The Great Ocean Road – London Bridge – Port Campbell National Park

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London Bridge … has fallen down! The collapse of London Bridge was only a matter of time. One evening in January 1990 the main arch of the London Bridge collapsed, breaking it away from the mainland.  Fotunately noone was injured and the only drama was a couple of people who were marooned on the newly formed island until rescue from helicopter.

London Bridge is still a fascinating feature and the size of it is hard to comprehend.  It is located near the Twelve Apostles National Park it is further down in the Port Campbell National Park.


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The Great Ocean Road – The Arch & Grotto – Twelve Apostles National Park

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Another feature of the Twelve Apostles National Park was this archway, lesser known between Lock Ard Gorge and London Bridge. It is marked on tour guides and maps just as The Arch and we were grateful to have some time here away from the crowds that flock to the more well known features.

The Grotto in the Port Campbell National Park is another of the lesser visited attraction often bypassed by the coach tours from Melbourne. The pool of water underneath the archway looked incredibly inviting but unfortunately there is no access underneath the archway.

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The Great Ocean Road – Gibsons Steps

Just before you arrive at the infamous Twelve Apostles there is Gibsons Steps (heading west). These steps allow you to negotiate down the sheer limestone cliffs to the beach below. Standing below these cliffs you can really get a perspective of the sheer size of the cliffs along this stretch of the Great Ocean Road and therefore the size of the Apostles that stand proudly round the corner.

The steps allowed us to get down and close to the famed treacherous sea that is the Bass Strait. Standing on the sands watching this crashing surf I felt for the sailors of past who navigated this coastline, many having almost completed their passage all the way from Europe, only to come to grief upon the rocks that lurked like sharks in the water.

It was definitely worth the walk down even though the steps were hard work on the way back up again!

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The Great Ocean Road – The Twelve Apostles

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One of the highlights without a doubt of our drive along the Great Ocean Road has been our visit to the Twelve Apostles or should I say visits!  Having decided to stop the night in a caravan park with showers (much excitement!) in Princetown only 4km from the Twelve Apostles despite knowing we had the whole of the next day to enjoy the Twelve Apostles National Park, we couldn’t resist a sneaky premature peak! Having secured a pitch mid afternoon Emily and I headed down the road and pulled in at the Twelve Apostles car park and walked out to the cliffs and boardwalks that offer the best views of these magnificent stacks of limestone.

With the afternoon sun the Apostles were lit from behind, silhouetted and standing tall. The photographs that came out best were shot towards the east as the rock was detailed. I was eager to return in the morning when I could capture these awe-inspiring formations.
Before the morning there was evening though and we were treated to a beautiful sunset. Although we were late (due to the shower block and a new hair cut for me) we were in time to catch the Apostles as the sun set. I could have stayed there all night with the prospect of a starlit night but with the sun out of sight, the air grew cooler rapidly and my jumper wasn’t sufficient.
The next morning brimming with excitement I almost charged down the boardwalks to see the Apostles in what I knew would be the best light and they didn’t disappoint.  Seeing the Apostles at three markedly different times of day was an experience I shall never forget. I do apologise for the cliché though!

 

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The Great Ocean Road – Teddy’s Lookout

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Teddys Lookout gave us a fantastic view of a section of the Great Ocean Road and although it was only a tiny portion of the road, the scenery from this vantage point up high above the coast was beautiful.
Teddy’s Lookout is located minutes out side of Lorne, take a right on the roundabout by the information centre in Lorne and follow this road up into the hills behind Lorne it its furthermost part.

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