The Great Ocean Road

It was late evening when, Vivek knocked at my room and asked me if I would like to go by road to Adelaide the next morning. We had been in Melbourne for two days attending a conference. ‘Why not?’ I jumped at the offer in excitement. After all, one does not get an opportunity to travel a distance of more than 700 km in a day and that too to see the ‘Great Ocean Road’. We collected a few things for the weekend trip which was to commence on a Saturday morning in August. The stopover for night was planned at Adelaide at an old friend’s place.

Next morning, I woke up, thrilled at the prospect to undertake the longest road journey of my life! Vivek, had stayed in Australia earlier and had the valid driving license so rest of the logistics was fairly easy. We rented a car and took off for the trip! The roads were relatively free from traffic at Flinders Street as we headed towards Geelong. We pored over the map and charted the course as follows: Melbourne- Geelong- Torquay-Warrnambool- Portland-Mount Gambier-Sherwood- Adelaide( See the map). We estimated that the drive would take almost 9 hours without taking halts! So we would reach sometime in the evening to our destination as long as captivating sights do not delay us further!

The road was built by the soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and is dedicated to the war casualties of World War I and is the largest war memorial. This road is now included in the list of Australian Heritage sites this year.

The Great Ocean Road is a 2 hour drive from Melbourne with a dual lane highway. From Geelong onwards the ride along the ocean offers some of the most breathtaking views of the coastal scenery with enticing giant sea waves giving company. There is a great variety of flora and fauna interlaced with local culture, history and a wide variety of wild life ranging from Kangaroos to occasional sighting of Koalas! There are certain stretches where one can see whales, if lucky! There are lighthouses and some traditional fishermen villages, shipwreck sites and maritime museums. It is literally a treasure trove to explore. There are scores of gourmet seafood restaurants, regional cheese and wine making centers en route. Wild berries, olives and citrus fruits grow in this region. At the Melba Gully one can see the glow worms in the dense foliage of rain forest near Otways, which look like a million twinkling stars descended from heaven. The rollicking fur seals and dolphins can be sighted in Port Philip Bay.

There are rugged cliffs, virgin beaches, and dense forests doting the long stretch of the Ocean road. The road is divided into stretches between, Torquay to Lorne, Lorne to Apollo Bay and Apollo Bay to Warrnambool and finally to Nelson. The Twelve Apostles is a famous scenic spot to savor the panoramic vistas and sandstone cliff views

The drive is a rewarding experience of unsurpassed visual beauty and a feast for eyes. I was reminded of the famous John Denver’s song ‘Country Roads take me home, through the plains!’ as we proceeded.  Soon the long undulating road welcomed us to the outskirts of Adelaide. The street lights had come on and the euphoria of having seen some of the most captivating sights kept me enthralled in days to come!