The ART in FIRE

The Great Ocean Road An Australian Experience of a Lifetime

Trends Traveler
By Charaighn Sesock

In November, our family embarked on the adventure of a lifetime and headed down under. My husband and I boarded a 13-hour flight from LAX to New Zealand and another 5-hour flight from New Zealand to Melbourne with our 3 and 5 year old daughters. Although everyone thought we were crazy traveling so far with the girls – it was a trip we will never forget! Our 20-day adventure took us through the most amazing cities and countryside throughout Australia.

One of the greatest parts of our Australian holiday was the road trip we took along the Great Ocean Road. Being California natives, we thought we’d seen it all when it comes to ocean beauty. But nothing can compare to what we experienced here. The Great Ocean Road offered one of the world’s most breathtaking coastlines, and an Australian holiday must see attraction. It is located along a 150 mile stretch of coastal road in Victoria, Australia, between the cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. Over the years, it has quickly become a favorite destination spot among tourists and locals alike, offering stunning views of untouched beaches, sea cliffs and rainforests.

The road was originally built as a Memorial to the soldiers killed in the First World War. Today, the road is traveled by all kinds; families seeking an adventure for the kids, locals wanting to escape Melbourne city for the weekend, and couples looking for a romantic getaway.

When traveling the Great Ocean Road it is recommended that you allow for a few extra days, in order to fully appreciate all the wonders and destinations the road can take you. Each twist of the road presents a magnificent contrast of ocean views on one side and lush green forests on the other as you pass through each beach town along the way. With the kids in tow, we decided to take 3 days to slowly travel around and take in as many wondrous sites as possible.
An hour drive from the city of Melbourne, we came upon our first views of the beach while entering the town of Torquay. We took this opportunity as a chance to let the kids run around in the park and have a barbeque lunch overlooking the beach. It was also a great chance to take in the sea air while watching the surfers at Bells Beach zig zag through the waves.

We continued further down the road to the town of Lorne. While Torquay caters to surfers, the beaches at Lorne are more family friendly. There, we were able to spend the rest of the day swimming in the pristine waters, and browsing in the local town shops.

Just up from Lorne Beach is another coastal town known as Apollo Bay, which is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway. We stayed at a quaint, family cottage on the edge of the ocean. This gave us a chance to eat some fresh seafood for dinner at a local hot spot and rest for the night.

The next morning we got up early, and headed out for our day. There is something amazing about the tranquility of your surroundings that can take your breathe away and offer you the experience to explore lush terrain. Just off the main road, we came across Mait’s Rest Rainforest Walk, which is an excellent opportunity to stretch your legs on a short, easy trek. The girls loved running along the path through the Rainforest filled with nature’s gifts to Mother Earth including brightly colored plants, large gorgeous trees and insects of all kinds. The information plagues along the path detailed the species of plants and animal life found in these parts, and provided an opportunity for us to learn about these wonders of the forest.

Another spectacular treasure of the Great Ocean Road is Cape Otway National Park, just off the main road and featuring rainforests, wildlife, streams and the Cape Otway Lightstation. As we drove along Lighthouse Road, we spotted a colony of Koala Bears sleeping among the trees. Although initially difficult to spot, they were amazing to see! The girls were absolutely speechless to see such beautiful animals in the trees. Of course, we pulled over and jumped out of the car for a closer look. That also gave us a chance to see other remarkable creatures in the trees such as eagles, Kookaburras, Cockatoos and Parrots. To top it off, perched on the sea cliff was the Cape Otway Lightstation, which is the oldest surviving lighthouse in mainland Australia. It has been in continuous operation since 1848.

Toward the end of this amazing adventure, the Great Ocean Road lead us to our final destination and most famous attraction on the road, The Twelve Apostles. They are located inside Port Campbell National Park. The Twelve Apostles, once called Sow Piglets, are a collection of huge rock formations created by the constant erosion of the limestone cliffs, which began 10 to 20 million years ago. These tall-standing nature-made structures offer majestic scenery of sandy brown set upon the blue ocean.

They were breathtaking. We got the girls out of the car for a walk along the path to the see these amazing rocks. The girls were in awe at their size and said they looked like giant people standing in the water.

Many other formations that could be seen from the road, caused by erosion from waves and rain, included the Loch Ard Gorge, the Grotto and the London Bridge. All of these nature-made structures were incredible sites. Each offered an ideal spot for family photos and stretching small legs!
We stayed another night in our charming cottage in Apollo Bay, and headed back to Melbourne the next morning. Along the way home, we stopped to check out the Split Point Lighthouse and Eagle Rock at Otway National Park. The lighthouse was built in 1891 and is known as the White Queen, standing tall in the ocean air. Next to her, the girls seemed so tiny. Just off the side, we were able to see the magnificent view of Eagle Rock, dark brown against the blue ocean made the view spectacular and surreal.
As temperatures from the beginning of the summer season began to rise, and with the girls full of energy, we decided to catch some rays at Torquay Beach and spend the rest of the day swimming in the blue ocean and playing in the sand.

Driving the Great Ocean Road offered our family 150 miles of the most surreal ocean views of a lifetime. Whether you choose to make a quick weekend trip or decide to travel more leisurely along the road, as we did, you are sure to walk away with a stronger appreciation of all the beauty Australia has to offer. The experience of the Great Ocean Road was a once in a lifetime adventure, but one that makes us want to travel back for more!