haggis supper

As I have Mother visiting from sunny Scotland I thought a wee trip down Great Ocean Road may be in order. However I'm told that it's more than just a wee drive and probably not worth trying to do in just one day. We also have 2 young kids so prolonged periods in the car are perhaps not a great idea.

Would it really take too long to reach it ? Are there any parts that we could reach within a couple of hours drive that would be worth it or should we plan it properly and make an overnight stop ?

Any help and advice would again be appreciated !

Cheers
Col

Shellfish

Hi Col

The GOR is wonderful and is certainly worth a visit. It really depends on how far down you go, it's incredibly long and so starts in Torquay which is about 1.5 - 2 hours and goes all the way down to Warnambool which I believe is around 6 hours away. If you want to go as far as the 12 apostles (about 3 and a half) which is definitely worth a visit, then it may be worth a stay over. It's not difficult to organise a stop over because there are loads of hotels, motels, b&b's, chalets and caravan parks all the way along the GOR. In my opinion, it's worth staying over so that you don't have to rush back, take in the view and enjoy

haggis supper

Hi Shellfish,

Thanks for that, we'll probably do the trip properly and make an overnight stop to avoid too long in the car with the kids.

Cheers,
Col

Flying Banana

A friend of mine did it on a coach trip in August, left early morning and got back late in the evening so a long day to do it in one hit, the coach goes down the GOR and then comes back via inland main road so not a scenic return journey. Would defo recommend an overnight stop to be able to enjoy it if you're driving.

http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au/

JackTheLad

Hi Col,

We've done the GOR trip twice and stayed at a B&B called The Douglas both times, because, as my husband would say, "it was so darn nice". The accommodation is right next to the river with a beautiful view. I can highly recommend the place to anyone going on the GOR and needing an overnight stay. It's about 7 hours from Melbourne if you don't stop too many times along the way, but you will want to stop a few times to take in the view. We started at 10am and got to the B&B at about 6pm, driving quite slowly and stopping a few times for photos and lunch.

The roads are very windy (I mean twisty, not windy as in wind) so passengers in the back of the car might need a strong stomach or some ginger tablets.

Cheers,
Mrs JTL

brisnick

i've done it three times (driving) from melbourne in a day without stopping over, but i'm not sure you could do it from hampshire in a day!!

to be honest, it is a long day, but possible - and we stopped off many times along the way. i think if you have the time though, i'd do it in two days.

banjo

we live about 45mins from the GOR and ahve driven along there many times. We have two small children and just visited Warrnambool and the 12 Apostles again this past weekend. If you are coming from Melbourne then I'd definitely recommend a stop-over as although in some sections there are not massive distances between places, the windy roads (esp. between Apollo Bay and Lorne) make it slow going.

You could always plan a couple of hours at Warrnambool as they have some fantastic and huge play parks which our children love. They have the bbqs and stuff so ideal for a picnic. I think it's called Lake Pertobe.