The Great Ocean Road Adventure

The Great Ocean Road has been on my list of places to visit for soooo long and we finally did it! It wasn't even planned to be honest. We have been living temporarily in South Australia in the Riverland and had to go back home to Melbourne for a video shoot and like always we hit the road for a bit of a road trip with Phoenix.

The night before leaving Melbourne to head back to the Riverland I sat in our hotel, mapped out our trip, booked us some overnight accomodation in Princetown (right near the Twelve Apostles) and told Lucas we were going to take the scenic route.

We hit the road a bit later than we had anticipated at around 10am and if I could do it again I would have left at 7am. There is just so much to see after you get past Torquay. The views are spectacular and there are loads of little beaches and lookouts not to mention cute little towns to stop for a bite to eat or a coffee. Photo opportunity after Photo opportunity and it was a shame we had to rush the first half of our trip.

Our first quick stop was Urquhart Bluff which is approximately 24km from Torquay. The beach and the red cliffs were beautiful and the surfers were making the most of the waves on that day. 

As you continue along the Great Ocean Road you are greeted with the most amazing views before hitting the Memorial Arches...a must stop photo opportunity! 

After Memorial Arches you have plenty of lookouts to stop at. The ocean and its crashing waves are not the only thing to take in though. This road really is the epiphany of forest and land meets the wild seas. As we were driving my mind and imagination began to wander and appreciate our surrounds with such respect. I imagined what it would have been like before the road was built and the prehistoric animals that would have once roamed there.

We stopped at Wye River for some refreshments and found a nice grassy spot to take in the scenery and watch the surfers.

Our next stop was Apollo Bay where we stopped again to get a coffee for the road and stretch our legs. I wish we had more time here as there were some great Cafes and beaches. This is also the starting point for the Great Ocean Walk...a definite on my to do list for the future!

The main destination to reach for the first day of the drive was Cape Otway. I had a stack of things I wanted to do there such as the forest walk and the lighthouse. We headed to the lighthouse only to find that the entrance had literally closed just as we pulled into the carpark at 4:30pm! Bugger! Never the less we got out of the car and went for a bit of a bush walk to a look out where you could see the (tiny tiny) lighthouse in the far far distance. I only wish I had realised the closing time before going off the main road 35mins to get there.

Although we couldn't get to see the lighthouse we had a little expore along the forest walk which was pretty cool!

The sun was starting to go down so we decided to make no more stops and head straight to the motel...but we couldn't drive past Castle Cove Lookout which was spectacular. After Castle Cove Lookout the Great Ocean Road heads Inland and loops around to take you to the Twelve Apostles.

When we arrived in Princetown I was so pleased to see how close we were to the visitors information centre and to all the main scenic attractions. 

We checked into the Twelve Apostles Motel & Country Retreat, which is located down a very long dirt road. The decor was dated but very comfortable and cosy. The owner was lovely and very chatty and could not have been more welcoming and accommodating, she even looked out a Port-a-cot for Phoenix. The bed was big enough though and he ended up sleeping in between Lucas and I.

The next day we woke and took a quick drive down the road to Port Campbell for coffee and breakfast and had a little look around. Phoenix enjoyed a quick play on the beach. Port Campbell is a lovely place and if we were to do the trip again I would stay here for a couple of days as our base for exploring.

Back to the information centre we then hit The Twelve Apostles first. Just WOW! is all I can say. One of those moments were you just need to stop and take it all in. Lucas and I were going crazy taking photos as you do whilst Phoenix slept in the carrier. The boardwalks offer many viewing platforms. You can't help but appreciate the power of the sea and the toll it has taken on these amazing formations to make them what they are today.

We then walked 4km to Gibsons Steps. Along the way we met a gentleman who was on his last 4km stretch to finishing the Great Ocean Walk...he said it was brilliant and it inspired me even more to push that further up the to do list of hikes!

When you reach Gibsons Steps it is well....a bunch of steps (funny that) you head down them and reach a spectacular beach and find yourself at sea level looking out to a couple of The Twelve Apostels. A friendly warning... the waves are very unpredictable and come very far into shore. A very funny moment happened when we were down there as a bunch of tourists found themselves rather wet! The climb back up the steps was a brilliant workout!

Our next stop was Loch Ard Gorge, The Razorback and the Tom and Eva Lookout all which can be accessed via foot from the same carpark which is a bonus! I have to say this was probably my favourite part of the trip. You really need to be there to experience the power of the rocks and the waves as they crash and roll with each other. The sea is fierce and for a moment we realised just how insignificant we really are as little old humans. We think we are powerful and have control but honestly when you look over the edge at The Razorback you are quickly put back in your place as to where you fit in in this world. It is a shame we can't all be reminded of this daily.

Loch Ard Gorge has a really great little beach and Phoenix had fun playing in the sand... and eating it as well! It was a pretty cold day so we only stayed a short time.

From here we were going to head further along the coast to London Bridge, The Grotto and The Arch but it was getting late and we needed to start making tracks if we were going to reach The Riverland at a decent hour, plus I think Phoenix had had enough sand and fresh air for the day. We made a quick stop at Port Campbell for some Hot Chips and a Veggie Burger and ended our Great Ocean Road Adventure knowing that we hadn't 'done it all' but left places to explore for next time.

Photo Credit: Lucas Scheffel