Home Our Trip Victoria 49-The Great Ocean Road
49-The Great Ocean Road

4th March 2009.

Leaving Melbourne, we headed south for The Great Ocean Road which is reputed to be The Best coastal drive in Australia. It 's also rated as one the best Ocean Drives in the world and we weren't disappointed. From the moment we hit the coast, the scenic drive along the twisty rugged coastline can only be described as absolutely stunning.

Apollo Bay:

Winding our way south, we passed through some very picturesque towns on our way to Apollo Bay where we spent a few nights. Unfortunately, rain and bitterly cold winds are still plaguing us and make filming almost impossible.  Although not in any of the tourist brochures, a fellow traveler told us about a scenic drive just north of the town, so had to go and investigate. Wild Dog Road is a very narrow trip heading inland up through the mountains and well worth the trip for the views. As we approached the top, we were up into the clouds.

The Otways:

Just 30 minutes from Apollo Bay, we stopped at Cape Otway to see Australia's most significant light house. Built in 1848, it is the oldest, surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia and has been in continuous use ever since. Keep your eyes open as you take the drive in through the National Park, as we've never seen so many Koalas in the wild. We saw dozens of them and one even strayed out and crossed the road in front of us. Unfortunately it had started raining again so didn't get the cameras out.

Next headed inland to The Otway Fly, a 600 metre long walkway 25 metres above the forest. One of the highlights there is the Spiral Tower which takes you 47 metres up into the tree tops. It's a 1.9 kilometre round walk and it's a lot cooler and wetter in the forest than in the surrounding areas, so take some warm clothing.

The 12 Appostles:

Next stop was Port Campbell which was to be our base for exploring the area. Only one caravan park in town and unbeknown to us, it was a long weekend and the place was packed to capacity. They managed to find a space and squeeze us in for three nights, but at $45.00 a night, thought it was way over the top.

This was by far the busiest attraction we've come across in Australia so far. The car parks were packed with tourists and travelers and the coaches full of overseas tourists just kept coming all day. There are two helicopter companies here doing flights over the Appostles and the one I went with, Edge Helicopters, had 4 choppers going all day, only pausing to top up with fuel and change pilots. The flight gives a totally different perspective and you can see just how rough and rugged the coastline is. You gotta do the helicopter flight when you come here. 

These are the world’s tallest limestone stacks and although named the 12 Appostles, there are only 8 left standing due to the continuous pounding of the waves and the erosion. The rugged coastline and the 12 Appostles are an unbelievable sight and are definitely a not to miss destination. It's hard to describe in words, so I'll let the photos do the talking.

Life On The Road:

The whole Great Ocean Road drive was an unforgettable experience and we got some awesome footage when the weather cleared every now and then. The only downside once again, was the weather.
 
Next heading inland to The Grampians.
 

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