The stretch of road known as the Great ocean road It has a length of about 240 km and goes from Allansford to Torquay (100 km from Melbourne). We already told you how was our trip here in the article of Stage 6 of the roadtrip through southwest Australia where we have the main stops and viewpoints on this beautiful scenic road. What we have left pending is to tell you a few Tips for touring the Great Ocean Road (and don't screw it up), so here they go:
We have it clear: the Great Ocean Road is a road that needs to be explored step by step (soft smooth), without hurries or schedules. Also if you do for free You will have the possibility to improvise stops in places that you like and that are outside the itinerary of the organized tours.
We only advise visiting the Great Ocen Road in a tour In the case that you do not drive or do not dare to do it on the other side of the world, or that you are in Melbourne and just want to spend a day. But believe us, the freedom that will give you to have your own means of transport is priceless.
→ Rent a car in Australia
→ Rent a van / campervan in Australia
→ Tours to the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne with Get Your Guide or with Civitatis
If in the end you decide to do it for free (yass), we advise you to take your time ... we traveled it in 3 days (2 nights) and still, the last part we had to do it at full speed.
It is true that they are "alone" 240 km and that the Great Ocean Road is covered in about 4 hours (according to Google Maps), but keep in mind that you will make many stops, and some of them for quite some time.
As for the gas stations, there are several scattered around the route, although I always fill up when I go through the middle of the tank. The best thing is that you download the app Fuel Map Australia, with map and updated prices of nearby gas stations. Greetings!
There are at least 7 points that you cannot miss, from west to east these would be:
- Bay of Islands
- The grotto
- London Bridge
- Loch Ard Gorge
- Twelve Apostles
- Gibson Steps
There are two quite famous places where you can see these nice marsupials in freedom (beware of animal sanctuaries because not everyone is responsible). One is inKennett River To try to see the koalas Park in the Koala Café and walk up the Gray River Road, there you will surely find someone hugging the trunk of a tree. The other is on the roadLighthouse Rd (in the Great Otway National Park), although we didn't see any here. Actually there are quite a few in this area, we saw several from the van on the main road, but be careful and don't get lost!
Always remember to respect the animals and try to go unnoticed for them: don't make noise so that the koalas wake up (they spend a lot of the day sleeping) and of course you can't think of feeding them.
This was the main reason why we decided to stay at the campsite next to the Twelve Apostles: get up early to enjoy this landscape (almost) alone ... and it is that after noon it is filled with tourist buses and we assure you that you will share the viewpoints with a LOT of people.
We also had a great time visiting the Twelve Apostles twice, since the weather is quite changing and the first time it made us a horrible wind that almost didn't let us enjoy the show.
There is a way (The Great Ocean Walk) of 104 km which can be traveled in one week (approx). If you fancy aventurilla, you are fit and time is not a problem for you ... why not?
→ More info here: www.greatoceanwalk.com.au
… Beware of rips, such unpredictable sea currents are the number one cause of accidental deaths in Australia.
Obviously it depends on the type of vehicle you have rented. If you take a van or motorhome, you can sleep in one of the campsites which recommends the Wikicamps AU app. But let us advance that you will not find free sites (except from what I see the Jamieson Track Campground) ... You will not ruin, usually the price for a plot in the Caravan Parks Around $ 40 (although they can be found cheaper). We spent one night at the Apostles Caravan Park (a few kilometers from the Twelve Apostles) and it cost us $ 35.
If you travel by car there are quite a few coastal villages with accommodation for all budgets, from Holiday homes, hotels, motels to hostels for backpackers. We stayed at the YHA of Apollo Bay and the truth is that it was great. Prices for a bed in a shared room are around $ 30 and private rooms in motels can be found for about $ 90.
→ Accommodation on the Great Ocean Road
These are some of the Essential tips for touring the Great Ocean Road. If you need more info or have questions, do not hesitate to search on Google. Nooo, leave us a comment / e-mail and we will answer you very happy.
