15 May 2019
The Great Ocean Road, one of the world's most scenic coastal drives, extends over 200 km between Torquay and Allansford near Warrnambool.
Many visitors to Melbourne visit the Great Ocean Road as a very hectic day trip with one of the many bus tour companies. I think the best way to appreciate the Great Ocean Road is to do a multi-day self-drive road trip and go at our own pace.
There are many itineraries for a self-drive road trip. We chose to do a 2 to 3 days road trip starting from Warrnambool and proceed down south and east towards Torquay, with overnight stays in Port Campbell and Lorne before heading to the Melbourne International Airport on the 3rd day for our flight home.
Getting to the Great Ocean Road
After 2 nights stay in Grampians National Park, we drove southwards towards Warrnambool via Dunkeld and Penhurst.
The day started with a cool and misty morning in Halls Gap, the village centre in the Grampians where we stayed.
View from our bedroom in the morning.
We had breakfast in our room. While enjoying the peace and serenity of the Grampians, I was also thinking about the drive ahead from the rocky mountains to the blue ocean. It would mostly be on scenic country roads and passing through forests, farms, small towns and villages.
We enjoyed clear weather once we left the valley in the Grampians and drove along the C216 towards Dunkeld. It was a scenic and enjoyable drive through the C216 to Dunkeld and C178 all the way to A1 highway that runs parallel to the southern coast.
Lunch at Warrnambool
It started to rain slightly as we approached Warrnambool along the A1. Warrnambool would be our rest and lunch stop before hitting the Great Ocean Road. We figured there would be more options and eateries in a large town like Warrnambool than along the Great Ocean Road.
The first place to that we picked for our lunch, a pizza place called Standard Dave Pizza, was not opened. We went to an Italian Restaurant called the Bottega Toscana Italian Pizza and Pasta instead.
This restaurant serves authentic Italian food. We were their first customer for the day and we were told that we had to wait for about 20 minutes while the owner/chef starts up the oven for the pizza.
We ordered a pizza and a pasta dish. The regular sized pizza and small pasta was just right for 2 persons to share.
The garlic prawn pizza is northern Italy style with thin crust. The cheese and fresh rocket salad were added after the pizza was cooked.
Pork belly cooked in peas, cream and own-made Tagliatelle pasta. This dish tasted better than it looked.
I almost got fined for unpaid parking in Warrnambool, the largest city along the road. After a few days of free parking in Phillip Island, Dandenong and Grampians, I forgot that parking along the city streets in Warrnambool is not free. It was halfway through my meal when I noticed the parking meter outside the restaurant. I stopped feeding myself and rushed out to feed the parking meter instead.
The friendly owner of the Bottega chatted with us and recommended that we go to Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve where koalas are often spotted. After checking the time and distance, we decided to give Tower Hill a miss since it was not on the way to Port Campbell.
Once lunch was done, it was time to hit the Great Ocean Road. There are several attractions along the Great Ocean Road that we planned to see before staying the night at Port Campbell. They are:
- The Bay of Islands
- The Grotto
- The London Bridge
- The Arch
- The 12 Apostles
The Bay of Islands
Our first stop along the Great Ocean Road was the Bay of Islands, near Peterborough. Arriving at about 1 PM, there were few other tourists at this place. In fact, most bus tour groups would not come to this site.
There are a few viewing platforms at the Bay of Islands Coastal Park giving us different perspectives of the islands in the bay.
The sun peeped from behind the clouds just as we were at the viewing platforms. The views of the red and beige sandstone coloured islands and rock stacks in the blue water bay were impressive. A rainbow could be seen in the horizon. A sign that some rain was imminent.
I have only seen pictures of the 12 Apostles but I think this place more than matches the more famous 12 Apostles in terms of beauty and awe. In addition, there were no busloads of tourists to be seen.
The Grotto
Continuing eastwards along the B100 or better known as the Great Ocean Road for another 10 km, we arrived at the Grotto’s car park.
Donning our weather proof jackets, we braved the light rain to walk to the Grotto.
An information board explained how the grotto was formed by erosion from the coast and from inland and not due to the ocean waves. The cliffs in this part of the coast were mostly limestone. Weak acidic water dissolved the limestone over millions of years to form a sinkhole and then eventually a grotto or cave.
A wooden boardwalk ran parallel to the coast and then downwards into the sinkhole.
Boardwalk leading down to the Grotto.
Another sinkhole and crashing waves outside the Grotto.
The rain god blessed us by stopping the rain as we arrived at the Grotto. We were the only persons at the Grotto.
Part archway, part cave. The Grotto is a surprisingly peaceful little hideaway despite the crashing waves on the sea-cliffs outside.
It was amazing how this place felt so peaceful and isolated while the ocean waves were crashing on the rocks just a few hundred meters away.
London Bridge
London Bridge has fallen down!
What used to be a headland with double arches is now an island with a single arch when the main arch collapsed suddenly in 1990. A reminder that the cliffs along this coast are unstable due to erosion and constant battering by the sea and weather.
We read that no one was killed or hurt when the arch collapsed. However, a couple was trapped in the newly formed island. They were successfully rescued by helicopter.
Viewing platforms to observe the waves and beautiful seascape. A nice place to sit and relax.
The Arch
The Arch is a naturally sculptured piece of rock that stood at 8 metres high. It is a matter of time before the wave action erodes the rock further and makes it crash into the ocean.
The Arch - an attraction along the Great Ocean Road.
A short track from the car park leads to the viewing platform where we could see waves pounding the rocks below.
This was the last attraction we saw before driving to Port Campbell. We did not stop at Port Campbell as we wanted to see the 12 Apostles in the hours before sun set.
The 12 Apostles
The 12 Apostles is one of the most famous attractions along this stretch of the Great Ocean Road. Only 8 of the rock stacks remained standing, four have fallen since their discovery.
Compared to the other attractions, this place was full of people. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful place to visit, especially during the hours before sunset.
The sun was playing hide and seek behind the low clouds. Although the ever changing lighting condition was a challenge for photography, it also provided some nice opportunities.
The sun showed its face momentarily to light up the surf hitting the beach below.
A boardwalk offers a scenic walk to a large promontory called the Castle Rock. Castle Rock is one of several seaside formations within the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park. A viewing platform on Castle Rock offers an extremely beautiful view of the coastline eastwards.
Along the coastal boardwalk in the 12 Apostles National Park.
View of the coastline along the Great Ocean Road from Castle Rock in the 12 Apostles Marine National Park.
The 12 Apostles was the last attraction we visited on our first day along the Great Ocean Road. There was no point waiting till sunset since there were low clouds in the western sky and we did not want to drive in the dark. We headed back to Port Campbell while there was still light.
Dinner at Port Campbell
After checking into the Port Campbell Motor Inn, we drove to the Port Campbell jetty which is the focal point of this small coastal town. There are a few eateries in town. We went to one of the largest restaurants called the 12 Rocks.
We ordered draught beer, seafood pasta and a beef burger. Service was fast, prices were reasonable and food was surprisingly good. Highly recommended place to eat while visiting port Campbell or the Great Ocean Road.
Excellent Linguini Marinara (AUD 28) that was made with fresh seafood ingredients at the 12 Rocks, Port Campbell.
Rocks Burger - Traditional juicy beef burger with fries.
Where we stayed along the Great Ocean Road
Port Campbell is a small coastal town along the Great Ocean Road. It is an excellent location to explore the nearby attractions along the Great Ocean Road, namely Bay of Islands, Grotto, The Arch, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, Tom and Eva Lookout, 12 Apostles and Gibson Steps.
Accommodations along the Great Ocean Road are generally more expensive compared to other parts of Melbourne. It is wise to book as early as possible to get great value-for-money lodgings as they will be snapped up first.
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