The Great Ocean Road, a travel guide from Postcardz.com.au
Like most scenic highways, The Great Ocean Road is a fairly long, ultimately pointless way of getting from point A to point B, but for goodness sake don't let that stop you. Extending 100km along the southern Victorian coastline from Torquay (an hour southwest of Melbourne) to Apollo Bay, this is one of the prettiest stretches of bitumen in the country, if not the world.
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Built entirely by hand during the Great Depression as a work project for World War I veterans, The Great Ocean Road took 16 years to complete, and is a testament to early 20th century engineering. The tarmac hugs the undulating cliff lines and gently rises and falls with the flow of the landscape. At virtually every bend (and there must be a thousand of them) is a spectacular 180 degree view of Bass Straight's rolling breakers, perfectly framed by the blue haze of seaside eucalyptus.
If you're prone to car-sickness, there are enough yellow corner-warning signs to send you running for a bucket, but if you're fairly handy with a steering-wheel, you'll be in heaven. Naturally the Road is a magnet for motorcyclists and petrol heads (each year there are more than enough casualties) but as long as you keep your eyes on the road, and drive within your limit (not to mention the speed limit) it's as safe as any other highway in the country.
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| Meet the locals on the Great Ocean Road |
The Great Ocean Road is obviously busiest on weekends, especially if the sky is blue, so if you want the place to yourself, try and get away on a weekday. Although the road itself is fairly short by Australian standards, a round trip from Melbourne's CBD takes a good day (including a lazy stop for lunch en route).
There are small seaside towns every 15 minutes or so, and all of them make their living from tourists, so you'll never be far from a sandwich, a petrol station or a bed if you decide to stay the night. Make sure you book well ahead in the peak school holiday and summer seasons, and if it's a sunny Saturday afternoon, you'll probably find the competition for pillows also heats up.
The Road technically finishes up at Port Fairy, which is roughly a five or six hour drive west from Melbourne (depending on traffic) but once you get past Apollo Bay the Road turns inland and scenery actually gets pretty boring for about an hour until you pop out of a forest and find yourself on a coastal plain near the 12 Apostles.
If you're running short of time, and have left Melbourne after about 10am, it's a fairly big ask to make it to the 12 Apostles and back before dark, so keep that in mind if you want to push on and then come back.
While the 12 Apostles are well worth seeing, if you don't want to be ragged by the time you hit the hay, it might be wise to plan an overnight trip and take the Road at a more leisurely pace. There are plenty of sights to see along the way, including:
- The Great Ocean Walk — A hiker's version of the road, it runs 91km from Apollo Bay to the 12 Apostles and can be completed in sections
- The Otways — Gorgeous national park and mountain range behind Apollo Bay, full of rainforest creatures
- The Surf — Carve up some waves, get a surfing lesson, go sea kayaking, or just play in the sand
Further Great Ocean Road information and Accommodation
- The official Great Ocean Road Website has detailed information on accommodation options, events and sights to see.
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