The Great Ocean Road Daytrip!

On the Wednesday after I arrived in Melbourne, I decided to go on the Great Ocean Road day trip. I woke up  super early to catch a taxi into the city. The taxi driver ended up taking a left turn onto the tram lines and getting pulled over by the police and asked to do a breathalyser test. It was an interesting trip, however I did manage to make it to the tour office on time. The entire trip took a little over 13 hours. The Great Ocean Road follows the coast (for the most part) between Torquay and Warrnambool. On the trip, we only travelled approximately 188 of the total 243 kilometres. Here's a quick summary and lots of pictures (since the scenery was so beautiful and it almost tells the story better than I do):

Before we got to the coast, we stopped for biscuits and coffee.

Our first stop: A beach right at the start of the Great Ocean Road.

Some of the great surfing waves crashing.

A look back at the coast.

Some of the great scenery from the road.

Our second stop was a small cafe on the side of the road. There, we saw some local wildlife:

A red parrot.

Lots of koalas!

A green parrot.

Third stop: the most significant lighthouse in Australia: The Cape Otway Lightstation. It has been operating since 1848 and sits atop the cliffs where the Bass Strait and Southern Ocean join. The reason it is so important is because after about three months at sea, it would (hopefully) be the first sight of land for immigrants to Australia after starting the journey from Europe.

Looking towards the lighthouse.

A view from the top of the lighthouse.

Our fourth stop was Gibson's steps. There is a total of 86 steps down to the beach. The cliffs are 70 meters high.

Looking down at the ocean.

From the steps.

My first look at one of the apostles.

Stop number five: The Twelve Apostles. As you can see from the pictures, there aren't exactly twelve. There has never been twelve. If anyone is wondering how these giant rocks ended up standing up in the ocean to create some amazing scenery, it's actually a result of the erosion of the coastline. The cliffs are made up of soft sandstone and disappear at a rate of about 1 cm per year.

The Twelve Apostles.

Proof that I was actually there.

A look at some of the erosion.

Great to know I survived certain death.

Back towards the beach near the steps.

A closer look.

Our final stop was Shipwreck Cove. The story is that a ship crashed into the rocks and a young sailor saved a girl from drowning by swimming through the cove and to the beach where he (somehow) climbed the cliffs and found help.

Looking down at the cove.

On the beach.

Very large waves crashing near the entrance to the cove.

Looking back at the beach.

What a great way to end a day!

Has the scenery made you jealous yet? It's way better live than through pictures. I'd definitely suggest renting a car and driving the Great Ocean Road if you ever find yourself in Australia! 

Cheers! Next stop: a week in Cairns.