Ocean road is great. We went via Sorrento which is an old fort with cool tunnels in a nature reserve then got the ferry across to the ocean road. We stayed here motel, cheap and nice enough. There’s lots of bays to explore, make sure you get out the car and climb down to a few.
Yes – we capervanned for a week from melbourne to adelaide, and it was ace.
you should go to see the 12 apostles, a rock formation along the road.
Camp at bimbi park (camping under koalas – they literally live in every tree above you)
Airey’s Inlet has the Round the Twist lighthouse (depends on how old you are as to how relevant this will be!)
Halls Gap/the Grampians further inland is well worth a visit for a change of scenery and the wildlife; roos, emus, koalas, birds….and for some awesome looking biking trails – it’s banned though. you can walk up to the pinnacle….
Driving up to the Otway forest park is fun depending on which way you go – and there’s a treetop walk there up at canopy level – also an extreme go-ape type thing (but you need to book ahead).
In Melbourne….
Eat at movida, amazing tapas. You’ll need to book though.
Melbourne Gaol is well worth a visit.
If you’ve ever watched neighbours, go on the tour. It’s a piss take from start to finish and hilarious.
From Melbourne we left early and took all day exploring the road before heading inland to Ballarat. The next day taking in the Sovereign Hill gold mining town museum.
From Melbourne head out to the Great Ocean Rd via Geelong. Where you join it on the coast, there’s Bell’s Beach off to the left where you watch the surfers. Carry on through Lorne etc (the passenger gets the better deal). Apollo Bay is indeed lovely but carry on to the 12 Apostles: this is as far as you need go. Rest of it is pretty same-y.
Turn around and stay in Apollo Bay. The Yha is amazing and is quiet, modern and has doubles. Have a morning swim at the beach. Then, what I would do is head inland to Forrest, via Skenes Creek. It just happens to have some rippers of MTB trails plus you can hire bikes easily. Stay at the Forrest Guesthouse, which has lovely rickety rooms. There’s also brewery in Forrest – good beer, pricey food. Then head back to Melbourne via the freeway. That’s a cracking weekend.
From Melbourne we left early and took all day exploring the road before heading inland to Ballarat. The next day taking in the Sovereign Hill gold mining town museum.
I’m sure its lovely, and i have driven it, just didn’t stop to see anything 🙁
It was our own stupid fault as post wedding in Mclaren Vale, we went climbing for a few days in the Grampians (fantastic!)and then leaving it too late we went back via the great ocean road back to Melbourne for our flight. Basically it was a horrible and tiring experience trying to get a big wallowly hire car around all the bends fast enough not to miss the flight… ah well, planning and all that!
Spent a few weeks in that part of the world, seeing Great Ocean Road, the Grampians, Wilson’s Prom, some of the old gold minings towns, etc. and to be honest whilst the Great Ocean Road was great, probably my least favourite out of the other places. Can highly recommend going to Wilson’s Prom and trekking out for a day (or an over-nighter) at a quiet beach. The Grampians are also pretty cool, bit like Brimham Rocks but about the size of the Lake District!
I cycled along the GOR a few years ago. Got the train from Geelong to Warnambool and rode back to Melbourne. Fantastic 5 days 🙂
Melbourne’s a cracking place.
If you fancy a bit of mtb action, there’s a trail in Victoria Park I think. I’ve been riding in Castlemaine, about an hour north. Its bloody lovely. There’s a bike shop there, don’t know if you can hire.
Random highlight: dinner at Anglesea golf club, watching the kangoroos grazing on the fairway.
we stayed with my brother in law in Seaford then drove to my family in Adelaide via the great ocean road so didnt have to worry about accomodation!
The ocean road is a good trip, hundreds of places to stop and watch the world go by. Lorne and Bridgewater bay are worth it for the stunning scenary. I think we stopped in Halifax (it had a British name!) for the night then went North towards Adelaide via Murray Bridge. its a damn long way but it was an awesome drive as we got to see some inland Australia and drove those big open roads with the road trains…