Great ocean road drive

[Kerriandcarl]

Hello has anyone done the Adelaide to Melbourne ocean road drive? We are thinkkng of driving to Melbourne and having a few nights there and then driving back the ocean road. Can anyone suggest any accommodation or a good part of the journey to make a stop off? it would be nice to hear from someone who has done it and to hear what you did and see. We are trying to plan it best we can. Also any suggestions of places to stay in Melbourne city? Thanks X

[kelbert]

Hi. We did it last week! We drove down to Kingston SE then along the Coorong to Mount Gambier. We stayed there for a few nights at the Big 4. Blue lake is stunning. We then continued onto Apollo Bay stopping at Port Fairy, Port Campbell, 12 Apostles at Princetown. Lovely drive. That was a far as we got coz we had to get back for the weekend to move house!! Next time we would carry on to Melbourne. Lots of people recommend Lorne as a place to stay. We loved everywhere we visited on our journey. ☺

[kadina]

Pretty much what kelbert says we did it years ago and stopped at all those places mainly in motels along the way....if you go to mount gambier you simply must check out the umperton sinkhole go at night it comes alive with possums and take lots of grapes they eat out of your hand and the blue lake is stunning .......and the 12 apostles obviously you need to see those....one of my best experiences of Australia and I've seen a lot of the country

 

 

Hi. We did it last week! We drove down to Kingston SE then along the Coorong to Mount Gambier. We stayed there for a few nights at the Big 4. Blue lake is stunning. We then continued onto Apollo Bay stopping at Port Fairy, Port Campbell, 12 Apostles at Princetown. Lovely drive. That was a far as we got coz we had to get back for the weekend to move house!! Next time we would carry on to Melbourne. Lots of people recommend Lorne as a place to stay. We loved everywhere we visited on our journey. ☺

[amg]

We are planning to drive it too! I heard the blue lake is only blue a couple of months a year. Is it blue now?

[snifter]

We are planning to drive it too! I heard the blue lake is only blue a couple of months a year. Is it blue now?

 

I thought it was always blue, just varies over the year depending on a few things. When we were there it was stunning and clearly a very different shade of blue than we are used to seeing in lakes. But photos from other times show it even brighter.

[Diane]

November to April it's blue - rest of the time a kind of steely grey.

[kelbert]

[kelbert]

Sorry posted it twice! Looks pretty blue to me and that was the 27th September 2015

[keldaz]

Hello has anyone done the Adelaide to Melbourne ocean road drive? We are thinkkng of driving to Melbourne and having a few nights there and then driving back the ocean road. Can anyone suggest any accommodation or a good part of the journey to make a stop off? it would be nice to hear from someone who has done it and to hear what you did and see. We are trying to plan it best we can. Also any suggestions of places to stay in Melbourne city? Thanks X

 

When doing the Great Ocean road the best direction to drive is Melbourne toward SA. It's the direction that really helps you to appreciate the drive, endless bends with the ocean suddenly appearing in all it's crashing glory. Also note that all the stopping pull offs are on the left, if your driving on the left it makes it super easy to pull off for pics and views, also very handy for loosing local tailgaters (remember it's wallpaper to them). As you progress toward the apostles and all the other signed bays, all these are on the left as well. Having said that we drove SA toward Melbourne and were just about to put the experience in the overrated category, but when we U turned to retrace a few K's, all became clear.

 

Mount Gambier is well worth a look, sink hole and blue lake as mentioned are great, but my money is on the Naracoorte caves in SA, one of my favourite all time things we've done in Aussie. We took the fossil cave tour, tour guide superb, great group of other visitors with us too.

 

As to accommodation, stayed in so many, can't remember where they we're or what state but we always use booking.com and only go for ones with a guest rating of 8+. It's worked for us thus far. Actually I think we stayed in Naracoorte motor lodge, great food, the owner is super quick witted and a good laugh. Can't help with Melbourne, we always go for the show and flight deals. Happy travels, and remember always drive with lights on in the country no matter how bright the day, it's carmageden out there.

Edited October 16, 2015 by keldaz