I love Australia.
Something about Australia captured my heart. Or maybe it was that after meditating for a month, my heart was cast wide open, and Australia met it with natural beauty, animal wonders, and genuine people.
There are at least five places I passed through in Australia that made me think, "I could live here" and some of them are on the Great Ocean Road.
A friend of mine from New York City who grew up in Melbourne clued me into the gem of a road trip known as Australia's Great Ocean Road. A 243-kilometer drive to the east of Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road officially starts in Torquay and ends in Allansford, but I decided to make a loop on the way back to Melbourne through Grampians National Park.
I did that trip across 8 days, but honestly, you could spend a lot longer. Not only is the road full of scenic stops, but there's detours off the road inland to see waterfalls in the rainforest of the Otway Ranges, and plenty of coastal walks – some of which you could spend days traversing.
Itinerary
From Melbourne Airport, I rented a car and drove to Lorne, a surf town with an artsy vibe and some well-regarded restaurants. After Lorne, I stopped in Apollo Bay, and ventured inland to the Otway Ranges to see some waterfalls, before taking a leg of the Great Ocean Walk (creative there with the name, eh?) that will take you 8 days to hike one-way if you want to the whole thing. I did a segment around Cape Otway, and then drove to Port Fairy, the unofficial end of the Great Ocean Road, just past Allansford. On the way, I stopped at the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and The Grotto. (Fun Fact: A tourist next to me at the 12 Apostles shouted, "It looks just like the Windows wallpaper!" so, move aside Instagram influencers, apparently Microsoft was the O.G.) Off the coast of Port Fairy, a vibrant coastal town with a posh culinary scene and boutique hotels that had me wishing I'd splurged, is Griffiths Island, where I enjoyed a stunning sunset nature walk. From Port Fairy, I drove inland to Halls Gap, the town at the base of the Grampians where I spent a few days hiking.
These are just the places where I chose to stop – there's plenty that I skipped due to time, or missed altogether. For example, if you happen to be there between May-October, you could extend your trip beyond Port Fairy to try to spot whales along the Whale Trail. There's also a good spot at Kennett River for seeing koalas, but luckily, I had seen many already during my time at the meditation retreat center.
Aside from all of the cute hotels along the route, there's plenty of hostels, holiday parks and campsites (free and paid) and I enjoyed the variety of stays along the way.
Most of all what stood out to me about this drive was how many places I wanted to spend more time in. In more than one town I thought, "wouldn't it be nice to live here?"
See for yourself. ☺️
Pictures
Cape Otway along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia, features a coastal walking track that you can spend days traversing and camping. | Click any image to view larger.
Drive into the Otway Ranges of the Great Ocean Road and the views change dramatically. I camped one night near Beauchamp Falls. | Click any image to view larger.
The Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Below, Loch Ard Gorge (left), and The Grotto (right), two other scenic stops on the way to Port Campbell. | Click any image to view larger.
Griffiths Island walking trail, in the Port Fairy Coastal Reserve, Victoria, Australia. Two wallabies foraging at sunset (top right) and lava rocks from an eruption 350,000 years ago (bottom left). | Click any image to view larger.
The Pinnacle hike in Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia. The town of Halls Gap and Lake Bellfield seen below the lookout. | Click any image to view larger.
Mount Rosea Track in Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia. Lake Bellfield seen from the other side (of The Pinnacle). | Click any image to view larger.
Beehive Falls (left) and a Kookaburra (right), in Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia. The falls were not very full in the middle of summer. | Click any image to view larger.
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