Saturday, July 13, 2013

The Great Ocean Road: One of the World's Best Drives

By Mark C O'Loughlin

The Great Ocean Road in Victoria's southwest is one of the world's most iconic drives. If you remember your junior maths you might recall the 3r's - reading, riting and rithmatic. Well, Australia also has its own version of the 3 r's. The Reef, the Rock and the Road. The Reef of course is the Great Barrier Reef. The Rock is Uluru and the Road is the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road begins in the seaside town of Torquay and finishes near Warrnambool. It's a drive of more than 100 kilometres along perhaps the most spectacular coastline that Australia has to offer. At times you will find yourself driving along meandering roads which sit comfortably between grassed sand dunes and a calm sea and at other times you will be hugging roads which cling dramatically to cliff faces with raging seas beneath.

You never know what to expect when you drive along the Great Ocean Road. It is of course largely dependent on the weather. Beautiful, still sunny days will produce an ocean with an intense blue which is not often seen in other oceans and the sea can be very calm. The following day may be just the opposite, especially if huge Southern Ocean swells arrive. The Victorian coastline is known for its big swells. These are generated a long way away and roll onto our coast with thundering applause much to the delight of surfers.

I would think the major attraction of this road for tourists is the drive itself. If you are coming from interstate or overseas then you will probably be needing to hire a vehicle. What kind of vehicle you hire will depend on what type of holiday you want to have. There's lots of hire companies in Melbourne where you can hire vehicles. If you intend to take your time and slowly make your way along the road then you might like to consider a campervan. This will enable you to stop overnight at tourist parks along the way and there's plenty of them. This is an inexpensive option and then you then have your hard earned money to spend on yourself rather than accommodation.

If, on the other hand, you are fortunate enough to not have to worry about money, then you might consider hiring a sports car. The Great Ocean Road was built by returned ex servicemen from World War One and I'm sure they had no idea that they were building a road that seems almost purpose built for sports cars. Don't drive over the speed limit though. Indeed, you will have little chance because this can be a very demanding drive and gives little opportunity for speed. Happy driving!

The Great Ocean Road passes through a number of small seaside towns and you will find a large range of accommodation available to suit all budgets. We recommend you try Great Ocean Road Accommodation. This website lists a large array of accommodation venues and also has lots of information on things to do and things to see.

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