Your guide in visiting The Great Ocean Road, Australia
How to get to The Great Ocean Road?
Where to stay in The Great Ocean Road?
What to do and see in The Great Ocean Road?
Where to eat in The Great Ocean Road?
The Great Ocean Road spanning almost 250km in the south eastern coast of Australia in the state of Victoria between Torquay and Allansford is considered by many one of the greatest drives in the world. The most prominent landmark along The Great Ocean Road is the Twelve Apostles.
HOW TO GET TO THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
My journey through the Great Ocean Road was probably not how one should follow as I’ve only spent 1 night and around 6 hours around the town of Port Campbell. I drove only around 10km out of the 250km of the Great Ocean Road. Of course, if time permits, one can spend 2 to 3 days to savor in all this beautiful stretch of road has to offers. However, if you are pressed for time, my journey is actually doable and let you experience the most prominent landmarks in the area.
I rented a car from Melbourne which gives me the flexibility and because I’ve stayed a night in Port Campbell, it allowed me to visit these landmarks very early in the morning before all the tour buses arrives from Melbourne usually around midday. The drive from Melbourne to Port Campbell is about 3 hours by taking the inland route. If you take the Great Ocean Road along the coast, it will take significantly longer due to the traffic and the scenic road where the traffic speed is much slower.
Although the Great Ocean Road offers much more than just these natural limestone wonders, many visit the Great Ocean Road just to see these amazing structures. It is a pity because there are many lovely towns along the route which means most guide books and travel blogs will recommend you to stay in the area for at least 2 to 3 nights.
WHERE TO STAY AT THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
Port Campbell
Port Campbell is a small town along the Great Ocean Road. What makes Port Campbell the perfect place to settle for a night is because of its close proximity to all the major sights around the area. Port Campbell is only a short 10 minutes drive to the Twelve Apostles. This also makes all the sights around the Twelve Apostles very accessible as well.
Anchors – The Boutique Hotel in Port Campbell
I am actually very surprised to find such an amazing property in Port Campbell. Anchors is not exactly a hotel as it only consists of three standalone villa available to be rented out. Although, it does provide daily cleaning service and can be rented out for a day only. It is ran by the property owner and their family. You called them in advanced to let them know around what time you will arrive and one of the family member will meet you at the property. The villa is just one level with a family room with a bathroom and a beautiful front deck and yard. I’ve only stayed in the villa for a night but to truly experience the villa, one should stay for at least 2 nights. The view of the sunset and sunrise is beautiful at the property. You could make out the Indian Ocean in the distance from the villa.
WHAT TO SEE & DO AT THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
The Twelve Apostles
Although the Great Ocean Road is much more than just The Twelve Apostles, when anyone think about the Great Ocean Road, The Twelve Apostles will most likely be the first thing that comes to mind.
It is called The Twelve Apostles because there used to be twelve limestone stacks that stands majestically on the ocean. However, as of 2016, there are only eight “apostles” left.
The formation of these limestone stacks are due to natural erosion of the cliffs by wind and waves and in time all of the apostles will collapse as they succumb to the power of nature.
The Twelve Apostles is part of the Victoria Twelve Apostles National Park. There is no entry fee and the park gives you amazing views of the Twelve Apostles.
There is a huge parking lot at the Welcome Center and from the parking lot it is a short walk to the trail and viewing platforms.
Gibson Steps
The Gibson Steps is about a 15 minutes walk from The Twelve Apostle welcome center where there is a paved pedestrian trail that connects the two. If you are driving, there is a small parking lot at the top of the Gibson Steps.
This is one of my favorite places I’ve visited during this trip because what the Gibson Steps is, is a staircase “steps” where you can walk all the way down to the beach below the huge limestone cliffs.
Depending on the tide and how rough the seas are, you can actually walk right in front of one of the apostles.
At times the Gibson Steps will be close due to rough seas and this tells you how dangerous it can get. I was a bit nervous walking on the beach because one side is the towering cliffs and the other side is the Indian Ocean despite the fact that there was a dog owner walking his 2 dogs on the beach while I was there. The beach can get quite narrow during high tides. Due to the tides and rough seas, I couldn’t walk all the way in front of one of the Apostles but still this is a must do just to experience how mind-blowing these cliffs and limestone stacks are.
Your appreciation of the size of the cliff and apostles are very different when you get down on the beach compared to viewing them from the viewing platform.
Loch Ard Gorge
Other than The Twelve Apostles, the Loch Ard Gorge is most likely the second most picturesque place during this trip. The Loch Ard Gorge is part of the Port Campbell National Park and entry is free.
The parking lot is only a short walk to the viewing platform and you have access to the beach by a staircase. The name came from the name of a ship that ran ashore just outside the Gorge in 1878.
The Gorge is absolutely majestic where the power of nature again in on show. The waves and wind of the Indian Ocean carving into this Gorge coupled with a beautiful sandy beach at the end makes this a truly magical location.
Razorback
The Razorback is another limestone rock formation that is close to the Loch Ard Gorge and shares the same parking lot. There is a looping trail that takes you to the viewing platforms from the parking lot.
London Arch (Formerly London Bridge)
Another famous rock formation near Port Campbell where it used to look like a bridge before it collapsed in 1990. A number of tourist were trapped on the “island” after the “bridge” collapsed. A helicopter had to be flown in to rescue them.
This video shows how the London Bridge looked before it collapsed. It shows how people could walk on top of the rock formation.
The Arch and The Grotto
The Arch and The Grotto are two separate location near Port Campbell.
The Arch might not be the most stunning structure compared to the others in this area but the viewing platform do give you a commanding view of the coastline that is lined with the limestone cliffs with the Indian Ocean eating into it.
WHERE TO EAT AT THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
The area around The Twelve Apostles produces some fantastic food such a cheese and chocolates. The Gourmet Trail from the visit12aspotles website have a great list of where to find great local food in the area.
If you are planning to take the inland drive back to Melbourne, a great place to stop for lunch is at the town of Timboon. The Timboon Railway Shed Distillery is a great place to sample all of the local delicacies like cheese, chocolates, ice cream and wine.
