My 2D1N Great Ocean Road Trip

I’m back!

I was away for a 2D1N Great Ocean Road trip, and was therefore missing in action over the last few days. I have been staying in Melbourne over the last 6 months, and I can’t believe it took me 6 months to finally do a Great Ocean Road trip – I’m seriously a great procrastinator at times. The Great Ocean Road region has been touted as one of the most scenic drives in Australia, and it was one of the many things that was on my to-do list when I came to Australia. Anyway, I finally joined a Great Ocean Road tour with my new Spanish friend, Pau, and we both enjoyed the trip tremendously. Pau and I wanted to plan a trip on our own, but realized that it might be more cost-efficient and less cumbersome if we joined a tour instead. I am usually not a big fan of tours, because I find that I usually don’t have enough time to enjoy the sights, or will be swarmed by a bunch of tourists. However, this 2D1N tour was indeed a different story; I had no regrets doing my trip with Ride Tours (and Todd), and feel that they deserve this shout out!

The trip was absolutely amazing, and though it was raining in Melbourne over the last few days, we were blessed with beautiful weather during our 2D1N trip. The drive was simply scenic and stunning, and I was absolutely overwhelmed by the beauty of mother nature. The good thing about our itinerary was that because we did the Great Ocean Road trip the reverse way, we didn’t really meet any day trip buses, and had ample time to enjoy the splendor of the coastline; it was just the way I like it. 

We had a picnic at Town Hill, and saw some wild kangaroos, koalas and emus. 

The lazy koalas - they sleep 20 hrs a day! Can you see them?

And of course some awesome sights, coupled with some funny tales. I loved how our guide, Todd, tells the story of the London Bridge. A married couple (who were not married to each other) was actually stranded on the other end of the bridge when it collapsed, and it was reported on TV.  Todd said that the lesson learnt is to 'not have an affair near areas with limestone'; I thought this was really funny.

The London Bridge - an interesting story behind it

Enjoyed a beautiful sunset at the Apostles. It certainly was breath-taking. I actually think these pictures don't do the actual thing any justice at all!

 Apart from the scenic coastline views, we did a rain forest walk,

Watched some surfers and kite-surfers do their tricks, and visited the Split Point Lighthouse too ..

The lighthouse in 'Round the Twist'

When we made our way back to Melbourne, we were unfortunately greeted by some flooding in St Kilda and South Melbourne. We were all really thankful for the nice weather that we experienced during this trip. I later discovered that during these 2 days when I was away, Melbourne was actually experience a horrible episode of rain.

This trip has certainly been an enjoyable one for me; all thanks to the nice guide, good company, and great sights. Todd was really knowledgeable, and I certainly learnt quite a fair bit about Australia. In my opinion, it will certainly be perfect for backpackers (or people who don't mind staying in a hostel) who are considering a trip to the Great Ocean Road region. Considering its beauty, a day trip will certainly be too rushed. If time had allowed, I would have loved to spend another night somewhere in the region. Perhaps, when I finally learn how to drive, I will do another trip with James :)