The Great Ocean Road should definitely be on your list if you’re on the East Coast or even in Melbourne! One thing many people don’t know is that the Great Ocean Road is a heritage site built for the soldiers who died in World War I. Thus, it is the biggest war memorial in the world. The most important places to visit:
Driving along this road is so much fun. Not only is the winding road exceptional, so is the view. The coast stretches out beside you, as well as beautiful forests. Certainly, being a passenger has its advantages, however, even the driver can enjoy these views.
London Arch
The London Arch is a huge rock arch formed by erosion. Before 1990, its name was London Bridge, as this formation still extended to the coast. In 1990, however, the connection to the mainland collapsed and two tourists who were on the rock at the time had to be rescued by helicopter. Since then it has been called the London Arch.
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge is a gorge a little further west of the famous 12 Apostles. Previously this had been a natural rock arch about 25 metres high, but only two rock pillars remained after it collapsed in 2009. These pillars were actually given names – Tom and Eve. The main reason for this is a sunken ship in 1878, which caused only two people, Tom and Eva, to survive and become stranded in this gorge.
12 Apostel
The 12 Apostles, rocks up to 60 metres high in the sea, remain of course the highlight of the Great Ocean Road. After Uluru, they are the most photographed tourist attraction. The name was established in the 1950s, despite the fact that at that time there were actually only nine rocks left.
Gibson Steps
The steps are named after Gibson Beach, which is located at the end of the coasts. They are located in Port Campbell National Park just off the Twelve Apostles.
The Grotto
The Grotto was unexpectedly beautiful to us. Unexpected because it is lesser known and gets little attention. However, to us, this arch of rock, which looks as if it was built by humans, was amazingly impressive. At low tide it is even possible to enter the inside of the cave.
