Anna French
The Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is 243km of road that stretches along the south-eastern coastline of Australia and is a National Heritage site.
After spending a day’s journey driving along the Great Ocean Road to get to the Twelve Apostles, I’ve decided it is one of my favorite parts of Australia!
The views were stunning and the vivid colors of the sky meeting the green cliffs gave the illusion that the landscape was photoshopped.
Our destination was the popular tourist spot known as the Twelve Apostles, but we stopped several times along the way to admire the beautiful views.
Great Ocean Road Highlights
My two favorite stops were at Loch Ard Gorge and the W.B. Godfrey shipwreck, where you can still see pieces of the wreckage.
The whole experience was topped off by a koala sighting, so don’t forget to keep a lookout for them along the side of the road! We also spotted several kangaroos grazing on a golf course, which we proceeded to sneak up on for some close-up photos.
Eventually, we arrived amazed at the Twelve Apostles which are impressive stacks of limestone on the beach near the Great Ocean Road.
 Melbourne
No trip to Victoria is complete without exploring Melbourne, a quaint and quirky city full of artistic graffiti, back alley cafes, and iconic architecture by foot and via the free city tram.
Graffiti Alleys
You will be thoroughly entertained as you walk through the many brick alleys including AC/DC Lane, covered in graffiti and shoes hanging from telephone wires.
Cafe Culture
Eat your heart out at any of the several cafes all of which have extensive gluten-free menus, delicious food, and coffee.
Eureka Sky Tower
Then ride the elevator to the top of the 975 foot Eureka sky tower, where you can see all of Melbourne at sunset and take a picture in King Kong’s hand.
Free Activities in Melbourne
- Educate yourself on the history of all things cinematography with some fun and interactive free exhibits at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Federation Square
- If you like memorials, you can always pay your respects to those who served in WWI and other Australian Veterans at the Shrine of Remembrance
- Feeling zen, stroll through the luscious landscapes at the botanical gardens and have a picnic in one of the gazebos
Overall, Melbourne is quite memorable and unique, but if you’re anything like me, you might find that one day is enough and that you prefer to spend most of your time exploring the gorgeous sights of the Great Ocean Road and all that the surrounding trails it has to offer.
| Logistical Tips for Booking Your Trip |
| Booking Flights I typically use Skyscanner to book my flights because it allows you to search through websites and airlines worldwide all in one convenient search engine. You can also get price alerts for flights you’re interested in. |
| Booking Accommodation I always book my hostels through Hostelworld. If I’m not staying in a hostel, then I often book an |
| Using a VPN for Online Bookings I also use a VPN (a powerful virtual tool that provides you with a private, anonymous, and secure internet connection) when searching for flights, accommodation, and rental cars. Since websites track your online activity and location, then use these factors to make the rates you are given dramatically higher than their true value, a VPN ensures that you get the best rates, by eliminating artificially high prices based on your country and internet search history. I recommend an affordable VPN like Surfshark to make sure you are getting the best travel deals online! |
| Travel Insurance I always travel with insurance, because I know all too well how many things can go wrong while traveling (and sometimes even beforehand). Travel insurance can protect you against certain cancellations, theft, lost luggage, trip interruptions, medical emergencies, and more. I use and highly recommend InsureMyTrip to find, compare and buy the plan that makes the most sense for each trip. |
| Other Travel Resources Check out my Travel Resources Page to see the best companies, apps, jobs and other resources I use when traveling on a tight budget. |
