The Great Ocean Road

If you’ve ever wanted to hire a Porsche Boxster convertible and drive like a movie star along ocean cliff tops, this is the place to do it. The Great Ocean Road has gained a reputation as being one of the world's most scenic journeys, with a stunning coastline that winds its way through south-west Victoria.

The great Ocean Road stretches all the way from Geelong (approximately 75km from Melbourne city), to South Australia with a total length of approximately 250km. It is suggested to take the drive over more then a day with at least one overnight stay to take full advantage of the area at an easy pace.

See: Location

Scenery

The Great Ocean Road drive will have you passing wide open spaces of rolling green hills on roads perched high up on cliffs overlooking the ocean and beaches. The water is a deep blue with some areas receiving high winds and choppy seas. These very conditions are what have contributed to the great ocean roads incredible cliffs, rock formations, caves and rich history as a coast of shipwrecks.

Scenic Lookouts

Many places along the great ocean road have signage to point visitors in the direction of board walks and scenic lookouts constructed to take full advantage of these awe inspiring coastlines.

The 12 Apostles

The 12 Apostles are giant pillars of limestone formed via erosion over millions of years. Gradual erosion of the cliffs formed caves, further erosion turned the caves into arches and finally the arches collapsed resulting in rock pillars as high as 45 metres along the shoreline. The images of these 12 pillars have gained world wide recognition, representing the state of Victoria with their distinctly imposing form.

Changes in weather and sunlight (sunrise and sunset) result in spectacular displays of light across the limestone of the 12 apostles, cliffs, sands and choppy seas. Board walks and paths are in place to allow visitors to take a comfortable walk to various vantage points over the cliffs and towards the beaches and the apostles. The beaches below are also accessible via staircases.

London Arch

While the spectacular formations of the great ocean road have been created over millions of years of erosion, the London Arch is one such formation that underwent significant change in more recent times. Prior to 1991 this formation was known as the London Bridge (named by resemblance), when the formation was made up of two large arches allowing visitors to walk the length of it. In 1990 however, the first arch collapsed and now the second arch remains detached from the mainland. Two tourists stranded on the arch were rescued and thankfully no people were lost during this spectacular collapse.

Bay of Islands

Not quite as ionic as the 12 Apostles and further along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne are the underrated and still relatively unknown Bay of Islands. The Bay of Islands are arguably more impressive then the 12 apostles. The scenic lookouts reveal rock formations that aren’t as high as the 12 apostles but are numerous, stretching along the coastline and out towards the sea. They are a jaw dropping site.

The Shipwreck Coast

The Great Ocean Road has also been dubbed the Shipwreck Coast because of its volatile weather and rocky coastline claiming some 700 ships in the region. The tragic tale about the sinking of the “Loch Ard” where more than 50 lives were lost in 1878 had just two survivors, Tom and Eva. Today, you can see where this disaster unfolded by walking the beach where Tom and Eva struggled ashore and the burial grounds of those who died in the cliff-top cemetery.

Other locations on the shorelines along the Great Ocean Road still have remnants of historic shipwrecks such as the massive old rusted anchors fused to rock pools at “Wreck Beach”.

Rainforests of the Otway Ranges

A very popular and unique area near The Great Ocean Road is that of the lush towering rainforests of the Otway ranges covered in moss, littered with waterfalls, streams and bordered with pristine beaches. There is also a great amount of Australian wildlife here, a haven for animals in this untouched paradise. There are a number of attractions and activities, natural and man made to engage in. One such example is the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk.

Otway Fly Tree Top Walk

The Otway Fly Tree Top Walk is a chance to walk high in the rainforest canopy as you take in the ancient Otway Rainforest, with its glades of massive tree ferns and pounding waterfalls. The 1.9km walk can take up to a leisurely 1 hour, up to 37 metres above the forest floor. The visitor centre is warm and comfortable with open fire places, gourmet organic food and wine. Seasonal BBQs are held outside.

For prices, contact details and hours of operation http://www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.BF31DA69-2F8B-49F2-BAFB03C0977A305E/

Maritime Towns

Charming fishing villages like Port Fairy and Portland are worth a pit stop. Discover some of Victoria's maritime history as you stroll their wide open streets and walk their pretty piers at dawn or dusk.

Location

Getting Here

• From Melbourne
  > Geelong via the Princess Freeway
  > From Geelong there are a number of highways and towns that can be taken as a route to the Great Ocean Road

For information on the many ways of getting to the Great Ocean Road http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au/GettingHere.aspx

Contact Details

• Website: http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au
• Visitor Information centres: Here is a list of the visitor centres along the great ocean road, of great use if you can drop in on them personally during your trip http://www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.000F0B7C-7E4B-1A5F-88CD80C476A90318/