An iconic Australian road trip and a must do on any international tourist’s itinerary.
The origins of the Great Ocean Road are interesting. Towards the end of the First World War, the Chairman of the Country Roads Board put forward a proposal to the State War Council that repatriated soldiers could be employed to build roads and connect towns in remote areas. Thousands of returned soldiers provided the hard yakka to build the Great Ocean Road with picks and shovels and no heavy machinery. I can’t help thinking that in a way it would have been a good thing for their mental health after the horrors of war.
The route was officially opened on 26 Nov 1932 and for the first few years, drivers paid a toll of two shillings and sixpence. I would happily pay a toll today if it meant the road was maintained to a decent standard.
The 12 Apostles (although I think there are only 8 now)
The drive is really all about the section between Princetown and Peterborough where the road hugs the coastline and tourist buses constantly come and go at the 12 Apostles, limestone stacks which have become separated from the cliffs.
A large section from Apollo Bay to Princetown is steep, winding and uneven road through the forests of the Otway Ranges. It was very scenic (although uncomfortable at times) and there was nowhere to stop through the forest section. Tourists had stopped their cars in dangerous spots where there were glimpses of the ocean or they had spotted a koala in the trees.
The Arch
London Bridge
Originally a bridge, but the first walkway collapsed suddenly in 1990, stranding two tourists. This would have been a great story and I managed to find an interview with one of the people stranded which is quite amusing.
http://www.standard.net.au/story/1726914/london-bridge-collapse-survivor-relives-fateful-day/
The Grotto
Apollo Bay
Dog friendly beaches and Jonathan also managed to capture the Southern Lights in a video taken over the course of an hour. We’ll hopefully see them again in Tasmania.
