Great Ocean Road/South Australia round trip.

[b2tf]

Thought I'd do a quick writeup of a trip Ive just taken with mrs b2tf. We're from NSW but we have wanted to do the Great Ocean Road for a while now so we left last Saturday afternoon and got home this evening. 2600kms and 3 states later a few notes for those who might be considering the same route.

Day 1 - Wagga Wagga to Melbourne

Standard trip down the Olympic Hwy to join up onto the Hume Hwy outside Albury. A nice easy trip, no real big issues along this one and it's an easy drive in both directions. We arrived in Melbourne around 7:30pm after taking our time getting there from home.

Things to consider:
Get an E-Tag or at the very least a 24hr pass and organise it before you get there. The phone system is not easy to use and I had to make about 3 phonecalls to actually speak to a person to organise a pass. If you forget it or you're unsure how many times you will use it, wait until youre finished in Melbourne and then give them a call, you have 3 days from your first trip to pay for it.

Bring a Navman or update the GPS on your phone - my Galaxy S performed perfectly. We stayed in Richmond and it was a great spot.

Things to do:

In Melbourne theres heaps to do and if youre like me and hate Sydney Melbourne is a far better option. Our time was limited so we ate at our hotel and then headed down to the DFO at South Wharf - awesome shopping and very easy to get around. Get there early to get a good car park and be prepared to lug your missus' shopping around.

[DJM83]

Sounds like a top trip mate, i actually visited the GOR when i was down for AFF Drag nats, only gripe was i didnt have my car. Its bloody nice down there.

[b2tf]

Day 2 - Melbourne to Geelong

Nice easy trip from Melbourne to Geelong apart from the standard Victorian CBD driver's operating procedure to be an absolute nutter and infuriate those trying to drive around you. The right lane is for overtaking and otherwise it's keep left unless overtaking FFS!

I was very keen to visit Geelong for obvious reasons, all things Ford started here and the Discovery Centre was a big drawcard for me. I would love to say that the Discovery Centre is well worth the drive, but to be totally honest I was left a little disappointed. I did not know what to expect and there were some amazing cars in there - most notably the Raptor concept (the Territory precursor), R5 (the dual cab ute that was at the 2000 motor show) and a really interesting BA GT development mule. I was really hoping to see more of the Tickford stuff but unfortunately aside from a mint AU XR8 sedan tucked away in a corner there wasnt much else. That said, the displays and memorabilia in there is worth a look at there was a mint FG GTE in there too. Well, mint aside from the fact that it's front end was destroyed (accident impact tester). It would be really nice to see Ford put some new life into the FDC and hopefully they expand on it and make it a very worthwhile attraction.

Geelong harbour is nice but very 'touristy' so be prepared to pay the usual premiums for a coffee etc but the scenery is good and it's not as rushed as some areas. Lots of nice restaurants too.

In the afternoon we went for a drive out to Ocean Grove and down to Torquay - bloody nice area that and cannot recommend having a look around there enough. See day 3 for the rest.

Things to Consider

The trip from Melbourne to Geelong is a tollway so you will need a pass.
In Geelong, EVERYBODY loves AFL so don't be put off if youre not used to it.

Things to do:

Ford Discovery Centre - $9 admission for adults, didnt check kids prices as we dont have any. Call ahead to make sure they're open and charge your camera batteries before you go.

Geelong harbour - as I said a bit touristy but worth the look and a nice laid back area. Generally pretty easy to get around too.

[b2tf]

Day 3 - Geelong to Apollo Bay

This was right up there as one of my favorite parts of the trip. If youre heading down to GOR chances are you will go this way and start at Torquay then head down through Anglesea and on to Lorne and then Apollo Bay.

Lorne and Apollo Bay were sensational. Yes very touristy but if you can get past that its a damn nice part of the world. I especially liked Lorne and if we had have had more time I would have easily stayed there another day or two. Really nice place and cannot recommend taking some time to stop in and have a look around.

Apollo Bay is much like Lorne and it's where we chose to stop for the night, all of our accommodation was pre booked before we left by the better half and she chose an excellent spot in Apollo Bay that was a B&B about 200m from the beach. Topped off with a beautiful seafood dinner (even if youre like me and dont go far from fish when it comes to seafood it is almost mandatory to try it when youre on the coast) we couldnt have asked for a better time.

Things to Consider

The GOR is a fantastic drive but you may find yourself quite often stuck behind buses or caravans etc. Dont get frustrated with them because you wont get around them - not many oppotunities to overtake but they do have turnouts for the slower vehicles to move over and let you through.

You need to have good tyres and brakes for this bit and a nice throaty V8 would lap this road up - we chose to take the Accord Euro over the XR8 on our trip but if I was doing it again the XR would get the nod. Great fun.

Fuel can be pricey so try and fill up in Geelong etc and avoid the smaller town servos.

Things to do

Stop at Torquay - if you like your shopping there is a Rip Curl, Oakley, Billabong and DC shoes stores there all with good shopping. Great for surfers too.

Take your time doing the GOR and do stop at Lorne and Apollo Bay - yes they're touristy but you will enjoy it.

Have dinner at The Vista restaurant in Apollo Bay. Pricey but well worth it.

[b2tf]

Day 4 - Apollo Bay to Mt Gambier

Day 4 was one of our biggest travelling days and we had a lot of ground to cover. When we do this trip again (and we will do it again) I would probably shorten our travel distance and take more time to stop in at some of the towns on the way.

The Twelve Apostles are on the other side of Apollo Bay and to be blunt they're a bit of a hike and if it is anything like the day we were there it will be bloody cold and have a million tourists of a certain background all there. It is one of those 'you must see this' sites but you probably wont sit there for hours and marvel at the wonder of creation. Take your camera, get some pics and move on. Lots of little stopins along the trip too.

There are a few towns along the way which are worth looking around, I especially like Portland and I would have liked to have had more time to spend there. We both agreed we are going to go back and have another look around that particular area.

Mt Gambier also appealed to us and we were very surprised to find out some of the more interesting parts of the area. If youre like me you might think Mt Gambier is just another town along the way but I was very surprised to learn that it has quite a large cave system literally right underneath the town. Formed from Volcanic activity way back when, there are a few caves and sinkholes around the place that are pretty interesting - we toured the Engelbrecht cave and it has some amazing history about it. Wont ruin it for you but spend the $12 and take the tour for yourself - wear good shoes though as it can be slippery.

Things to consider

Depending on how far you're planning to travel in one day it can be a long trip behind the wheel. Aim to plan some good stop points for lunch etc and enjoy the break, as I said above I now wish we planned our trip to not have to go so far in one go.

Most of the GOR outside of Apollo Bay is 80kms and verrrrrrrry windy. As per day 2 your tyres and brakes need to be up to scratch and take your time - its a fun drive but dont push it too hard and always be wary of the hire cars and camper vans. Some of the parking/viewing areas can creep up on you and the trouble is that the campers often dont see them so they slam on the brakes and swerve into them.

Things to do

Visit the 12 Apostles (but take a jumper)
Stop in at the various towns along the way
Go to Portland and drive out to the lighthouse
Go to Mt Gambier and tour the sinkholes and Engelbrecht Cave
Have a steak at The Barn in Mt Gambier - pricey but bloody good!

[kinksta]

My favourite part driving wise with the GOR is the rainforest part. Tired arms after that hehe!!

[vanman_75]

Lol I did Melbourne to 12 apostles back to Melbourne in 1 day , chopper flight few picks .note to anyone going there is no tucker or souvenirs ...which I hate as I collect stubbie holders .did you find that the ..80 km speed was on the optimistic side , but noted down all the spots we would like to stay for a slower trip .and I had no no clue what actual road I was on ...I just wing it with signs , so on the cautious side I paid 4 days full cover for the toll ways and I just received an overdue notice , which is up to 20 dollars from a 3 dollar toll .no wonder you all hate the govco down there money grabbing p@#$s .

[outside]

we did the GOR to Mt G in one day. kids didnt like it to much, too many corners for them

[z80]

Melbourne to Geelong is not a Tollway,

It's the only freeway out of the Melbourne CBD that is still free.

There are four hidden speed cameras in each direction.

One of them makes more than a million dollars a month.

They have reduced the speed limit on the great ocean Rd to 80km/h between Torquay and Lorne for most of the way .

It will drive you absolutely insane in a high performance car on weekends, might as well bring the Prius instead....

There are police everywhere, enthusiastic police with demerit point quotas.

40km can take two hours on long weekends.

Don't bother trying to stop in Lorne in summer...nowhere to park.

If you're from Queensland or NSW make sure you bring a wetsuit...even in summer...the next land mass is the south pole here.
The water is always too cold even on a 40 degree day.

How do i know? I live here.

[vanman_75]

Went to Phillips island and dandenong ranges ,amongst other trips ,, some nice tourist spots down there .I only went sight seeing to fill in sone time while waiting for my granddaughter to arrive . I just hate this auto toll thing ,, i got an etag for qld got trips to brissy , but the hire car mobs don't offer the tag with car , ends up dear when you get it wrong . Sorry off topic lol
.very nice drive down the gor , just out of interest how long do you get out of your tires and wheel bearings , if I lived there I think the corners would do my head in

[Ford_The_Win]

It's quite easy to get around Melbourne without using the tollway, I always take the King's Way turnoff and go from there. I never have issues with the traffic or anything like that.

[davenl5l]

pussies melboune to adelaide in one day after sandown 500 via gor including having a look its not that far lol

[SirHenry]

Very nice write up!

My wife and I did the GOR to Mt Gambier run from Brisbane a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed it.

One thing I can recommend is the road from Apollo Bay to Colac via Forrest.
This road takes you through the Otway Ranges and we found was so relaxing and enjoyable. We got caught out not booking accommodation on a Vic/Sa Public Hol and had to stay at Colac about just under an hours run.

Port Campbell and Warrnambool were good overnight stops as well. Cape Otway Lighthouse was good too as was LochArd Gorge.

And yes we are definitely going back again one day as well!

I wonder if could get a Driving Holiday/Road Travel subforum created I think fellow forum users could benefit it.

[MWTB]

Apologies for the somewhat grave dig, but I'm looking at taking my girlfriend on a drive to the 12 apostles and other locations along the great ocean road like the Gibson steps, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge and the Bay of Islands.

I live in Ringwood, is this something I could do in one day, or would we need to stay somewhere overnight? Just trying to work out costs v time while I'm off work.

[Auslandau]

Try and stay at least 1 night somewhere ..... even if you make it as far as Warnambool, stay the night then drive home.

[BPXR6T]

I've done it in a day heaps of times. You can do it in reverse too by heading straight down the princess hwy from Geelong to Warnambool. Then taking the GOR back to Torquay.

[mcnews]

There are numerous routes between Melbourne and Sydney that are some of Australia's best drives. Taking the Hume option is dying a slow death... But sometimes a necessity time wise.

[Velociraptor82]

Don't forget to visit the Aireys Inlet Lighthouse if you're familiar with the "Round the Twist" TV series.