The Great Ocean Road is not only a destination for tourists wanting to see some of Victoria’s incredible coast line. It’s also the World’s largest war memorial.
The road was constructed by soldiers who returned from WWI from 1919 to 1932.
The dedicated the road to their friends who never came home from the war.
On my wife’s first visit to Australia (she’s American) we naturally had to take her on a trip down the Great Ocean Road to show her the sights!
On a cold, rainy day in April, we piled into a car and headed off from Melbourne. We had a pit stop in Torquay for a coffee and to have a look in the information centre. We stopped for the obligatory photo in front of the Great Ocean Road sign, then we were off!
At every turn there is a spectacular view to behold. Great cliffs dropping away to beautiful blue water… and let’s not forget the house on a pole!
A Detour Of The Koala Kind
Danielle was very keen to see as many Aussie animals in the wild while in Australia – especially koalas. As we drove through the Great Otway National Park we took a couple of detours in the hope of stumbling across these world renowned cuddly creatures.
First we stopped at Maits Rest for the Rainforest Walk. It was beautifully green with massive trees and ferns – a spectacular temperate Rainforest – but still no koalas to be seen.
A little further down the road, we took a slight detour at Horden Vale and ventured down to Aire River East Camping area. After a few minutes walking along the road we hit the jackpot – little clumps Of Koalas hanging in the trees.
Danielle was thrilled! I must admit, it was also the most Koalas I had ever seen in one location. Very cool indeed. We took some photos and were back on our way.
The Twelve Apostles
Toward sunset (though the sun was hidden behind clouds) we finally arrived at the pinnacle of the Great Ocean Road – The Twelve Apostles. These incredible cliff formations stand out in the ocean as a testament to the power of the waves that have eroded the shore over time.
The area at the 12 Apostles is very high traffic, so expect a lot of other tourists. If you have more time for this trip, it is worth staying over night. Check out the Warrnambool area before the trip back to Melbourne. We only had one day, so it was back to the city for us.
A quick stop for a chicken Parma at a pub on the way and we were back in Melbourne before it was too late. That’s how you do the Great Ocean Road in one day!
Wow! Gorgeous road trip. Your images are stunning. And I love the video. I have always wanted to see koalas, they were my favorite teddy bear when I was a kid. I named them all after cereal ?♀️ I would love to get there one day and see them in the wild. Bucket list:)
Looks like it was a wonderful day even with the rain! Can’t wait to get back to Australia one day to do this!