Australia Great Ocean Road | Here comes a video worth sharing! Enjoy the highlights of Australia’s Great Ocean Road. The scenic highway is located approx. 100 km south-west of Melbourne. “Australia: Travels on the Great Ocean Road” is a well-done travel documentary by Robert Stephens. He captured stunning sights while driving on this engineering marvel, that had been built between 1919 and 1932 by returning servicemen from WWI. In his video, Stephens covers the must-see-things: Koala-spotting, 12 Apostels, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge and the surfing paradise of Bell’s Beach.
The Great Ocean Road is not just one of Australia’s most visited tourist sites. It is listed among the world’s top 10 most scenic drives. Connecting Torquay in the East and Warrnambool in the West, the Great Ocean Road got it all: outdoors bushwalking, surfing, mountain biking expeditions, cultural routes through galleries, museums and heritage attractions, stunning coastlines on the Great Ocean Walk, koalas, emus and kangaroos at Tower Hill, and inspiring seaside villages.
In Warrnambool, travelers should stop at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. This village is part of Victoria’s Tourism Award Hall of Fame. By day, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village is a maritime village and museum built around 1858 state heritage listed Warrnambool Lighthouse. By night, the village hosts ‘Shipwrecked’ – a theatrical multi media and outdoor special effects experience. It brings the tragic story of the Loch Ard disaster back to life in a multi-million dollar Sound and Light show.
Holder of Victoria’s largest maritime and shipwreck collection, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village feature piece is the Loch Ard Peacock. That’s a priceless relic from the shipwreck named “Loch Ard”. It was lost in 1878 at Loch Ard Gorge. The Flagstaff Hill area includes Middle Island, a small, rocky island. On that island, Maremma sheepdogs are trained to protect penguins rather than humans or sheep. They act as a deterrent to foxes. The Maremma sheepdogs are featured in the Australian movie Oddball.
Where to stay at Australia’s Great Ocean Road
booking.com lists some 300+ properties along this gorgeous highway. Traveler wallets will certainly like the very affordable Cally Hotel in Warrnambool (US$50 per night). On the luxury end there are Gillies House and RACV Torquay Resort, both not particularly stylish but expensive (US$350 per night). Expect an average spend of US$90 per night for a 4-star-property.
Butterfly Farm Nirranda
We did stay at the Butterfly Farm in Nirranda for $97 per night. 19th century country style building with lots of greenery and lots of breakfast. Quiet, clean, 7 minutes by car to the Bay of Islands. 25 minutes to either Warnambool or the 12 Apostels. We visited the Great Ocean Road in Mid November and had perfect Austalian Spring weather.
Last not least, we want to give you this link to an adorable blog post of Polish travel blogger Alexandra. She was having a cool vacation in Australia together with a bunch of white parrots -> TravelAndKeepFit: Crazy Parrots in Australia
Australia Great Ocean Road. By Chili & Chirp | © International Destinations | Find out more about Australia here -> AUSTRALIA.
