Discovering Australia on the Great Ocean Road

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My Great Ocean Road holiday on Australia's southeastern coast was an amazing experience. This road winds for 150 miles through the state of Victoria. The trip gave me the opportunity to enjoy nature, learn about Australia's history, shop and sample local cuisine.My adventure began when I landed at Melbourne Airport in Melbourne. I then headed southeast along the Great Ocean Road to Warrnambool . I chose a car hire as my means of transportation ( full list of all car hire providers in Warrnambool here ). This allowed me to stop at any place I found interesting and spend as much time as I wanted there.My first stop was in Geelong approximately 46 miles from Melbourne. I strolled along the waterfront here while I admired landscaped gardens. I enjoyed the view during my lunch at a restaurant with a view of the bay. A tour of a local vineyard took up part of my afternoon, and I bought a bottle of local wine from one of the area wineries. I enjoyed seeing the Australian art displayed at the Geelong Gallery.I then headed to Queenscliff approximately 20 miles away to do some shopping, have dinner and spend the night. I browsed through antique shops and then treated myself to a massage at a spa in the city. Dinner was rack of lamb at the restaurant in the Vue Grand boutique hotel. I spent the night in the hotel and enjoyed coffee on my balcony the next morning before I headed southwest to Apollo Bay and the Great Otway National Park. I spent the morning hiking on one of the trails in the park and had lunch in one of the picnic areas there. I took a horseback ride along the beach in Apollo Bay at sunset and then had seafood at a restaurant with a view of the ocean. My room in the bed and breakfast here had mountain views.A stop in Princetown the next morning gave me a chance to feed kangaroos and wallabies at the Great Ocean Road Wildlife Park. I was also able to see these animals in their natural environment in the park. I spent the night at a cottage with a view in Port CampbellI went to see the limestone stacks in the area the next morning. These stacks are known as the 12 Apostles, and a helicopter ride gave me a great view of them from the air. I took a trip on the 12 Apostles Gourmet Trail to stock up on wine, cheese and chocolate for my final stop. My final stop was Warrnambool Great Ocean Road. I arrived here in time for a lunch of Tasmanian oysters and barramundi at the Piccolo Restaurant. I visited the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and learned about the country's maritime history. Then I picked up the keys to the house I had rented near the beach. I sat on the deck and enjoyed the ocean view while I thought about how much I had enjoyed my trip. I wanted to visit Great Ocean Road again soon.

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