24 HOURS ROAD TRIP ACROSS THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD OF AUSTRALIA
The world's largest war memorial
By: Milagros Wade
If there's one thing most travellers can agree on, it's that there's no better plan than hitting the road to explore a new destination. Road tripping, in its simplest version: listening to loud music, being surrounded by good company, and indulging in delicious snacks scattered around the car. On trips like these, we yearn for time to stretch like an old piece of gum and push the destination on our maps kilometres away.
Fortunately, there are routes like the Australian Great Ocean Road, where the journey is the destination itself. On this road trip - deeply ingrained in Australia's cultural DNA - there's no specific place to reach; instead, you relish the various ones that unfold outside your window like a movie, until you stumble upon one that beckons you to stop for a while. In the case of the Great Ocean Road, those places could be many: from the vast, wild beaches with cliffs like Bells Beach, to the charming coastal towns nearby like Lorne or Apollo Bay, all the way to the viewpoints in Port Campbell National Park.
Best of all? You don't need weeks of travel to cover it all – just a minimum of 24 hours.
The road's first kilometres and story
"We'll grab coffee on the way," said my brother, eager at the wheel. It was 9 AM in Melbourne, and there wasn't much time to spare. We only had 24 hours to cover the 307 kilometres that separated us from Bay of Islands, the final viewpoint on the route. It can be certainly achieved, as long as you don't stray too far from the road that borders the coast from beginning to end. The clear sky and the morning sunlight mollified the chilly early winter.
Our first stop was the already mentioned Bells Beach, a surfer's paradise and the annual venue for the Rip Curl Pro, one of the world's most important surf championships. The wooden lookout perched above it was the perfect stage for a great first photo.
The original custodians of this land - the Wadawurrung community - first named this beach Djarrk. Foto: M.W.
However, the "official" entry point to the Great Ocean Road, technically known as the B100, doesn't greet you until 29 kilometres down the road, where you'll reach the iconic Memorial Arch. This second stop is a must – not only for the promising 'grammable photo opportunity beneath the wooden starting point but also to delve into the road's rich history. Erected in 1919 by First World War veterans in honor of their fallen comrades, the Memorial Arch proudly holds the title of the world's longest war memorial. The project was funded by the government of the state of Victoria, serving as both a heartfelt tribute to the veterans who served the state and the nation, and a source of employment for those left jobless after the war's end.
Carb-Feed Along the Way
It was nearly noon when we arrived in Lorne, a town of just 967 residents that perfectly coupled the stunning landscapes we'd been admiring for the last hours. A harmonious blend of dark, pristine waves in the distance, a lush green meadow unfolding along the road, and the exquisite weather that prompted us to roll down our windows. No wonder why this road is acclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful. By 12:35 PM, Lorne exuded serenity, characterised by its ocean-view thoroughfare, low whitewashed buildings, and tranquil, empty streets.
After enjoying some well-deserved "fish and chips," one of Australia's fast-food classics (though originally from England), we bid adieu to this lovely town and resumed our journey to Port Campbell National Park, our final destination of the day.
Along the way, we visited the coastal town of Apollo Bay to tick-off another must-visit spot on our trip: "Apollo Bay Bakery", home to the famous scallop pie, a seafood twist on the traditional Aussie meat pie. They rushed in and out of the oven, piled high on trays, handled boldly by busy, sweaty employees. Unlike the other pastries on display, this remarkable filled pie didn't even make it to the glass counter. We eagerly joined the queue of customers without hesitation. In that moment, neither the undigested fried fish nor the race against the setting sun were as important as savouring the town's signature dish.
YHA Hostel in Apollo Bay and beautiful coffee shop in Lorne. Photo: M.W.
Encounter with a Dear Friend
My mother's sudden and euphoric shout, about 15 kilometres after leaving Apollo Bay, abruptly snapped me out of the drowsy trance induced by the food coma. "KOALAAAAA! KOALA!" she yelled uncontrollably as we drove along the lush trails of the Great Otway National Park. I couldn't blame her; having the chance to spot one of Australia's most famous yet elusive creatures in its natural habitat - the eucalyptus branches - was quite an achievement, especially in the afternoon, their usual nap time. Koalas can sleep up to 20 hours a day, which is why the odds of spotting them significantly increase in the morning or during sunset.
Koalas are born blind, hair and earless: they start to develop and grow these from six months old. Foto: M.W.
The stroll through the Otway National Park marked the second and final stop before reaching the homestretch of our journey at Port Campbell National Park, less than 100 km away. These two parks, though relatively close, couldn't be more different. The Great Otway, slightly inland from the coast, boasts a lush and vibrant landscape. Its winding trails lead you through tall, slender trees, and low, leafy shrubs that dominate the scenery. Freshwater flows in the form of waterfalls, the most renowned ones, Erskine Falls, Hopetoun, and Kalimna. While Cape Otway Lighthouse - the oldest one in Australia dating back to 1848 and one of the park's main attractions - might have been tempting, we had to save it for another time. With only an hour left before sunset, the final leg of our journey beckoned.
There are more than 17 waterfalls in the Great Otway National Park. Photo: M.W.
Final Stop: The Twelve Apostles
These iconic 45-metre tall monoliths - which have little to do with the religious allusion to their name - are the Great Ocean Road (and dare I say the state of Victoria's) main tourist attraction. They are undoubtedly protagonists of every picture, from the ones greeting you at the airport to those taken by countless tourists who pose with their natural spectacle behind them. The icing of the cake is the setting sun, only if the weather cooperates. Originally, there were nine of them, separated from the mainland by the perennial, natural process of erosion caused by the Southern Ocean's relentless action against the cliffs over the years.
However, the first one collapsed in 2005, and the next one followed in 2009, leaving only seven Apostles today. While they are visible from the road, the best views can be appreciated from the wheelchair-accessible walkways at various viewpoints in the National Park (a thumbs-up for my grandmother, the fourth member of our trip).
The 12 Apostles are the third most popular tourist attraction in the country, after Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef. Photo: M.W.
For those travelers content with the journey up to this point, concluding this one-of-a-kind road trip at the Twelve Apostles is an option. However, for those eager to extend their adventure by an additional half-hour, exploring other equally impressive formations, there's more to see: Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, The Grotto, and finally, Bay of Islands. We arrived at Bay of Islands just as the last rays of sunlight faded.
Port Campbell National Park receives more than 2 million visits per year. Photo: M.W.