Great Ocean Road - English Preview

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Welcome

Welcome to the Great Ocean Road Tour. Famous for the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, The Otway Rainforest and many other amazing spots along the coast. Today we will also be checking out some koalas in the wild over at Kennett River, which is sure to be exciting. We know you will have a memorable day. If you have a question or need help, please tell the driver or the guide anytime. These kind people are always ready to help you. So sit back and relax and you are sure to have a great time with us.

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Westgate Bridge

The Westgate Bridge is in fact Australia's longest, tallest and widest bridge measuring 2.6km in length and 53 meters high having 10 lanes of traffic with a measurement o12 feet wide. It is bigger and longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge. During construction there was a tragedy where the bridge collapsed right underneath the workers feet, killing 35 workers and injuring 18 others. The bridge was officially opened to the public in 1978.

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Geelong

Geelong is Victoria’s second largest city with over 200,000 people and the 12th largest in Australia. Situated 73 km southwest of Melbourne and surrounded by Port Phillip Bay which is almost like a big horseshoe. The name Jillong is another word derived from the aboriginal language. Jillong literally translates into place of the seabird over the white cliffs. Geelong began to flourish around the early 1850’s as the gold rush swept Australia and the population exploded from 77,000 people to over 544,000 people between the years of 1851-1861.

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Torquay - Information Only

Torquay is the beginning of the Great Ocean Road. This small sized coastal town is actually the surfing capital of Australia and also one of the fastest growing towns in of Victoria growing at a rate of 4.5%. Despite aboriginal people frequently visiting Torquay it wasn't until the 1860's when it was first really uncovered by white people, and then wasn't really settled until 1891.

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Bells Beach - Information Only

Bells Beaches is a unique part of Australia's coastline and a special place for Australian surfing culture. Bells Beach holds the Rip Curl Pro which is the longest running surfing competition in the world. This competition started in 1961 and about 30,000 people come to see this competition every year. Top-class surfers participate in this competition. The Culture Protection Association called Bells Beach an international icon of Australia's surfing culture. You may wonder about the most splendid toilet painted by aborigines. The painting reflects the aboriginal dream story which is like a religion for aborigines. This story is about how the world and all creations were made. The story painted on the toilet is a story in Great Ocean Road which is about a rainbow snake.

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Anglesea

Anglesea is 100km southwest of Melbourne. Anglesea is a popular tourist attraction for all age groups. There are beaches, forests, rivers and shopping areas. There are over 700 different kinds of plants in Anglesea including hundreds of amazing wild orchids.

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Split Point Lighthouse

Split Point Lighthouse also known as "White lady" was built in 1891 to guide ships passing through Port Philip Bay Heads. Its height is 35 metres and is 80 metres above the sea level. The light was brightened by Kerosene (lamp oil) a long time ago but it is brightened by electricity now and can be seen 20 sea miles away from the lighthouse.

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Aireys Inlet

Airey's inlet is named after John Airey who was granted a pastoral lease in the area in 1842. Although a lighthouse, a hotel and a post office were built in 1890, people couldn't enter the town until the Great Ocean Road was built in 1922 and the population increased rapidly ever since. Airey's inlet has a tragic history regarding bushfires which have often damaged the region. The "Ash Wednesday" Bushfires of 1983 was the region's worst one's ever.

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Great Ocean Road Arch

The present Great Ocean Road Arch is the fourth one that has been built. The first arch was built in 1932 when the road was in completion for the tollgate and it was removed in 1936. The second one was built in 1939 by concrete but removed as a truck crashed into it in 1970. Then wooden structure was made but it was burnt by the "Ash Wednesday" bushfires in 1983. Initially it was decided not to replace the arch, but public opinion was too strong and a fourth Great Ocean Road arch was built on the same spot where today it remains a popular photo stop for visitors to the Great Ocean Road.

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Great Ocean Road

The first part of Great Ocean Road from Anglesea to Apollo Bay was built between 1918 and 1932. Howard Hitchcock, the governor of Geelong, was encouraged to extend the road to this beach. In 1918, He decided to build this road in remembrance of the Australian soldiers who died in World War 1. If you are lucky, you might see whales or dolphins passing by alongside the route.

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Lorne

Lorne is located where the mountains and the sea meet. Lorne, a beautiful town and is the first place given the title of a truly beautiful place by the Victorian government. The town is located in Louttit Bay which is named after Captain Louttit who had completed some successful voyages along this beach. Lorne is the most popular tourist attraction in summer especially over Christmas and New Years.

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Koalas and Wild Birds

Kennett River is home to a lot of animals. The Koalas at Kennett River are larger and have darker colour than koalas in New South Wales or Queensland. You can see colourful wild birds while you see koalas.

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Apollo Bay

After fishing and forestry started, settlement was progressing until 1850. Apollo Bay is referred to as a beach paradise and is a major holiday destination. You can enjoy swimming, surfing, bushwalking, horse-riding, golf and a lot of other activities here.

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The Otway Ranges

The Otway Ranges are a mountainous area from Anglesea to Princetown and has some of the most beautiful scenery in Australia. Amongst the mountains is the Great Otway National Park which covers 12,000 hectares. The Otway Ranges are full of wild Australian animals. 23 kinds of mammals coexist in this area. You may see koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, platypuses and many other species.

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Maits Rest or Melba Gully

There is a good boardwalk called "Maits rest" along the dense forest in the Otway National Park. You can find small, very special black snails while you walk along the boardwalk. This black snail is found only in the Otway area and it is the only carnivorous snail in the world.

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Shipwreck Coast

The Shipwreck Coast is named because about 200 shipwrecks were found along this coastline. Although it has a history of tragedy, The Shipwreck Coast is one of the most impressive coastlines in Australia and is surrounded by rough cliffs, rocky mountains, sandy surf beaches and limestone made by lava from ancient volcanos.

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The 12 Apostles

The 12 apostles are one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it is a popular attraction that most tourists visit when in Australia. Although it is still called the 12 Apostles, there are actually only 8 of them remaining. They are made of eroded limestone cliffs which were created by the wind and the waves.

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Loch Ard Gorge

Loch Ard Gorge is named after the most tragic shipwreck in Australia. Loch Ard ship had been heading from London to Melbourne but it sank on 1st of June in 1878. Only two teenagers out of 54 passengers survived. If you visit Loch Ard Gorge on a fine day then you may wonder how such a tragedy can happen in this area. However if you go there in a very windy day, you soon will realise that it was a miracle that someone survived at that time.

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Port Campbell

Alexander Campbell, a captain of a whaling ship arrived in a natural harbour made of limestone cliffs. Since then, this harbour offered an important dock for ships which supplied goods to local farmers. Port Campbell is a small fishing village and is still a popular resort town. Colourful pavement of roads and street scenes are in harmony with cafes and Australian street trees.

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London Bridge

London Bridge is a natural arch like the 12 Apostles which was formed by erosion after a long time. Until 1990, it was a completely natural pier which had 2 sides and it looked like the London Bridge in London as its name suggests.

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Other Tours

We hope you enjoyed your time on the Great Ocean Road. Autopia Tours also runs other great day tours such as Phillip Island Penguin Parade, the Grampians, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, as well as many other extended tours. For more information be sure to ask your driver.