I could choose many of the beaches along the Great Ocean Road as *most special * - I have memories on all of them, from when I was a kid, to last week. It's my home - my heart beats to the sound of the waves. I can't tell you how special the southern ocean is - out of all the oceans and beaches I've seen on my travels, none have the vibes of the ocean that slaps on the shores of the beaches of the Great Ocean Road. It's freaking magnificent.

Perhaps I should just narrow it down a little and choose Bells Beach. It's the home of the Rip Curl surfing pro and famous for the huge waves that roll in at winter. Here's Dad and his brother walking down the Bells steps back in the day, probably around the '70's. Dad used to race me up those stairs and we'd play on them as a kid, waiting for him to come in.

Southside is the other side of the Bells headland and a left hand break. Looking down from the Southside carpark you look down toward Addis. I took this photo at 18 with Dad's old camera and developed it myself.

Back in the day me and Dad would ride our horses down the Southside ramp and onto the long stretch of beach here, thundering them along to Addis. He'd take his car down in the 70's though you couldn't do that now. Everyone would have conniptions.

When the big swell rolls in, everyone's in the carpark watching, even people who don't surf. It's a really amazing community moment - everyone watching the massive ways and watching big wave surfers being cleaned up and coming in with broken boards. As a kid we lived only a kilometre from this beach and I'd sleep with the window open hearing the massive booms of the waves breaking on the shore. I used to surf it with Dad when I was a teenager, but only when it was small. I was caught out there once when the swell picked up and it was so scary, I tell you.

Without the big swells rolling in it's still beautiful and wild. You can walk all the way along the coast here for miles. Once our first nation people would walk here - but no more, though we still recognise the history of place that's associated with them. The area is so loved and so protected by everyone - we'd all fight develop there, that's for sure. It's really hard to explain how significant it is for the area. It's the home of Australian surfing, the home of whales, dolphins and other sea creatures that pass by (even, sometimes, orcas) and a playground for surfers.

The break right next to it is Winki Pop. Can you see all the people out there? ANd that's a small crowd - it's mental how many people are out there these days. Everyone wants to be a surfer.

It's funny, writing about the area between Winki Pop and Point Addis - there's a beach further on, and further on again, and back in the other direction as well. I could write for days about all the coves and beaches and surf breaks and rock pools and caves and so on along the Great Ocean Road. I think a lot of people drive along and stop in one or two places and miss alot.

We are really, really lucky to live here.

Thanks, @silverbloggers - it was nice looking back at my photos and memories of this area of my coast. I'll get round to visiting a few of your favourite places soon.

With Love,

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