The Great Ocean Road,is a beautiful scenic trip for any traveler. In search of a relaxing yet informative and most definitely wondrous day tour. My trip was hosted by Ride Tours, run and owned by a legend of a man who goes by the name Bundy.
Setting off
My trip started with an early morning pick-up from my hostel. Followed by a few more pickups at other locations before we kissed Melbourne’s cold, misty morning goodbye. And shot out on our journey towards the Great Ocean Road. This being a perfect time to catch up on sleep from an early wakeup. Or a big night out before, like myself. We drive through the southern west of Victoria for two hours, passing through miles of lush, beautiful greenland. Before arriving at our first stop, Winchelsea, a small town with an interesting history about the origins of the rabbit and fox. A short and sweet stop came to an end after visiting a cafe before boarding the bus to begin the real journey towards the Great Ocean Road.
Travelling to Tweleve Apostles
More farmland passes. Our tour bus was accompanied by dazzling beams radiating from the rising sun—truly a trip of impense natural beauty. We approach our first stop, the Twelve Apostles; although there are only seven in total, these amazing land masses stand about 200 meters from the shore, certainly a decent length for new profile pictures or just pictures in general. We were on a deck at the top of the hill, looking out over the shores. Our amazing tour guide informed us of some fascinating facts about these marvelous limestone giants. Such as… The 12 Apostles were originally called the Sow and Piglets but renamed for better marketing, or that the 12 apostles are mostly made of marine animals bones.
Lunch time at Apollo Bay
Our travelling group hopped on our bus and continued upon our journey on the Great Ocean Road, which, fun fact, is the longest war memorial in the world. built by and in honor of our WWI soldiers. With the sun guiding us, we encroached upon one of our town stops. Apollo Bay is a sun-kissed, stunning beachside town, known for its absolutely satisfying and delicious seafood (I shouted myself out to the Apollo Bay Seafood Restaurant). We spent an hour enjoying the atmosphere and food of Apollo Bay before setting off towards our next stop.
Koala’s at Otways National Park
The Otway Ranges. Here, our party of cute critter spotters hiked alongside colossal slender gumtrees to spot some cute little koalas. Along the hike, koalas were popping up everywhere, sleeping, eating, or relaxing, but mostly sleeping, which is no surprise. Armed with cameras, we quickly snapped photos of these miniature bears, although they wouldn’t be going anywhere too quickly… Most definitely, my favorite part of the tour. Bundy met us down the track with some tea and tim tams after the workout we endured, breaking our necks looking up in the trees to find these Koalas, these treats 100% helped the recovery speed up.
Our great day of travelling coming to an end
On the bus we got again, stopping at little small scenic spots along the way. Don’t want to spoil them, so I’ll let you find out what they are. With the sun setting now, we head off along the monumental road, saying goodbye to the sea breeze and the gorgeous green land. Arriving in Melbourne, we slowly drop off everyone, saying our goodbyes and exchanging photos, sadly ending our tour, but where my journey ends, yours should begin. This trip was definitely one of my favorites that I’ve done in Melbourne. Amazing views, cute critters, and an awe astounding host. This trip I would recommend to anyone travelling solo or with friends.
I would like to thank Ride Tours in Melbourne and Cheap AZ Travel for organizing and hosting this Great Ocean Road experience.
Looking for some other things to visit while in Melbourne? Check out our Melbourne Bucket List!
