Great Ocean Road VIC 2016

After leaving Warrnambool we stopped to explore the historic Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, an impressive recreation of an 1870s coastal port village, complete with original buildings, maritime artefacts and stories from the Shipwreck Coast era. A really interesting glimpse into the harsh and often dramatic history of this coastline.

From there we headed east to begin our Great Ocean Road journey, albeit in reverse order to most people, travelling west to east.

Naturally, an essential stop along the way was at the famous Warnambool Cheese and Butter Factory for supplies before continuing on to Peterborough and the Great Ocean Road Tourist Park.

We had originally reserved a waterfront site, but after arriving quickly decided a more sheltered location within the park might make for a more relaxing stay. Decision made, we wasted no time setting up before heading straight back out to explore the famous landmarks of the Shipwreck Coast, including the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, The Grotto and Bay of Islands.

The weather kept things interesting with light showers rolling through on and off during the afternoon, but we somehow managed to dodge the worst of it. By sunset the skies cleared completely, rewarding us with beautiful golden light over the coastline for our final round of sightseeing. An added bonus of the patchy weather was far fewer tourists than expected, making the whole experience feel surprisingly relaxed.Read more