progress. In fact, the top of the hill came much quicker than expected and we were soon heading down the hill on Project Apollo Bay. It's a nice descent, not too steep so you can get up a good speed without risking a fatal injury. To make things even better, the road is quite wide, so there's some margin for error, should it be needed.
It wasn't too long before Project Apollo Bay reached its final destination. After a couple of days in non descript townships, Apollo Bay was like a buzzing metropolis. Mind you I wouldn't want to be here in summer. It must be heaving with tourists and I reckon riding a bike around here might just come with a little extra risk.
After a quick shower, it was down to the Fishermans' Coop for their highly recommended seafood delights. I'm always a bit sceptical about these food spots in rural Australia that get talked up and often fail to deliver. I have to say that this place over delivered. The calamari was like butter and the chips were freshly cooked and crispy on the outside. If you come through here and have even a passing interest in seafood, make the coop a must visit.
Tomorrow we head for Aireys Inlet. It's a relatively flat day of riding, but the forecast says that the winds will be gusty from early in the day.