The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is regarded as one of the great coastal drives in the world. At 150 miles in length it certainly affords some remarkable scenery and views

It was built between 1919 and 1932 by soldiers returning from the Great War.   It stretches from Torquay to Allansford

 

The seascape can change dramatically as the weather changes. Increasing cloud gives a much more brooding, atmospheric look.

A short detour from The Great Ocean Road takes you to secluded spots such as Blanket Bay. The bonus is less fellow travellers and the opportunity to see Koala in the trees on the road towards Cape Otway lighthouse.

The Gibson Steps give access from the cliff down to the beach from which you can view the following two limestone rock formations

Probably the most well known feature, and certainly the most photographed, on the Great Ocean Road are the Twelve Apostles found just outside the town of Port Campbell. Made of limestone and formed by erosion the power of the sea has reduced the number of apostles to eigh,t the ninth having collapsed in 2005. It is likely that the number will reduce further due to the relentless action of the sea.

The effects of coastal erosion can be seen at other places in the Port Campbell area. From Martyrs Beach, just a few miles west of the Apostles,  limestone sea stacks can be seen. While not as spectacular or high as the Apostles they are no less impressive. Plus you get to see them without the crowds. Coach tours had ensured there were hundreds of people viewing the Apostles, there were four other people at martyrs beach!

 

We drove the Ocean Road in two days with overnight stops in Lorne and Port Fairy, to the west of Warrnambool. You could easily spend longer if you wanted to explore the towns and regions along the way.

 

Otway Fly Treetop Adventures

The Great Otway National Park is in the state of Victoria and is approximately 160Km south west of the city of Melbourne. It is an incredibly diverse area, including part of the coastline of The Great Ocean Road, cool temperate rain forest and the Otway Ranges.

The Otway Fly is a visitor attraction that can be accessed as part of a trip down The Great Ocean Road by taking the Skenes Creek Road (C119) just east of the beachside town of Apollo Bay. The route is well signposted  and involves a left turn just after Tanybryn. It takes about an hour in total from The Great Ocean Road as it is a hilly, twisting, turning journey through sections off the most amazing rainforest.

There are two main activities once you arrive.

  1.  The Otway Fly treetop Walk
  2.   The Otway Fly Zip Line Tour – unfortunately this was closed on the day of our visit.

The tree top walk is 25AD and takes about an hour to complete. It includes 600m of elevated walkway through the forest and an opportunity to climb to the top of the tree canopy via a spiral tower which takes you to a giddy height of 47m.

Cool temperate rainforests are very old having been around for 140 million years. The rainforest in the Otway receives about 1.5m of rain a year and the cooler temperatures ensure that the forest doesn’t become as dry as many parts of coastal Australia.

One of the most significant trees in the rainforest is the Myrtle Beech. They can grow up to 35m tall and live for around 300 years. It is hard to believe that some of the trees growing in the forest today were saplings before Captain Cook discovered the south east of Australia. Despite its great ability to age it is an increasingly vulnerable species as it is highly susceptible to bush fires as its seeds are not fire resistant like those of other species such as eucalyptus whose seeds need fire to help them germinate. The trees themselves become heavily buttressed as they age with swollen bases.

Ground ferns and tree farms are found in abundance in the understory while the branches of trees are often festooned with mosses and lichens all adding to the biodiversity of this wonderful habitat.

The forest is a magical place and well worth the detour from the Great Ocean Road to visit it. There is a real sense of timelessness here despite the fragility of such areas in light of human activity. They should be protected and cherished, but don’t all go to see them at once as it might just spoil the peaceful tranquility of the place.

The Grampians

The Grampians is a sandstone mountain range in the state of Victoria and is 250km north east of Melbourne. It was declared a national park in 1984 as is a very popular destination for tourism and recreation in Victoria which was exemplified by the numbers of people in Halls Gap, its main town, at the time of our visit.

It is an area of natural beauty with rugged rock outcrops and woodland. A number of walking routes exist in the area and the route to The Pinnacle is one of the most popular. The Pinnacle is a rocky outcrop which affords excellent views and is well worth the climb to the summit.

A couple of routes are available to walkers. We parked at the wonderland carpark, probably the best name for a car park ever, and ascended via the Grand Canyon. It may not be quite as large as its North American counterpart but it has its own rugged beauty.

The walk itself is not that difficult but on a hot day you do need plenty of water and a few shaded stops on the way up were most welcome