Essential Australia – The Great Ocean Road

Posted on by A Wandering Memory

Continuing from last years Essential Australia series, we now move onto what is to me the highlight of the state of Victoria, the Great Ocean Road.

Appropriately named the Great Ocean Road is probably Australia’s most iconic road, stretching 243 km along the south-east coast between Torquay (just below Melbourne) and Allansford.

261210-p1030065

As you would expect from such a name, the route takes you through some of Australia’s most dramatic coastal scenery. Every corner feels like a photographic postcard, it’s a place of beauty, wonder and adventure.  For us it encapsulated the whole air of freedom and the excitement of the journey ahead.

The route has many great attractions, however its most well-known is the Twelve Apostles. This well known Australian site is a formation of natural limestone stacks dotted off the cliff face. The proximity to one another makes for an incredible photographic location especially at sundown, where the tide is high and still to this very day batters the coastline.

261210-img_2183

The 12 Apostles are not the only natural rock formations, the coastline is packed full of them. With natural arches, hidden bays and caves littering parts of the coastline it is an explorer’s dream. Some come with stories of pirates, sunken galleons and dramatic stories, all which add to the splendor of the road.

261210-img_2193

The road also comes close to some of Australia’s best surfing beaches, including the iconic Bells Beach home of the Rip Curl Pro championship. These are not surfing locations for beginners, with strong currents, the risk of great whites and some incredible swirl. However a day on the beach watching the experts as they tackle some of the best surf in the world is never a bad experience.

261210-p1030100

The road also bypasses a number of beautiful villages and towns, all worth a visit for sensational seafood and beautiful tranquil views. This is also a great place to witness one of Australia’s most iconic inhabitants in the wild – the Koala. Not usually visible in many top tourist destinations experiencing one of these in the wild is truly magnificent.

261210-img_2181

What the Great Ocean Road is, is a place of inspiration, where the natural beauty of the world is on display on a daily basis! There are few roads in the world that compare.

If you are planning to visit Australia – make sure you include this dramatic drive in your schedule, its a true memory maker.

42 thoughts on “Essential Australia – The Great Ocean Road”

      1. This is amazing we will definitely have a read we haven’t planned anything other than we land in Sydney and that’s for reason other than it’s the cheapest from America as that’s where we will be before Aus. We will let you know if we have any questions thanks again

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Please do – I lived in Australia in 2009 Sydney and have traveled to most of the tourist hotspots – also have been back 3 times since. We have family on the west and lots of friends and colleagues in the east so please let us know. Where in the states are you from, I used to live in Utah

        Like

  3. Great post. The GOR is pretty much in our backyard ‘in Aus terms’. I’ve lost count of the times that we’ve travelled it, yet the time that sticks in my mind was a winter night with the full moon on the water. I can still see it in my mind’s eye.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Love the Great Ocean Road. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve driven along this road and holidayed in one of the many gorgeous coastal villages along the way. We’ve camped, stayed in luxurious studios and many of the hotels along the coast. I’ll never tire of its dramatic scenery. Great post. Hope you’re all doing well. x

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I’d love to. It’s just finding the time. Everything is so hectic lately. Today is my son’s 16th birthday. And yes, I’m on FB, just a personal account. Send me a friend request. Miriam Blaker

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: The Greats – Great Ocean Road – itchingforhitching
  6. Pingback: Essential Australia – Kalbarri – A Wandering Memory
  7. Pingback: Essential Australia – Part One – A Wandering Memory
  8. Pingback: Essential Australia – Fraser Island – A Wandering Memory
  9. Pingback: Essential Australia – Part Two – A Wandering Memory
  10. Pingback: Essential Australia – Cape Range – A Wandering Memory
  11. Pingback: Essential Australia – Uluru – A Wandering Memory
  12. Pingback: Essential Australia – Broome – A Wandering Memory
  13. Pingback: Australia – Where to start? – A Wandering Memory
  14. Pingback: Essential Australia – Kakadu – A Wandering Memory
  15. Pingback: Essential Australia – Byron Bay – A Wandering Memory
  18. Pingback: Essential Australia – Catch Up – A Wandering Memory
  19. Pingback: Essential Australia – Sydney – A Wandering Memory

Did you enjoy this or another A Wandering Memory post? Please get in touch

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s