The Great Ocean Road is a long road stretching westward from Melbourne, filled with beautiful views and quaint beach towns. The main attraction is close to the end of the road: Twelve Apostles, a collection of what was once twelve huge rocks jutting out of the ocean. However, it takes around four hours to reach these huge cliffs, and there’s lots of opportunities to stop along the way. The following are my favorite places to stop:
- Anglesea Golf Course
This is a must see for some up close and personal time with kangaroos! If you park in the parking lot and make your way to the right of the clubhouse (if you are facing it) you can wonder off into the course and should be able to find some kangaroos!
- Lorne
The next stop is a town called Lorne. There are a lot of great places to stop and hike here. I did a short hike through the forest that ended at the Erskine Falls, a beautiful waterfall, and it was definitely worth the stop. In addition, a lot of cockatoos fly around here as well, and it’s a great spot to stop and bird watch.
- Kennet River
This is a little stop on the side of the road near a cafe called Kafe Koala. You can usually spot some koalas in the trees, as well as colorful parrots and cockatoos. When we stopped here we were lucky enough to run into a tour guide who was feeding all the birds so we got up close and personal with them. It’s definitely an awesome spot to stop to check out some of Australia’s wildlife.
- Apollo Bay
This is a great town to stop in to grab some food or wonder around the beach. There are a couple places for takeaways for fish and chips, and you can get the food and wander onto the beach to enjoy the sunshine. Watch out for the seagulls!
- 12 Apostles
Last but not least is the main destination! There’s a visitors’ center and a walk out to see these rock formations. Fun fact: there are actually only seven “apostles” or cliffs! The other five have fallen into the water and are no longer visible.