Melbourne— The Great Ocean Road

I am not usually a tour person. When I read about the Great Ocean Road that runs along the coast just outside of Melbourne, I knew that it was too good to miss, so I looked into my options. 

Renting, or rather hiring, a car was one possibility with two problems. First, I am ashamed to admit it, but I don't know how to drive a standard. Second, I was nervous about driving on the left side of the road. On top of that, photos showed the road as somewhat narrow and winding, adding one more level of discomfort. I liked the idea of being able to stop anywhere I wanted, but I had to admit it didn't sound very realistic.

I wondered if there was public transport of some kind -- a regional bus or train -- but no.

So, it seemed a tour was my best choice, and on my first day in the city, I stopped in at a tourist office on my way back to the hotel and booked a minibus tour: The Great Ocean Road in Reverse. The "in reverse" part means that you drive directly to the farthest point (on an inland highway) first thing in the morning and then slowly return along the coastal road, stopping at points of interest on the way.

We set off from Melbourne at about 7:30 a.m. and a had a brief stop for tea and biscuits at a little picnic ground. Along the way, the tour guide told stories about places we passed. This sounds pretty awful, but it was actually very well done. He didn't talk too much, and when he did he had something significant to say. Just my kind of tour guide!

Our first sight-seeing stop was Loch Ard Gorge, the site of a famous shipwreck. Two survivors found a cave to shelter in and were eventually rescued.

the cave

The Razorback

Next we visited the Twelve Apostles. By this time it was rainy and windy, so not the best time to hang around admiring the view, but it was definitely worth looking at.

The Twelve Apostles

From there we went to a picnic ground in Great Otway National Park, where the rain was really coming down. Our lunch spot was under a canopy, so we were out of the rain, but afterwards we went for a walk into the rainforest. It was wet, but still very beautiful. It reminded me of being on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 

Because we had all been good boys and girls, we were allowed a couple of unscheduled stops -- one in a little beach town where we looked in shops on the main street and walked on the beach. 

And then we stopped in another town, at a lookout point where we could see the road we had come on. Definitely narrow and winding!

We also saw a few sulfur crested cockatoos in the trees and in the parking lot.

Next we stopped at a place called Kennett River, where we went for a stroll along the river and saw koalas. They were not in a good position for photos with a cell phone, but as the young German girl who was on the tour said, "I will remember this always." For about 20 minutes, we were able to watch them climbing and eating leaves, and then it was time to go.

We made one last stop, at the Great Ocean Road memorial arch, and then it was back to Melbourne.