The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243-kilometre stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, and is the world's largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of World War I. It is an important tourist attraction in the region, which winds through varying terrain alongside the coast, and provides access to several prominent landmarks; including the nationally significant Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations.
driving along the GOR is the highlight of our trip. i have to thank WW for suggesting this to us. we spent 3D2N going from one end to the other, before making our way back to the city using another way. my only regret is that we didn't allocate one more day covering the route. the husband graciously allows me the control of the wheel as we drove along the coastline, and if you know me, you know how much i LOVE being in the driver's seat (except when i'm stuck in traffic). so yeah, BEST ROAD TRIP EVER!
the best thing about having our own car was that we could stop anytime we wanted to. and we did just that: stopped as many times as we had wanted to. hahaha... on the first day we left the city at about 11am after collecting the car and reached our first stop at Apollo Bay at around 6, just in time before it got dark. if you looked at the map, it distance we covered each day were not that long, but with the constant photo stops, it was just nice. i would totally recommend anyone who goes to Melbourne to spend 4D3N at the GOR. complete satisfaction with money back guarantee hehehe... (don't do it during summer though, heard the traffic can be quite heavy).
onto some photos!
our ride, the Kia Cerato hatchback, which was rented from Avis (booked online via vroomvroom.com.au for free)(there was an Avis centre within walking distance from where we were staying). it cost about 80+AUD per day (quick breakdown: car rental about 48AUD, optional insurance AUD27, GPS rental 10AUD). it's a stable car, with more than enough room for the both of us. petrol consumption was low, as didn't need the AC -- it being winter, we had the window down most of the time. petrol cost about 1.40AUD per liter (it varies from day to day, from petrol station to petrol station), and we spent <100AUD for the entire trip which covered about 887km :)
reminder to self -- bring more CDs/songs next time. i brought one CD full of Lee Hom, Mayday and Sodagreen songs, and by the third day, i think we have heard every song at least 2-3 times. heheh..
the gateway to the Great Ocean Road at Torquay. this was about 100km from the city. the bronze statue is to remember the men who built the road.
at one of the many, many stops we made. i can't get tired of this view. i could just sit there the whole day and watch the waves come and go..
another view of the coastline. somehow the photos just don't do justice to how gorgeous the real thing is.
opps. that's my finger up there. but look at the colour of the water and the limerock cliff. pweetyy. this, i believe, was taken at Loch Ard Gorge.
this was at Lorne (a small town).. srsly, i had to pry myself away each time we stop to take photo. i wish i had all the time in the world to do this!
this is how i take photo of the camera-shy hubby. hehehe.. jadi juga lah!
at the 12 Apostles (more photos later).. one of our longest stops. i couldn't figure out what's so captivating about what we saw. it's just rock and water. but my oh my... *deep breath*
when i saw this, i thought of the EAC (East Australian Current) from Finding Nemo. i don't think this is it though. but it's an interesting pattern on the water there.
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