During my first week in Australia, I went on the Great Ocean Road Trip. We started in Adelaide and made our way to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road which stretches along the coast of Victoria, taking visitors past famous rock formations like the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge (shown in the middle picture).
Day One
Throughout our first day, the road was inland and we passed through acres and vineyards and small towns. Our first stop was the Naracoorte Caves National Park, where we walked through the Stick-Tomato Cave. After leaving the Naracoorte Caves, we went to Umpherston Sinkhole. The sinkhole was a popular tourist spot where a sinkhole that had collapsed in the late 19th century was converted to a terraced garden. Our final stop before the campsite was Blue Lake in Mount Gambier. Blue Lake is a crater lake formed after a volcanic eruption that has an average depth of 236 feet. We camped at Swan Lake Campground, a site near the beach and enormous sand dunes. We got within ten feet of a group of wild kangaroos, which was the first time I had seen a kangaroo up close.
Day Two
We started our day with the Cape Bridgewater Blowholes, the one of the first notable rock formations along the Great Ocean Road. There was a cliffside walk alongside stacked rocks and a longer walk where visitors might be able to see seals during the winter. After stopping at the Cape Nelson Lighthouse, we went to the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve. Here we saw wild koalas and emus in their natural habitat. Koalas, like kangaroos prefer not to get too close to people.
Day Three
On the third day we reached the most well-traveled and well-known part of the Great Ocean Road. Our first stop of the day was the Bay of Islands, a collection of sea stacks in the center of a bay. Our next stop, the Bay of Martyrs was similar but had beach access so we were able to take pictures on the rock formations. Because all of the formations were so close together, we were able to see the Grotto, London Bridge, the Arch, Loch Ard Gorge, and the Twelve Apostles in the span of a few hours.
We camped in the town of Lorne where we tried schnitzel at a restaurant called the Bottle of Milk.
Day Four
After leaving our campsite, we drove to Teddy's Lookout. Teddy's Lookout is a scenic view from a cliff overlooking Lorne and the surrounding beach. Next, we went to see the Phantom Falls in Great Otway National Park. Ironically, a long period without rain meant that the falls were dry when we visited. Even without the falls, we were able to go on a beautiful hike and see more of Victoria's forests.
Days Five and Six
We arrived in Melbourne on the morning of our fifth day. We had lunch at Hawker Chan; the original Hawker Chan in Singapore was the first street food stall to earn a Michelin star. While in Melbourne we visited the State Library Victoria, known for its iconic rotunda. We also visited various laneways, which are themed alleys known for eccentric street art. The laneways we saw included AC/DC Lane, Tattersalls Lane, and Hosier Lane. Since Melbourne is internationally renowned for its coffee culture, we stopped by Proud Mary before leaving the city for a batch brew and brunch. We left Melbourne early in the day and headed back towards Adelaide, through an inland road this time.
Day Seven
We camped in Grampians National Park on our sixth night and went on a quick hike up to Pinnacle Lookout. The rest of the day was spent driving back to Adelaide.
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