The Great Ocean Road
Having the time of my life! Thanks everyone at Australia Skydive & Adventure Park! Torquay, VIC
We started this leg of the trip with a bang. As a surprise late birthday present Justin took me skydiving! We left his family in Ballarat early in the morning to make our 9:30 dive in Torquey. We arrived and were met by our tandem jumpers and just like that we were 15,000 ft. up in this tiny little plane. When the door of the plane opened it all hit me and before I had the chance to really process it, I was free falling over the Great Ocean Road seeing the next leg of our journey from above. It was all pretty surreal. Exhilarated and full of adrenaline we took off along the coast.
Frenchie along the Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most travelled road trips. With oceanside views and huge cliffs that seem to break off from the highway, this is the perfect road trip for anyone visiting this beautiful country. Boasting iconic beaches, pristine rainforests, wicked surfing and bountiful wildlife, there is nothing not to love about the Great Ocean Road. The only issue is that its wow-factor draws quite the crowd, so you might want to try making your way through during off season. Because we had quite a bit of time to explore all the nooks and crannies of this beautiful highway, we tried to stop at the main attractions during sunrise or sunset to avoid the crowd. Tour busses are on a schedule and they usually take off at 9am and finish at around 5-6pm. This gives you a good window of time to seek out some amazing views.
As we came down from the high of our morning skydive, we drove through Belles Beach, Point Addis and Aireys Inlet stopping at each beach to really take in the beauty of the southern coastline. Lorne was our next stop, where we spent the sunnier part of the day surfing and hanging out on the beach. Being that I’d never surfed before, the small but sturdy swell in Lorne was the perfect place to catch my first wave. I rented a board from Lorne Surf Shop, while Justin went out on his board, which we finally got to take down from the roof! That night, exhausted and ready for some much needed R&R, we head to Teddy’s Lookout for sunset.
Erskine Falls, Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
With the weather being cooler and a little stormy on our first couple days, we decided to head inland to explore the Great Otway National Park. Here, the rainforests are in full force with booming waterfalls that flow through the park making it burst with life and colour. The next couple days were spent waterfall hopping. First we marvelled at the intricacy of Erskine Falls, where water moves through little veins, while small plants and flowers bloom under the rock ledges. Next, we hiked down to Beauchamp falls, which was absolutely breathtaking. The slippery walk across moss-covered rocks led us to the incredible cascade, which was surrounded with layers of plants sporting every different hue of green. We found a spot along the river and watched the falling water all afternoon. As afternoon turned evening, we arrived at Hopetuon Falls. Here, we climbed through a maze of fallen trees in order to get the best seat in the house.
Beauchamp Falls, Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
Best seat in the house at Hoptuon Falls, Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
Later that evening we made our way to Beech Forest to see the California Redwoods. The massive trees stood tall and gently swayed in the wind as we walked along the fern lined riverbed. We noticed one of the giants had fallen across the river making for the perfect place for us to hang out and spend the evening. The next morning we set out to see the last waterfall on our waterfall hopping adventure. To be honest, at this point we were kind of jaded by the beauty of the last three waterfalls, that when we arrived at Triplet Falls we were a little underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful, but the weather turned around and we were waterfall’d out, ready to head back to the beach.
Our afternoon spot in Beech Forest, VIC / 📷: @justybumpstead
Looking up at the giants, Beech Forest VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
We took Wait a While Road, yes you read that correctly, back to the Great Ocean Road and found our spot for the night along Johanna Beach. The red sand beach sparkled during the next day’s sunrise, where both Justin and I took a plunge in the cold & rough water. Later that day we set out for Wreck Beach where we spent the afternoon along the shore, exploring the rock pools and the beauty of the sandstone cliffs. At sunset we went back down to see anchors of the Marie Gibson and Fiji wrecks. I watched as the sun started to lower in the sky and the anchors appeared as golden reflections in the rock pools. That night sunset illuminated the water in peachy hues and I sat back as the day faded behind the horizon.
Anchors from the Marie Gibson & Fiji Wrecks at Wreck Beach, Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
Wreck Beach at Sunset, Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: me
Port Campbell National Park houses the Great Ocean Road’s most visited and glorified tourist attractions. This is where you’ll find such marvels as the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and The Bakers Oven. Port Campbell is known for the large limestone stacks which stand tall in what seams like the middle of the ocean. Eroded from the cliffs that line the shore, these huge rock formations make for quite the spectacle. We arrived near Port Campbell on Saturday morning and after taking one look at the hoards of people and tour busses parked along the highway, we knew we made a rookie mistake. We decided to take a look down some of the roads less travelled, to find some hidden gems. We figured we’d explore some secluded spots and visit the main attractions during off hours, selfishly hoping we’d get places to ourselves.
Frenchie along the road less travelled, Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
One very hot afternoon we went out searching for somewhere to cool down and swim the afternoon heat away. Google maps satellite, *which is way better than the roadmap while you’re travelling, showed that along one of the lesser known turnoff points there seemed to be a path to the water. We followed blindly, as usual and found a small-enclosed beach that had only been discovered by a couple other lucky people. Later that evening we returned to spot we found off the beaten path, near Loch Ard Gorge. Right in between two giant limestone crevasses stood a huge cliff that seemed to extend into the ocean. When we drove down earlier in the day, we knew we’d found the perfect camp spot. We set up and walked out to the cliff, bringing along some picnic essentials and spent sunset basking in the orange glow. There was something about the sunsets on the Great Ocean Road that were awe-inspiring. I don’t know if it was the cliffs, or the glow of pastels over the ocean, but every night as the sun started to fade I became overwhelmed by the power of the light.
Me at “Titanic Rock”, Great Ocean Road VIC/ 📷: @justybumpstead
After our night out on the cliffs, which we decided to name Titanic Rock due to its ship and iceberg like features, I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace and contentment. I felt as if the night was so special that joining the crowds and visiting the attractions would somewhat diminish the authenticity of our previous evening. Of course, it didn’t and the limestone stacks that draw people from all over the world are just as unbelievable as one would dream. Lock Ard Gorge was stunning and the water was the perfect temperature for an afternoon swim. While the Twelve Apostles, although only eight now, carefully decorated the shoreline as if someone had placed them there on the mantle of the sea. Every attraction was beautiful and definitely worth the trip, but every time we arrived at a crowded parking lot (yes, even at sunrise), I thought of our time at the undiscovered and less popular “Titanic Rock”. I thought to myself that even though the beauty of the Twelve Apostles is undeniable, the intimate moments we spent on Wreck Beach and at “Titanic Rock” will stay in my memory forever. I guess I am starting to get a little greedy now that we’ve been on the road a while and have found such incredible and untouched places. Or maybe as I get older I am not as interested in the most spectacular places, but in the more meaningful ones. We finished up the Great Ocean Road with a morning tour of The Grotto, The Arch and The London Bridge. With the last of these natural wonders under our belt, we started to plan for our next adventure, the Grampians National Park.