I enjoyed the busy city life in Melbourne for a few days, but soon the adventurer and nature seeker in me took over again. It so happens that one of the best road trips in the world is around the corner: The Great Ocean Road. It is also the world's largest war memorial, dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I. After a wonderful group trip in Rotorua, I was again looking to share the experience with other people. It didn't take long to gather our fellowship, which coincidentally consisted only of Germans.
We roughly followed the guide from Lauren. In a time of popularity-oriented LLMs and influencers sharing "must-do's" after spending one day in a foreign place, I highly appreciate the valuable knowledge of a local person.
In theory, one can do the Great Ocean Road in a single day, but I can't imagine that being a good experience. Instead, we decided to stay a night in Port Campbell. It was also nice to have another driver on board, so we could split the driving time.
The first highlight was Bells Beach, the home of the world's longest continuously running pro-surfing competition (since 1962). Despite the rain, we spotted multiple people surfing the waves.
"There are no kangaroos in Austria…", but there are in Australia!
We spotted a couple of them along the way, but they quickly disappeared into the bush.
We decided to go to the Anglesea Golf Club, known for its wild kangaroos. You can buy an overpriced tour on the golf course, but there were lots of kangaroos outside as well. As responsible tourists, we kept our distance, but they seemed to be only mildly interested in us.
Our next short stop was at Aireys Inlet and the famous (among Australians) Split Point Lighthouse.
Half an hour after the official beginning of the Great Ocean Road in Torquay, we reached the Memorial Arch. The traffic was low, so we took the opportunity to get the iconic photo.
After a short detour to Teddy's Lookout, we headed toward the next spot. Kennett River is a tiny village, mostly known for wild koalas living nearby. We followed the path through the forest, but actually spotting those furry bears turned out to be a challenge. However, with four pairs of eyes (and some exchanges with other tourists), we were able to see four or five different individuals high in the trees.
Keep your eyes open when driving, too. If you notice people standing next to the main road, there's probably some wildlife around.
After checking into our hostel, we had enough time for a quick stop at Loch Ard Gorge.
A few minutes away, right before sunset, we finally reached our main destination: the Twelve Apostles. It was by far the most crowded place, and I wouldn't like to see what it's like around noon with all the day visitors. However, there's a lot of space, so we mostly didn't have to fight for a viewpoint.
While the sunset and the view were great, it wasn't the life-changing experience it's claimed to be. It's a solid 8/10 spot, but nowhere near the hype it is given.
We followed the recommendation from the guide and revisited the Twelve Apostles the next morning. I'm so glad we did, as the vibe is different and it's way less crowded.
After a long and exciting day, we were all tired. Two of us had some motivation left, and we decided to once again see the Milky Way. We didn't have to drive long to reach a completely dark spot. The sky was slightly cloudy, but it was a great experience nonetheless.
The next morning, we started at the London Bridge. The formation was once connected to the mainland, but it collapsed in 1990.
The Gibson Steps Beach differs from the other spots, as you can climb down the steps to reach the beach, offering a different perspective.
We also did a quick and fun photo shoot!
I still remember being impressed by the tall redwoods in Rotorua, so I was looking forward to visiting the Redwoods Otways. The place is also great for a picnic.
Given the time, we decided to visit two out of the three recommended waterfalls.
The 45-minute walk to see the Triplet Falls is a nice way to escape the heat. While the waterfall itself is impressive, there's no good (official) spot to enjoy it unobstructed. Because of that, I found it underwhelming.
Our second choice was the Beauchamp Falls, mainly because it is possible to swim near the waterfall. It takes 1.5 km one way to reach the spot, and it's slightly more demanding. For the most part, we had the spot all to ourselves.
After reaching the waterfall, our expectations were literally chilled. Two of us didn't even try to get into the water, while another person tried but backed down quickly.
Following my Yes Man approach, I once again took up the challenge. After my caving adventure, the water was not as freezing as I had expected. Still, at only 10–15 °C, it officially counted as my first ice bath. Without a wetsuit, I quickly noticed all kinds of body reactions, but it got better over time. Finally, I swam all the way to the waterfall to round out this unique experience.
Me jumping into the water was enough to motivate my companion to follow through, and we both enjoyed the dopamine hit. After getting out of the water, I had to face my initial worry: getting warm again. My extra-light towel was enough to get me dry. I put my clothes on and rushed back to the car, using the heat from the physical activity. I'm not sure how healthy this was, but it worked pretty well 😅.
Apart from kangaroos and koalas, I had two noteworthy bird encounters.
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