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GREAT OCEAN ROAD TRIPPIN'

evedavies2000

Updated: Apr 12, 2021


After a brief stay in Melbourne, one sunny Sunday morning we caught a train, followed by a bus, to Hume Highway in Somerton where we picked up our Apollo 2-berth Hitop Campervan. Excluding petrol this was costing us $700 for eight nights and nine days, a fair price considering we were getting somewhere to sleep as well as our own transport. The camper was no state of the art vehicle, but it had everything one needed in a temporary living space, all in compact form. There were cushioned benches and a table that converted into a bed, a sink basin, a fridge freezer, adequate cupboard space, a hob with two gas rings, storage beneath the bed/benches, and a sizeable overhead shelf to house our backpacks. We loved her. I had sketched a rough itinerary, with aid from TripAdvisor, to get us to Adelaide and back within the nine days with various overnight stops. We had nothing to guide us through every hour of the day. We hadn’t located, never mind booked, a single camp site. Yet the unknowing of where we would sleep each night and wake up each morning was thrilling. Having very limited plans, first we headed 8km south of Melbourne central to Elwood.



Elwood is an inner suburb of Victoria known for its mix of Edwardian and Interwar architecture. We parked at the beachfront and strolled up one of the multiple cobbled streets to Ormond Road, a pleasant street lined by shops, bars and cafes, shaded by London Plane trees. We sat out on the main street for lunch at Jimmi Jamz, a laid-back family-friendly restaurant.




Thereafter, we drove 10 minutes further south to fulfil my inner tourist longing to visit the Brighton Bathing Boxes. As colourful and charismatic as its progenitor in England, Brighton Beach is lined by 82 vibrantly painted bathing boxes, built over a century ago in response to Victorian ideas of morality and the surge in seaside bathing at the turn of the 20th century. The uniform huts retain classic Victorian architectural features, but are adorned by individual licensees' artistic embellishments. Some huts have elaborate paintings while others are simple, turning Brighton Beach into an iconic beachscape that attracts thousands of Instagrammers and explorers all year round. When standing looking out to sea, tilt your head left to admire this famed stretch of sand, or right to view Melbourne's grand cityscape. Just try to resist pulling out your camera and snapping away.

So, how much would it cost to buy a bathing box?

Although few figures have been disclosed, it was recorded at an auction in April 2018 that Bathing Box 76B sold for a record price of $337,000.



Leaving Brighton Beach was when we discovered a little more intricate planning would have come in handy. After watching the sun set driving back north along Port Phillip coastline, overcome with the excitement brought by our first day on the road, it hit us that we truly didn't know where we were going to rest that night, we knew we had a bed in the back of the camper, but where would we park? As it got darker the unknowing became more of a worry than a thrill, and we ended up staying our first night in a motel car park adjoined to a casino. This was not how we imagined camper van life to pan out. We expected to be waking up on idyllic beaches without considering prohibitions laid by law (most Australian councils legislate against camper van street parking - this is something certainly should have looked further into before setting off) . Instead we woke up to the magnificent view of a 'State of Victoria' wheelie bin. Nevertheless, we used a gym at a local leisure centre and managed to wash and shower there, setting us up fresh for our first full day on the road.



We drove just over an hour before making our first stop at Anglesea, where we enjoyed lunch at the general store cafe. I loved the traditional country atmosphere here. Our next stop was Erskine Falls, Lorne. Being thirsty for panoramic views and hidden idyllic spots, on route, we were magnetised to Big Hill lookout. Admittedly this wasn't a hidden spot as we were joined by a family and elder couple, but the views were still stupendous. Through a branched alcove we admired the glistening sapphire sea that stretched for miles ahead, fringed by the green glazed rock that forms South Australia's coastline, weaving around equally as far.



A short distance further along Great Ocean Road, we met the colourful town of Lorne. We deflected Great Ocean Road and headed down numerous, seemingly never-ending, country lanes. We serpentined for five miles, following a red Hyundai family car for the last leg of the journey. Since they were the only other car on the roads, we assumed they were heading to the same place and hoped they weren't as clueless as us. Finally we reached a small woodland carpark and parked up alongside a row of flourishing trees in the only space large enough to house the van. A sign at the forest opening pointed in one direction to the 'Upper Lookout', an easy five-minute walk away, and in the opposite direction to the 'Lower Lookout', a more strenuous walk down a trail of 240 steps, some of which were narrow and steep, while others were gradual and wide. Finally we reached the base of the fall where we were rewarded with a spectacular view of one of the most popular waterfalls in the Otways. The Erskine Falls plunges 30 metres into the lush tree-fern gully of the Erskine River. We leaped across huge stones at the foot of the waterfall, to sit and chill upon a flat rock quite a distance from the whitewater. We were warmed by the sun's rays that split through the overhead foliage, before taking on the challenge of climbing back up the 240 steps. We stopped off at the Upper Lookout on our way back. It was fascinating viewing the plunge of the water from this height and looking down on where we had come from.



A two hour journey took us to Port Campbell where we spent our first evening on an Australian campsite, which actually ended up being one of our favourite evenings of the trip. I reserved a powered site at NRMA Port Campbell Holiday Park campsite through a smartphone app called 'Aircamp' for $32 a night. We arrived at the campsite at around 8pm. We had stocked up on chicken skewers, chicken sausages and veggies on route, but failed to find a disposable BBQ. After stopping in every single shop we passed we concluded that disposable BBQs must be prohibited in Australia; perhaps due to environmental policies, or more likely, not to tarnish the reputation of Australian BBQ culture with such substandard equipment. To our delight, we found the campsite well equipped with an outdoor BBQ area, camp kitchen and laundry room which were open until 9pm, meaning we could quickly throw on a wash and swiftly cook up our feast.

Note taken: don't pay $5 to wash clothes then leave them in the machine overnight. You are basically paying for them to smell ten times worse than when they went in.

Besides, the campsite was bustling with experienced campers. People gathered outside their vans for a beverage and chat, reminding me of the atmosphere I was emerged in every weekend as a child at Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales.



My hilly and gloomy morning run also took me back to this Welsh setting, brightened by a faint rainbow over the cliffside. We filled this drizzly Tuesday morning with a 153 mile / three hour drive further west to Mount Gambier, making a significant dent in our expedition. Here we darted from a shopping centre car park to a cosy little coffee shop, battling the wind and rain to save our flimsy black umbrella. We warmed up with a almond milk flat white, dextrously topped with an immaculate rosette. It brightened up later in the day so we were able to visited Blue Lake; a large, monomictic crater lake located in a dormant volcanic maar. Blue Lake is associated with the Mount Gambier mar complex and is a quadruplet along side Valley Lake, Brownes Lake, and Leg of Mutton Lake.


Packing our day with colour, next we headed to Pinks Beach in Kingston, a further 102 miles along Princes Highway. Though, upon arrival, we were disappointed to discover that, unlike BLUE Lake, PINKS beach does not coincide with its name, and what we found was a ginormous stretch of ordinary sand. If you starred closely (or perhaps convinced yourself) you could possibly identify a pink tinge in the sand, but it was certainly nothing like the photographs we had seen online. The instagrammers really had outdone the filters with this one.

Nevertheless, Pinks Beach is inevitably a breathtaking stretch. From a human eye there is no end, neither left nor right, to the unfurling silky sand. We stayed the night at Kingston Foreshore Caravan Park, where I booked an unpowered site for $21/night through the Aircamp app. We arrived after check in hours so the owners kindly left a slip of paper, marked with my name, a map and directions to our pitch, in reception for us to collect. The campsite was eerily quiet throughout the night.



When morning came we took advantage of being practically on the sea edge and took a dip in the sea at 6am. Contrary to our expectation of Australian temperature, the sea was Boltic, however, the crisp briny tang was a refreshing wake-up call, far better than the screech of an alarm clock. Shortly after, we packed up our things and made way for Adelaide - South Australia’s cosmopolitan coastal capital.

We broke up the last stretch of our journey west with a lunch stop. We found a picnic bench at a grassy space alongside Princes Highway where we were approached by vicious seagulls and decided to retreat inside the camper to finish our pre-packaged salad bowls. The drive into Adelaide was gratifying. The thoroughfare, that for miles had been fenced by a dense thicket, started to open up and gradually turned from a coastal to a main city road. Road signs and markings started to appear more frequently indicating that we were getting closer to the city. Partly expecting Adelaide to be some backward facing outback town, we were surprised by how big and modern it is.



We couldn't check in the campsite for another two hours so we killed some time, or perhaps invested some time, visiting West Beach. Here we were greeted by an idyllic beach opening. We followed a wide sandy path to the seashore. An undulating white sheet of sand stretched along the coast. Restless waves crashed upon the placid sand. We recharged with an afternoon sea dip in the blustery water, walked along the foreshore path, then back along the street admiring the grand beach front houses. They were perfect houses in a perfect location, just a few strides from a ravishing sandy beach, and a short drive to the city centre. The best of both worlds, satisfying the desires of a rural-lite and urban-ista.

When two o'clock came, we set up camp at Adelaide Caravan Park. The day was warming up, so we hung out some washing and set up our camping chairs and table to enjoy an afternoon drink in the sun before heading into the city. A pleasant walk through Adelaide Botanic park, which soon became Rundle Park, took us closer to the centre. On route we passed Adelaide Zoo, Adelaide Botanic High School and the University of Adelaide. We put our trust in Apple maps and followed its route to Adelaide Central Market, examining the city's vibrant street art on the way. Unfortunately, we arrived at the market just after 4:30pm and most stalls were already closing for the day. We missed the full commerce it offered, however, we observed the much-photographed graffitied quote at the entrance and I picked up a postcard at a newsagent compartment on the way out; so I was satisfied with our trip. We exited the market at the opposite end and landed in China Town, one of the thirty five China towns worldwide. After an hour or so strolling around the city, we stopped at an open air roof top bar for refreshment. The bar was called The Gallery and was filled with suited professionals meeting for a post work drink. Feeling slightly out of place in our flip flops, we nestled in the corner on high stools to enjoy a beer and a vodka soda. When the temperature dropped, a friendly bar attendant offered us a cosy spot under a patio heater where we stayed for some time. Next, we discovered a Spanish tapas bar down a narrow side alley along with several other dark lighted bars. We stepped over our budget and indulged on octopus and several other fine dishes from Spanish cuisine. Full of good food and drink, we headed back to the campsite by Uber.



The following morning was relaxed. We gradually packed up our things and headed for coffee. Within a five minute drive, we found an edgy coffee shop called Local Grind, where we were served beautiful food and tasty coffee. We were also greeted by the friendly, very chatty owner, who advised us to stay another night in Adelaide to experience their Fringe festival.


Not wanting to divert our own brief plans we didn't abide. Instead we made way for Port Noarlunga, a suburb in the City of Onkaparinga, 30 kilometres south of Adelaide centre. We strolled around some quirky boutiques, then drove five minutes further to Port Noarlunga South where we met a beautiful emergence of river into sea, intercepted by smooth curvaceous sands reached by a lengthy wooden downward staircase. Standing at the top of the staircase was breathtaking. Such a unique formation of land seemed surreal. The beige and sandstone colour palette of this beach gave the effect of a desert; a perfect desert without anyone but ourselves in site. Another notable aspect of this beach was the shells. Being a shell-obsessed beachcomber, I sat twirling my fingers through the sand, letting the grains stick behind my nails while I picked out beautifully unique shells.



Leaving this precious spot, we split the four hour drive to Robe - 'South Australia's favourite seaside town' tucked away in the limestone coast - between us, stopping on route to photograph cows grazing in fields that lace the never-ending country road. For miles we could see nothing but grassland, thickets and a single stretch of road from window to horizon. We spent this Thursday night at Robe Sea Vu caravan park perched on the cliff edge, overlooking the picturesque shores of Guichen Bay, for a more expensive cost of $40. Again, we arrived late to a quiet campsite.



The following morning we left early, beginning a four-and-a-half hour / 239 mile drive east to visit one of the world's wonders - The Twelve Apostles. Shortly after setting off the petrol gauge lit up sending us into a minor panic as there was not another petrol station for sixteen miles along Princes Highway, a single road lined by nothing but vast thickets. Thankfully, we managed to chug our way to the town of Millicent where we fed our van and ourselves. From here we still had 190 miles to go, which we travelled almost soley along one road. On route we passed masses and masses of trees with long thin trunks, some in organised lines, others in disorderly jumbles. Occasionally, we'd pass through a little pocket town with a 'high street' consisting of a food land, petrol station, news agents and possible cafe. Thirty-nine miles before reaching The Twelve Apostles, just after passing through Allansford, we diverted Princes Highway, taking a right turn onto Great Ocean Road.



We had viewed photographs of The Twelve Apostles, but nothing quite readied us for the spectacular vista we encountered coming face to face with them. These rock formations are the result of ongoing erosion, brought upon by the harsh climes of the Southern Ocean. Over the course of thousands of years, the crashing waves managed to erode the soft limestone, forming caves within the cliffs, which later became arches. The arches collapsed in time, leaving rock stacks measuring up to 45 meters high. As a result of constant erosion, currently, there are less than ten that remain. Nevertheless, they were a spectacular formation. The walkway and viewpoints projecting out into the Indian Ocean was grand. They inevitably deserve their title as one of the world's wonders.



Without a designated destination or any camping plans that night, we freely continued our drive east. About an hour into the drive we made a random road-side stop at a signpost for Castle Cove. We decided to follow a narrow bramble path leading downwards. The path was overgrown but it was possible to follow it. We hoped to find a beach where we could relax to break up the long drive. Our hopes lifted as the path got sandier. Soon we reached a line of sand-covered rocks, beyond which was a totally vacant beach. The deep beige sand was untouched, not a footprint or paw print in sight. The waves roiled, their crests collapsed onto the sand and peacefully travelled up the shore forming a chrome sheet. We sat and admired this scene for around an hour, a beachscape that transformed by the quarter-hour according to light and colour. It was sapphire blue, then canary yellow, gradually growing amber at the horizon and iris above; a beautiful wash of colours like watercolour on a canvas. We procrastinated the drive, not wanting to leave this spot, which became one of our favourites of the whole trip. Before we left we vowed that we would return one day.


A further thirty minutes along Great Ocean Road, we reached Apollo Bay - a seafood village embraced by tranquil beaches, rolling green hills and the Great Otway National Park. Unfortunately, we arrived here in darkness and made it a quick stop to fuel up the camper and ourselves. It was approaching 9pm and it looked as though the seafront restaurants were closing for the day. Not wanting to be the annoying last customers demanding food once the kitchen had been scrubbed down, we got some supplies from the grocery shop - rice, prawns and mushrooms which we could throw in a pan to cook on the camper van hob. We failed to find a suitable sleeping spot at Apollo Bay so made another hour dent in our drive. We were yet to drive at night so took this as an opportunity to experience Great Ocean Road in darkness. I was feeling lethargic and dozed off in the passenger seat, sleeping through most of the drive. I woke up shortly to find we were back in Lorne, where we parked up at the beachfront to spend the night.



Lorne is a quirky seaside town, a popular surfing spot and buzzing arts community thanks to its fresh sea air, white beaches and relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere. The morning sun animated the town, bringing alive the shops and cafes on Mountjoy Parade. We had breakfast at HAH cafe looking out to the sparkling waters of Loutit Bay. I had a delicious chia seed oat pudding topped with frozen berries, coca nibs, coconut flakes, nuts and seeds - starting the day the best way. After this, we strolled along the soft-sand beach and back along the main road, admiring the houses and inspecting the store fronts. I fell in love with this place, I longed to work in that cafe and live in one of the beautiful beachfront houses.


Back to the camper for a two hour drive back to Melbourne, stopping at Geelong on route, ending our time on Great Ocean Road. Although we still had the camper for few days to explore Melbourne city, and travel down south to St.Kilda and Mornington Peninsula (see next post).

...

1,390 miles later we returned our beloved camper van to Somerton industrial estate in much lower spirits than when we picked it up. Nevertheless, we were still high on the memories we had created that week. Sat in the back of an uber, taking us back to Melbourne centre, we discussed our favourite places and moments of the week; both agreeing that Castle Cove was undoubtedly a pinnacle and Lorne our favourite town. We calculated the distance we had travelled that week - 1,390 miles. To us this seemed incredible, considering our home country of Wales is just 170 miles (one eighth) from North to South and a meagre 60 miles wide, but we had only covered a freckle on the face of Australia.


Gold Coast trip pending ....

...

Day 1: Elwood -> Brighton Bathing Boxes

Day 2: Anglesea -> Big Hill viewpoint -> Erskine Falls Lorne -> Port Campbell

Day 3: Mount Gambier / Blue Lake -> Pinks Beach -> Kingston

Day 4: Adelaide

Day 5: Port Noarlunga -> Robe

Day 6: 12 Apostles -> Castle Cove -> Apollo Bay -> Lorne

Day 7: Geelong -> Melbourne

Day 8: St Kilda -> Mornington Peninsula -> Dromana

Day 9: Melbourne

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