The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia´s most important attractions, and a great place to visit if you are in Victoria. As we were staying in Melbourne for just three days, we decided to make it in just one of those days.
As mentioned, after deciding we were going to do it in one day, we planned our route. We rented our car in advance from Avis and picked it up first thing in the morning from the downtown branch (8 am on a Saturday). If you can start sooner than that all the better.
Starting from Melbourne, we drove for 1,5 hours until we got to Torquay, where the Great Ocean Road actually begins.
From there, we started enjoying the amazing landscapes of a winding road along the sea. While the road is in very good conditions, the many curves make it impossible to go over 60km/h at many stages, so relax and enjoy while you drive!
The first stop was at the Koala Café (Kennet River, 1:20 hours from Torquay), where we took a little walk to see some Koalas over the trees, and got a coffee to get back to the road. After that, we decided that our next stop would be at the most famous stop in the Great Ocean Road, the Twelve Apostles.
The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore. Their proximity to one another gave them the name. Currently there are eight Apostles left. We arrived there past midday, and it was so full of tourists it was quite a challenge to enjoy the place. Possibly best way to visit is to sleep somewhere close, and get there really early in the morning.
Next stop for us was the former London Bridge, today known as London Arch. This offshore natural arch was once connected to the mainland, and in January 1990, with the collapse of the span closer to the shore, it became an arch. Definitely a nice view.
Our last stop on the road was the Bay of Islands. Also a collection of limestone stacks, I personally found them nicer than the 12 Apostles. It was possibly related to the fact that there were fewer tourists there. But I think they deserve a visit!
After this, we hit the road again to get back to Melbourne. Driving inland, instead of doing it on the Great Ocean Road is much less interesting, but much faster, so a good option for the return trip.
Have you been to the Great Ocean Road? Are you planning to include it in your next trip to Victoria? Tell us about it!