The Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s most beautiful drives and worthy of its place in my Epic Road Trips section. I am always hugely excited to hear about how clients found their own experience of the journey so was chuffed to receive Mike and Marian's brilliant account of theirs...
Our trip was expertly arranged by Amanda from Holidaysplease, who on learning that the Great Ocean Road was an important element to our Australian adventures, suggested an itinerary including places to visit and stay along with our hire car over a 5-day tour.
Everything fell perfectly into place and the accommodation was first class at every stop.
Here is our journal recounting our observations and experience:
The Great Ocean Road was constructed by ex-military personnel returning from WWII and provided much needed work for them on their return.
Day 1: Melbourne to Apollo Bay (approx 188km)
Armed with a route map we set off from Melbourne having collected our hire car at 9:30am. The first major stop en-route was Torquay, a major surfing city with nearby Bells Beach the venue for world surf championships.
The coastline here is spectacular with sweeping views of cliffs and the Southern Ocean. The road hugs it for much of its length during this leg of the journey, and in places has been carved out of the cliff face, so that on one side the cliffs tower above you, whilst on the other the water is a breathtaking drop below. Spectacular almost seems an inadequate description.
There are plenty of stopping points to obtain that all important snapshot and on one such we took a short detour along a well- marked forest path to see what was described as a beautiful waterfall, but alas with no rain having fallen for many months, there was no water to be seen!
The road gradually descends to Apollo Bay, which is on the Kennet River and boasts wide sweeping beaches surrounded by picturesque rolling hills. If lucky, you may get to see koalas in the nearby sanctuary. We stayed at the excellent Captain’s at the Bay B&B but there are of course many hotels from which to choose.
Day 2: Apollo Bay to Port Fairy (approx 200km)
We set off early for Port Fairy. The Great Ocean Road winds through the dense rainforests of the Otway National Park and we took a detour to visit the Otway Fly Treetop Walk - the longest and tallest of its type in the world and not for the faint-hearted. It’s about an hour’s drive off the “Road” and adds a few miles but is well worth a visit.
Back on track and further magnificent views as we headed towards Port Campbell and another trip highlight – the famous 12 Apostles, a group of rock stacks rising magnificently out of the Southern Ocean - although sadly there are no longer 12 as the mighty ocean has toppled a few.
We climbed down the 86 Gibson Steps to the beach below for a sea level view and if you are after the scene from above the majestic coastline, helicopter flights are also available.
Back on the road itself there are numerous lookout points over the cliffs of the Loch Ard Gorge and the beautiful Bay of Islands.
The next major town is Warrnambool, a historic naval town, offering viewing platforms at Logan’s Beach where in winter both Southern right and blue whales can be seen. From there it is a short drive onwards to Port Fairy where our overnight stay was in a riverfront room at Oscars Waterfront Boutique in a quiet part of a town.
Day 3. Port Fairy to Robe (approx 375 kms)
We again headed out early for the final section of the Great Ocean Road. Although some maps have it finishing in Warrnambool, ours showed the road continuing through Portland - a lovely coastal town and the oldest European settlement in the state of Victoria and on to Discovery Bay, which marked its end and where the dramatic scenery of the earlier route gives way to a more rolling countryside and coastline with extensive dunes.
We took a detour for a few miles and by chance managed to catch sight of an echidna sunning itself by the roadside. After stopping at Nelson for lunch we crossed the border between the states of Victoria and South Australia noting a reminder to travellers that no fruit, plants or vegetable matter can be transported between states, necessitating a hurried munch of the last of our apples before depositing the cores in a roadside bin.
Mount Gambier is South Australia’s second largest town with plenty to see including the Blue Lake and a volcano discovery trail. Our drive continued through the lovely beachside town of Beachport until reaching Robe, a peaceful town with scenic sandy beaches for our overnight stop. The Lake View Motel and Apartments are on the shore of Lake Fellmongery with gorgeous views and we thoroughly enjoyed our spa room.
Day 4: Robe to Victor Harbour (approx 334km)
Spoilt from the dramatic scenery of previous days, this was the least aesthetically pleasing leg of the drive. The road initially winds through Cape Jaffa to the coastal town of Kingston before skirting the ocean for the next 140 or so kilometres. Between the road and the coast lies the Coorong, a natural saline lagoon, which is itself separated from the ocean by the sand dunes of the Younghusband Peninsular. The land is flat with not much to see from the road, but we did occasionally stop and wandered towards the ocean, where we found an abundance of flora, wildlife and birds in the wetland.
There are few areas of human habitation along this stretch of the journey until Lake Alexandrina, a large freshwater lake that the Murray River drains into and then out againon route to the ocean. The road follows the lake, crossing the Murray River before turning towards Victor Harbour, previously a whaling port, whose history is documented by architecturein the town’s streets. You can also take a horse drawn tram out to Granite Island. Our overnight stay was a studio room in the Whaler’s Inn Resort.
Day 5: Victor Harbour to Adelaide (approx 84 km)
Just a short final leg to conclude the journey, although we took a pleasant scenic detour to Cape Jervis, from where you can catch a ferry out to Kangaroo Island which unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to do. The road subsequently winds north through rolling countryside and more striking coastal scenery. The Mclaren Vale wine region was our next port of call, with many small wineries offering a broad range, although the region is more noted for its Shiraz. We continued through the suburbs until reaching our final destination of Adelaide.
There was so much we saw on this tour and yet so much more to be seen. Would we return? Undoubtedly, but we would build in at least another 5 days.
We cannot thank Amanda enough for all her hard work and assistance to ensure the smooth running of this little adventure.
Mike & Marian Blackmun
