Great Ocean Road
29 October 2023 / Story: Brian Clayton, Paul & Vanessa Baston; Photos: Anda Clayton
The Great Ocean Road
A South Coast Chapter Adventure
8-15 October 2023
The day-by-day story of this adventure has been told in detail on the South Coast Facebook site so we will, instead focus on impressions of the trip.
The Participants
Initial bookings saw the group at six cars but the numbers slowly dwindled due mainly to illness. With a week to go, and four cars registered, illness forced another car out. So, joining Brian and Anda from South Coast were Paul and Vanessa (Canberra Chapter) and Ron and Christine (Illawarra Chapter). Paul and Vanessa had recently moved to Port Stephens and had the furthest to travel.
The Driving Experience
The basic philosophy when planning the adventure was to avoid major highways as much as possible, as well as dirt roads. Everything else was on the agenda.
The first two days were essentially passage making from Narooma to Sorrento. Starting down the Princes Highway we turned off as soon as possible into the Bega Valley and followed country roads through farm lands and forests to Bombala and down to the coast. Sweeping bends and occasional twisty sections were accompanied by the quiet rustling of the forests and calls of bell birds. From Cann River to Metung, our first overnight stop, then on to Sale it was necessary to follow the Princes Highway. But here we turned south along the coastal roads to the Mornington Peninsula, avoiding Melbourne, to our overnight stop at Sorrento.
Starting the adventure proper, our first experience was the Sorrento to Queenscliffe ferry, a pleasant trip in fine weather. While the Great Ocean Road is a significant thoroughfare, it is hardly a highway. The side roads to places such as Bell’s Beach or Cape Otway are minor roads but sealed and in good condition. The real beauty of these roads for people driving an MX5 is the sweeping bends and occasional twisty section, a great driving experience.
Additionally, many of the roads travelled were through forest, accompanied by fresh sweet-smelling air and the sounds of bell birds and other native species. Often as you crested a rise, panoramic views would greet you.
When travelling through the Grampians we took the minor road through Victoria Valley and, though narrow, there was very little other traffic. The majestic Grampian Mountains slowly unfolded as we travelled up the valley. The mountain driving with its twisty roads and sweeping bends gave way to the minor highway from Halls Gap to Ballarat via Ararat.
Ballarat was the start of our homeward passage but again we avoided major highways by taking the country roads through Seymour, Mansfield, King Valley to our overnight stop in Beechworth. Much of this journey was over hills, through forest and vineyards with lots of sweeping bends and occasional twisty sections, again, on reasonable sealed roads. Unfortunately, pot holes are a feature of some Australian roads and we found our share but generally they were a minor annoyance.
From Beechworth we chose a route along the Murray Valley through Corryong, turning off on Swampy Plains Road and reaching Cooma via Kiandra and Adaminaby. These are real Snowy Mountains roads with lots of twisty sections, care being necessary on some tight blind bends, but also with some fast, sweeping sections which are a joy to drive.
For the final leg home some were obliged to follow the highway to Canberra or Sydney while Anda and I chose to return via the Bega Valley and along the Princes Highway.
Overall, the majority of our driving was along secondary roads with long sections of sweeping bends, some interesting twisty sections, particularly in the mountains in both Victoria and the Snowies. All together great MX5 driving.
Accommodation
Our philosophy with accommodation is comfort first but with a budget in mind. We tended toward towards four-star motels but our trip included a stay in a caravan park cabin. This was at Portland and the fully equipped two bed cabin had a deck overlooking the ocean with a BBQ and all facilities. Additionally, we received a NRMA discount reducing an already good price. Most accommodation was familiar to us from previous excursions and did not disappoint.
Dining
Meal planning for each day was based on a light breakfast and one significant meal, either lunch or dinner. While lunch was usually simple, places such as the Mansfield Hotel demand more than a simple sandwich. Variety is also important and meals varied from hotel bistro dinners to Thai and Chinese.
Morning coffee breaks were also carefully planned and included such delights as the scones at Cape Otway Lighthouse.
Impressions from a Participant
The South Coast Chapter organised a run to the Great Ocean Road. Vanessa and I joined in late on the run where, due to unfortunate circumstances, three other cars withdrew leaving only three participating cars: one from Illawarra Chapter, us from Hunter Chapter and the run organiser from the South Coast Chapter.
We met up with Anda and Brian in Narooma, where we spied the occasional humpback whale making the journey South at dinner. Next morning, we began in earnest as we were treated to a spirited run of sweeping curves with the occasional twist as we proceeded to sprint across NSW and VIC to our starting point at Sorrento.
After a relaxed evening in Sorrento, we awoke early to get to the ferry terminal at opening time and were on the ferry first. The easy crossing lasted an hour and, once ashore, we were off to Apollo Bay via Lorne and the first half of the Great Ocean Road. The weather was cooperating and splendidly clear, making roof-down touring wonderful. For me, in my newly acquired NC PRHT, the drive was a joy. There were the odd road works to contend with, but that’s the price of up keeping well used roads.
The next day was even more spectacular, with visits to Otway Lighthouse and the Three Sisters ending in the NRMA caravan park at Portland, which afforded a splendid evening BBQ looking out over the Southern Ocean.
The weather then turned grey as we made our way to the Grampians National Park and on to Ballarat for a short stopover. From the day we started our homeward bound journey, the wet weather followed us all the way to Beechworth and Cooma, where again, we were treated to some lovely driving roads and scenery. All arrived safely in Cooma and the next day we farewelled each other for an independent drive home.
Although short in duration, we experienced excellent driving conditions and some spectacular scenery, made all the better by the welcoming company of our run organisers and companions. This is an epic drive not to be missed. Everyone should experience the Great Ocean Road in their convertible at some stage.
Paul & Vanessa Baston
All together the Great Ocean Road is a “bucket list” driving experience and with the bonus of a return through the Grampians, this was a trip well worth doing.
