Great Ocean Road - The Mandatory Road Trip
I am sure you have often come across articles which says " 10 reasons why you should go on a road trip with your sister ". Well this is one of those trips which is inspired by one of those blogs ! :D
After coming to Melbourne I had already gone into a boring loop of Office - Work - Sleep - Repeat. But then we had this amazing break when my sister decided to come down to Melbourne for 4 days during a long weekend and it became one of our memorable trips.
Beginning one hour outside of Melbourne in Torquay, The Great Ocean Road stretches over 250 kilometres to Warrnambool, and attracts thousands of visitors every year. It is an amazing coastal drive and highly recommended in your bucket list if you are visiting Australia anytime soon. Here are some of the highlights of the trip which you might not want to miss. Before that the first thing to keep in mind - Please don't plan your trip for one day. At the least have 2 days in hand but 3 days would be ideal and start as early as possible in the morning. So here goes the to-do list ;-)
1. Bells Beach, Torquay
Bells Beach is the home of the world's longest continuously running surfing competition – now known as the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. If you love surfing, this is your paradise. If you are a sight see-er this place has a great lookout spot over a cliff overlooking a dramatic backdrop.
2. Airey's Inlet
By the time you reach Apollo Bay you might want to relax and dine. Though the place has much dining with a view options we were thrilled to have dinner at our Air Bnb place some kms ahead of Apollo Bay called Glenaire hosted by amazing Jodie and Shane. Their place is more than welcoming and has everything you need. I am sorry I don't have the picture of the fabulous dinner cooked by Jodie because it was delicious and we finished it off in no time.
5. Gibson Steps
The adventurer in my sister doesn't rest easily so after dinner we decided to go and watch sunset @ Gibson Steps. Our bad luck we missed the sunset by minutes but the place was still strikingly beautiful. If you are keen to see how evening star looks over some amazing rocks, this is your place to be. Everything comes at a price :D While coming back from this beautiful place we somehow managed to get lost on our way back to Glenaire since we thought the road was too easy to remember so we can save on some of our Data by not turning on the GPS. (* We rented the car without the GPS so we depended on our phone's data obviously). Don't worry we did find our way back home and it feels funny enough when I write this blog. So a tip for you : Do not turn off the GPS on the Road even if your sister persuades !
6. Breakfast with a view
It was a beautiful Morning @ Chi Medicinal Farm Bed and Breakfast. We were served some delicious breakfast and we enjoyed it with the view around. Some glimpses for you. If you want to book in here, the address is 3225 Great Ocean Rd, Glenaire VIC 3238, Australia .
7. The 12 apostles
The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Don't let the name fool you, because only 8 of them are alive ! The best way to experience this place is by a short 15 mins helicopter ride.
6. London Arch
London Arch is what remains of London Bridge after it fell down in 1990.While access to arch itself is now no longer there, there are viewing galleries in different areas to allow viewing access to this natural rock formation. I never knew how much I love watching waves until I visited this place.
After coming to Melbourne I had already gone into a boring loop of Office - Work - Sleep - Repeat. But then we had this amazing break when my sister decided to come down to Melbourne for 4 days during a long weekend and it became one of our memorable trips.
Beginning one hour outside of Melbourne in Torquay, The Great Ocean Road stretches over 250 kilometres to Warrnambool, and attracts thousands of visitors every year. It is an amazing coastal drive and highly recommended in your bucket list if you are visiting Australia anytime soon. Here are some of the highlights of the trip which you might not want to miss. Before that the first thing to keep in mind - Please don't plan your trip for one day. At the least have 2 days in hand but 3 days would be ideal and start as early as possible in the morning. So here goes the to-do list ;-)
1. Bells Beach, Torquay
Bells Beach is the home of the world's longest continuously running surfing competition – now known as the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. If you love surfing, this is your paradise. If you are a sight see-er this place has a great lookout spot over a cliff overlooking a dramatic backdrop.
2. Airey's Inlet
Approximately half way between the thriving tourist towns of Torquay and Lorne, Aireys Inlet offers a quiet, place to visit and get mesmerized. You just cannot miss the split-point lighthouse. There is an amazing lookout spot which will give you the best touristy selfies ;-)
3. Lorne
By the time you reach Lorne, you would be definitely hungry and don't you worry this place has some amazing cafes. I had a perfect lunch but still can't forget the mini baklava.Just as you start off from Lorne, there are a couple of great look out spots on the road.
4. Apollo Bay
By the time you reach Apollo Bay you might want to relax and dine. Though the place has much dining with a view options we were thrilled to have dinner at our Air Bnb place some kms ahead of Apollo Bay called Glenaire hosted by amazing Jodie and Shane. Their place is more than welcoming and has everything you need. I am sorry I don't have the picture of the fabulous dinner cooked by Jodie because it was delicious and we finished it off in no time.
5. Gibson Steps
The adventurer in my sister doesn't rest easily so after dinner we decided to go and watch sunset @ Gibson Steps. Our bad luck we missed the sunset by minutes but the place was still strikingly beautiful. If you are keen to see how evening star looks over some amazing rocks, this is your place to be. Everything comes at a price :D While coming back from this beautiful place we somehow managed to get lost on our way back to Glenaire since we thought the road was too easy to remember so we can save on some of our Data by not turning on the GPS. (* We rented the car without the GPS so we depended on our phone's data obviously). Don't worry we did find our way back home and it feels funny enough when I write this blog. So a tip for you : Do not turn off the GPS on the Road even if your sister persuades !
6. Breakfast with a view
It was a beautiful Morning @ Chi Medicinal Farm Bed and Breakfast. We were served some delicious breakfast and we enjoyed it with the view around. Some glimpses for you. If you want to book in here, the address is 3225 Great Ocean Rd, Glenaire VIC 3238, Australia .
7. The 12 apostles
The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Don't let the name fool you, because only 8 of them are alive ! The best way to experience this place is by a short 15 mins helicopter ride.
6. London Arch
London Arch is what remains of London Bridge after it fell down in 1990.While access to arch itself is now no longer there, there are viewing galleries in different areas to allow viewing access to this natural rock formation. I never knew how much I love watching waves until I visited this place.
7. The Grotto
The Grotto is another enchanting rock formation which is a part cave and part and part archway. This place is reachable via flight of nicely created stairs. It is a peaceful place and you can spend any time between 15 mins to half an hour to soak up the beauty this place has to offer.
Beyond this you can have a nice long drive to Waranambool and there are lot of scenic lookouts, just keep an eye on them. I am sure this will remain one of the best road trips I have had and of the many awesome trips to come !
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