GOR, the receipt!
Try to image: two Mexicans, one Italian, four Chinese, some Aussie guys, a bit of India and Bangladesh. Mix them with a cute guide from Osaka, who has recently moved to Australia… What do you get? This is the typical Tour of Great Ocean Road, the most famous road in South-eastern Australia!
243 km to commemorate the soldiers who died during the First World War, built by their luckier colleagues who made it back home, but had the difficult challenge to become part of society again.
The road starts in Melbourne but the official GOR starts in Torquay, actually. It is a spectacular scenic route running along the ocean, with a boundless view, powerful waves crashing on cliffs, sometimes you think to be in Ireland.
The journey
In Australia I saw the most incredible waves ever seen: high, majestic, so powerful that they make you feel helpless and tiny. The classic GOR stops are Lorne, an anonymous village stretching along the road, Apollo Bay and the legendary Twelve Apostles, limestone stacks (actually today only eight are left). My favourite stop is Loch Ard Gorge and its secret beach, hidden among the rocks, where Loch Ard ship crashed: sadly, only 2 of the 54 passengers survived. The tour (see here), recommended by my sister, is the cheapest on the market and is full of backpackers, not including lunch … A good excuse to stop at a ramen house, where I really gloat when a Malaysian compliments my use of chopsticks.
At the end of the day there is a lottery, I incredibly win another free tour, but since I know I will never be able to do it (I am leaving on the next day) I give to the Mexican girls. They both moved to Australia to study, and I discover that one of them, the cutest, is the granddaughter of a Japanese who fled to Mexico during World War II. This is melting pot Australia!
I did this tour many years ago and it’s a part of Australia that i really love. Incredible to think how they built that road all with their hands!
beautiful places that I have never visited unfortunately. I would very much like to go there.
I drove along the great ocean road some years ago, with my boyfriend (well, he actually drove! :D) and it was really an amazing experience. The weather was not the best, but not so awful too, so we really enjoyed it. Arriving at the 12 Apostles in late afeternoon, just before sunset, was surely the hit of that journey!
I never been to Australia but this part of the coast seems amazing. You were very lucky to win the lottery even tho you couldn’t go and enjoy it. Your act of kindness will get back to you at some point in life. 🙂
Australia is my dream! I think that despite the awful weather you get impressed from the 12 apostles!