The Great Ocean Road was built after World War I by the servicemen who came home as a memorial to those who died. The idea, besides just to create the memorial, was also to give the returning men employment. Built by over 3000 servicemen, the road travels 285 km between Torquay and Warrnambool through a very rugged and forested cliffside. We drove the road in reverse, starting in Warrnambool, for which I was grateful once we started the section between Apollo Bay and Torquay. The hilly and extremely curvy road hugs the cliff line, and I was very happy to be on the inside lane, especially because people like to pass our campervan since it doesn’t do so well on hills. Along the route, there are numerous picturesque stopping points, oftentimes having bronze signs commemorating events, with the most famous being the Twelve Apostles.

Bay of Islands

Bay of Martyrs

The Grotto

London Bridge

The rock formations used to connect here, and you could walk out on them until 1990 when the center collapsed into the ocean, stranding two people on the furthest rock.

The Arch

Loch Ard Gorge

Twelve Apostles

There used to be twelve main rock formations, but there are only seven still left standing. This was by far the most popular stop along the road, and the first place on our whole journey where we saw hordes of tourists (more than 2 or 3 was unusual for us).

Playing on the beach at Apollo Bay, our stop for the night

Cape Patton Lookout, why they put the wall so high I’m not sure, you couldn’t get a picture of anything standing on the ground!

Mt Defiance Lookout

The start of the Great Ocean Road, and a statue honoring “The Diggers”, the men who built the road