Our expectations were high with the anticipation from all the glowing reviews of the famous Great Ocean Road drive. The drive begins east of Warmnanbool on B100 with our first stop being Bay of Islands. Our expectations were exceeded!
Our jaws dropped when the coastline appeared with the magnificent cliffs and rock formations near the shores. The remnants of a very strong cold front were still apparent creating waves (or barrels) that were impressing the locals…of a size that many said they have not seen here. The waves made for more stunning views along the drive. This even had Tracey taking pics!
The next stop…Bay of Martyrs. Again amazing to see the powerful surf pounding the beach and rock formations. It is easy to see how the constant pounding of the waves erodes these rocks and cliffs into art. It does seem as if you are visiting an art gallery, walking and viewing each piece of art along the way. Here we spotted locals photographing the surf.
We continued on to the Grotto, London Bridge, the Arch and the Loch Ard Gorge.
At the Loch Ard Gorge a shipwreck from the 1800s is chronicled where the ship dropped sails to try and avoid ramming the cliffs, then quickly raised the sails to try and correct but to no avail. Over 50 people perished and one boy and girl survived two days in the punishing surf, rocks and cliffs. The boy, 15 year old, Tom Pearce rescued the 17 year old girl, Eva Carmichael. Pearce climbed out of the gorge and alarmed the locals of the wreck.
All these points along the shore are an absolute must stops before arriving at the Twelve Apostles. In many ways, the stops before the Apostles are more spectacular.
Only eight apostles remain as four of them have succumbed to Mother Nature’s forces. There are 86 steps you can take down to get a beach view of he Apostles. However, the Gibson Steps were closed due to the high surf! And I was looking so forward to climbing them! Not really but we were looking forward to the view from the beach.
After leaving the Apostles, we drove to Apollo Bay for a couple of nights stay. This drive goes through the Otway Ranges and bay, through lush rolling hills, forests and pasture lands. The Great Ocean Walk, a multiple day walk with accommodations along the way also follows this route. There are thick and enormous eucalyptus trees along the way. More wallaby and kangaroo sightings but no koalas yet.
Our accommodations at Apollo Bay made through Airbnb were wonderful…called Nestled in the Bay. A one bedroom with great furnishings, patio and BBQ. We skipped the BBQ of course and ate at a local place, the Brewhouse. I had grilled kangaroo and mashed sweet potatoes…incredible flavor! Tracey opted for the chicken, bacon, spinach and avocado salad…don’t think she is going to try the roo :).
On our second day in Apollo Bay we took a wonderful drive through the Great Otway National Park a bit inland from the coast. This rainforest provides numerous waterfalls and one of the windiest roads that I have driven…and I have driven many! This has hairpin after hairpin turn, what seemed like a few dozen!
We hiked to the Triplet Falls which some mates think are more wonderful than the better known Erskine Falls near Lorne. (Good thing because we didn’t make it to the Erskine Falls J). The Triplet Falls are a little bit more difficult with an unpaved drive and then a two km (or approximately one hour) return walk from the car park. The track is relatively easy with some hills much of it covered with ground and trees moss. There are also towering ash trees over 200 years old. All reminded us a bit of some of our greener walks in New Zealand!
After leaving Apollo Bay, the drive on the remainder of the Great Ocean Road was just as spectacular. The road was winding and followed the ocean more closely. We stopped at a location where its was known for Koalas to hang out, the Kennett River near the Kennett Caravan Park. Success! We ended up seeing five koalas in the eucalyptus trees, mostly sleeping. One was adjusting which branch to sleep on and started moving up the tree. As the koala moved, a downpour of water began! I was looking down at my camera, but I heard some other observers start to scream…luckily I moved in the nick of time to avoid the koala urinating!
The Kennett River was a great spot for wildlife. We also saw many different types of birds including cockatoos and a variety of parrots. Many of them searching for tourists to feed them!
We continued our journey passing through several seaside towns. Lorne is a bit larger and very popular. We stopped at Anglesea for an excellent lunch at the Maids Pantry Café and Anglesea General Store .
Prior to the start of this fabulous drive, we did not know that the Road was the world’s largest war memorial. It was built by soldiers returning from war between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I. We wished we had even more time than a few days to explore this iconic coast as this will certainly be a highlight of our Australia trip. We must move on to our new home in Melbourne with much to explore for the next few weeks!
And a few more pics!
