Hotels in Victoria
The Great Ocean Road belongs in an élite group of classic coastal drives, which includes California's Pacific Highway and Italy's Amalfi Coast Road. It runs 285 km (180 mi) along Victoria's south coast, west of Melbourne between the towns of Torquay and Warrnambool.
Constructed originally to open up a previously inaccessible coastline for commerce, the Great Ocean Road has now become a major tourist attraction in its own right. Started in 1919 with the labour of ex-servicemen and completed 13 years later, this engineering marvel clings precariously to sheer cliff faces, snakes around inlets, crosses narrow gorges and passes through tunnels blasted out of solid rock.
Leaving the lively seaside resort of Torquay with its world-famous surf break at Bells Beach, the road huges the shoreline as it passes through the pretty little towns of Anglesea and Lorne. As you negotiate sharp corners and descend into protected bays you are presented time and again with stunning views of the Southern Ocean, endless expanses of virgin sands and rugged cliffs stretching off into the distance. After Apollo Bay the route bears inland and crosses Otway National Park, part of the Otway Ranges, an area of dense temperate rain forest which offers one of your best chances of seeing a koala in the wild. These shy creatures are notoriously hard to spot, thanks to their camouflage and inertia during the day.
Appropriately enough, the highlight of this trip comes towards the end. Just 70 km (45 mi) before Warrnambool the Twelve Apostles rise proudly from the sea, like giant sentinels guarding the coast. These majestic limestone stacks, up to 45 m (150 ft) high, are the result of coastal erosion and they provide a justly famous spectacle at sunrise and sunset.
HOW
By car
WHEN TO GO
Year-round. Be warned that on the more exposed cliffs you can get stiff winds off the ocean at any time of year.
TIME IT TAKES
You can drive the Great Ocean Road comfortably enough in one day, but you will be tempted to stay overnight on the way.
HIGHLIGHTS
A round of golf on the course at Anglesea, where you will be sharing the fairways with a mob of unconcerned kangaroos.
Taking a room with a sea view at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Lorne.
A helicopter flight - for a different perspective on the Twelve Appostles.
The rock arch known as London Bridge.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
If you feel like exploring this scenery on foot, the Great Ocean Walk is a 91 km (57 mi) track that starts from Appolo Bay.
