My final day in Australia before heading home I am on my way to experience one of the most iconic coastal roads in the world, The Great Ocean Road. The Great Ocean Road is just outside of Melbourne and stretches along Australia’s southern Victoria coastline. I headed out with Go-West tours once again for their Sunset Ocean Road tour.
With stops at oceanside beach towns, looking for Australian wildlife, and the iconic Loch Ard Gorge and Twelve Apostles. My tour guide for the day, Joel noticed when checking the group in that I was traveling solo and offered up the front seat of the van for the journey which I happily accepted. Hoping that once again the weather would cooperate for a nice day, we started out.
The first stop was to grab a picture at the official starting point of Great Ocean Road, the Memorial Arch. Built in memorial of those service members who built the Great Ocean Road after returning from service of WWI.
Unfortunately, the weather was still not being as friendly, and grabbing the front seat of the van was paying off. Our windows were fogging up and the views were often non existent because of the rainfall along the coast. Having the view from the front seat, I was likely one of the only ones in the van who had any views throughout most of the day. We stopped at a great beach city called Lorne for lunch but, what a surprise, the rain continued.
Next we made a stop was at a small roadside store for a chance to stretch our legs, and search for native wildlife in the trees! These cockatoos were enjoying the tourists feeding them. One decided to land on my head, until it realized I didn’t have any treats for him.
This Koala didn’t look too thrilled being in the rain.
A section of the Ocean Road cuts inland a bit and through rolling hills and the rainforest. The rain continued throughout our journey but made for some cool and eerie fog on the drive through the trees and valleys.
Our guide Joel was a friendly and fun guy and I enjoyed speaking with him throughout the drive and day. As a traveler himself, we compared stories of our travels for hours. He has spent time in the US and in areas that are ‘home’ for me. We talked about our favorite spots and spots that are still on our list to explore.
The weather decided to ease just enough for our final stops of the day. After talking With Joel, I was extremely thankful for booking the sunset tour. Most tour groups hit the most iconic and popular sights of the Ocean Road Much earlier in the day, leaving the spots completely open for our tour group. We were the only ones at the lookouts!
People often talk about having a place ‘take your breath away’, but nothing prepared me for the views of Loch Ard Gorge and the Twelve Apostles. This stretch of the Great Ocean Road is known as shipwreck coast due to the many shipwrecks that have occurred along the waters here.
One of the more famous stories comes from Loch Ard Gorge. A ship wrecked just off the coast with only two survivors. A young man, who survived the wreck, risked his life to rescue a young lady he heard screaming in the water. They took shelter in a cave in Loch Ard Gorge until the morning when he had to scale the cliffs to find help.
We arrived at the final spot, the Twelve Apostles, just before what was due to be the time for sunset.
As we walked out to the lookout, the sun just started to peak through the clouds in the distance. I was not prepared for the absolute awe I felt as this stunning view came into sight. Pictures truly do not do this extraordinary place justice.
As the sun began to set and the colors changed from reds and pinks to blues and purples, we were greeted with an extra treat. Just like Phillips Island, a group of Little Penguins call the Twelve Apostles home. We were lucky enough to catch glimpses of them as they made their way home for the night along the beaches below.
As we got ready to get back in the van and make the 2.5 hour trip back to Melbourne I couldn’t help but reflect on the absolute wonder I felt with the remarkable beauty of Australia. Even with weather not really cooperating for my time in Melbourne, the extraordinary beauty left me breathless.
Boarding the flight back the next morning was harder then I thought it would be. I left a part of my soul in Australia, but I’ll be back soon. The people, animals, and utter astonishing beauty of this country will be calling to me until I do.
Until next time Australia.
Thank you for following my adventures. I have so many more locations to show you!
Up next: Hawaii. Aloha and Mahalo!