Surely A Travel Addict: Australia – Melbourne to Adelaide (via Great Ocean Road)

Next Stop: Adelaide via Great Ocean Road and Grampians National Park

I left Melbourne really early at 6am as I need to catch my tour bus to Adelaide via Great Ocean Road. Total journey from Melbourne to Adelaide via Great Ocean Road is approximately 8 hours if non-stop driving (727km). Great Ocean Road has been raved as one of the most scenic drive in Australia between Melbourne and Adelaide. Hence, I signed up for a 2 days 1 night tour for this scenic road via coach bus.

I think I am very fortunate and lucky that I got to meet another group of fellow Singaporeans during the tour. This time is 2 young girls in their twenties who were travelling together with their mother. They came to attend one of the young girls’ graduation ceremonies. The auntie was very concerned when she heard about me travelling alone. She even asked questions like “Wow, aren’t your parents worried when you travel alone? Do you often contact them while you are travelling?” and she often lookout for me during the trip, and even treat me to dinner, which I am really very thankful.

Journey to the Great Ocean Road

Scenery along the way

On my way to Adelaide, you will realise how beautiful the landscape around the Great Ocean Road is. We made several stops such as the Kennett River to spot the wild koalas and Kookaburra, bushwalking through Otway’s Rainforest, a very ancient temperate rainforest as if you are walking through the Jurassic Park, the famous Twelve Apostles, Loch Arch Gorge and London Bridge lookout point.

The bus driver cum tour guide is a very knowledgeable person. He is previously a biology lecturer in one of the universities in Germany, and migrated to Australia 15 years ago, and took up this as a part-time job. He currently writes papers and books about Aboriginal, in hope to set this in motion to have this introduced into Australia education system to educate people to understand more about Aboriginals and their cultures. Throughout the whole tour, I felt like I am travelling in a National Geographic journey, with a “live” narrator. Pretty cool right!

Check out the Kookaburra

Otway’s Rainforest: You’ll feel dwarfed as you stroll past towering fern trees.. Look like the T-Rex is going to jump out anytime

Witnessed the rugged splendour limestone stacks that form the almighty Twelve Apostles

Great Ocean Road dramatic coastline

Loch Ard Gorge

Along the Loch Ard trail

Loch Ard Gorge: A beautiful vista of towering cliffs, sparkling blue-green sea and a small, sandy beach.

One of my favourite shot: Gandalf's beams of light

Sunset at the Port Campbell National Park

London Bridge has fallen down... BUT it still makes a great photo

Partial of remaining London Arch (formerly known as London Bridge)

We stayed overnight at Halls Gap; the heart of Grampians National Park. As the sky turned dark, driving to Halls Gap is never an easy task. Our bus driver had made a few E-brakes to avoid knocking kangaroos down and now you know why Australia is very strict with fastening of seat belts. Hence, when driving in this region, beware of kangaroos. It is also a common sight that kangaroos are found dead lying in the middle or side of the road; after they got hit by cars.

We got up really early the next morning, to catch sunrise and breathe in fresh mountain air with pleasant walk at the Reed’s Lookout and a small hike to see beautiful McKenzie Falls, before heading to Adelaide in the afternoon.