Archive for the ‘Travel tips’ Category

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Great Ocean Road Travel Guide for the Best Holiday

March 6th, 2011 by Tim

A guest post by Martin Reed

Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is one of the most interesting and beautiful destinations in Australia. Most travel to the nine towns found along the road to experience the breathtaking views and scenery. Its coast is a haven of bays, rainforests and cliffs. Your Great Ocean Road travel guide for the best holiday begins here.


Explore the Coast

Driving along the expansive coastline presents many chances to explore Australia. Great Ocean Road is famously known for its enormous cliffs and ocean views. The 12 Apostles make exceptional sights. They protrude out of the water and overlook the coast like ancient giants. Rainforest teeming with life are also explored by guided tours.

Australia is a country of great mystery. It’s one of the best destinations to experience wildlife, the vast ocean wonders and natural adventures. You can find many of these features along Great Ocean Road. The Road is ideally located near a great number of wildlife refuges and national parks.

One place of interest is the Tower Hill State Game Reserve. Native koala bear and kangaroo live in this vast reserve. You can also see marine life in the waters near Warrnambool.

Wine Country

On both ends of Great Ocean Road lie two distinct wine regions. The vineyards and wineries in this region provide some of the country’s most delicate wine varietals. The lush green countryside and serenity of the bays make visiting these areas exciting and adventurous.

Dining

Dining options are numerous in the region. Finding a place to dine on your holiday won’t be a problem. The quaint cafes and elegant restaurants that line the bay provide freshly caught seafood, international cuisine and regionally prepared dishes. Contemporary choices at restaurants such as the Pettavel Winery and Restaurant in Waurn Ponds make great dining options. If you prefer to cook your own meals fresh produce, breads and seafood are found near the coastal markets.

Festivals and Celebrations

The Great Ocean Road leads to annual festivals and celebrations throughout the year. Geelong is known for its Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Wallington hosts an annual strawberry festival at one of its schools. Air shows bring excitement in Geelong. The road is a gateway to many Australian celebrations.

Great Ocean Road provides both action-filled adventures and quiet holiday retreats for you and thousands of other guests. Getting to Australia’s vibrant coast means looking for great travel deals. You can get a head start at Flight Centre and Student Flights. They offer cheap domestic flights for your travel plans.

Thanks Martin

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Audio Guided Tour of the Great Ocean Road

September 17th, 2008 by Tim

One way to make sure you don’t miss out on what you want to experience is to plan your trip. It’s important to know what you want out of your trip and there is no better way to be clear on that is to listen to experts describe what you will see where. The link below gives you an opportunity to purchase some audio material the equivalent of four CD’s.

Two “discs” cover the Coast from Torquay to the Apostles, another two overlap from Port Campbell to Porland. The material in both sets is a very detailed map, with the locations of over 30 points of interest that have an audio description including clear directions.

Visualise your trip before you go – listen to detailed descriptions and live your experience before you get there. Listen to a sample

Again – select the mage above to purchase.

Places listed on the Torquay to Apostles Set:-

Torquay, Bells Beach, Point Addis, Anglesea including the Golf course famous (or infamous) for its Kangaroos, Aireys Inlet, five more and then Lorne, must see Teddy’s Lookout, six more to Apollo Bay, Cape Otway, the apostles to the bay of Islands including Port Campbell.

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Planning a two night trip – Pia’s experience

August 29th, 2008 by Tim

The Question

From: tim@experiencetorquay.com.au
Subject: Help me give you a good answer , Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:25:23 +1000
Dear Pia,
There is quite a lot to choose from so it will help me if you can let me know:-
o When and for how long you intend to come
o Something about your interests, e.g. outdoor activities, music, etc

Regards

The Final response

Thank you heaps for that! Its such a big help!
Yes your welcome to publish the question.

Thanks again

The Request

From: Pia
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 8:41 PM, To:Tim Kottek
RE: Help me give you a good answer
Thankyou for the qucik reply. I am planning a two night stay somewhere along the great ocean road. What i would like to know is what kind of outdoor activities there are to do…and some good places to see and do? I you could assist me in anyway that would be great!

The Response

From: tim@experiencetorquay.com.au
Subject: Things to do along Great Ocean road Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:42:43 +1000

Dear Pia
I’ll apologise in advance for the many links – however they do give you the information to put together a unique experience.
One item I’d put on my list (it is on ours – haven’t had time) is to get up close and personal with a platypus. Details at the Blog – Bruce is a really nice guy and the link will get you contact details.
Next you will want to sightsee at the Apostles coming at them from either Apollo Bay or Port Fairy. I’d choose one of these two towns as one of the overnight stops. Our experience is written up at the Blog with links to helicopter flights you can preview before travelling.

The spectacular drive is between Torquay (the start of the Great Ocean Road) and Apollo Bay. So our suggestion is to have Torquay or Lorne as the other town to stay in. You can find details of a compact walk that you will find time to do part of at the Surfcoast Page Link . I’d also try to fit a surfing lesson from Torquay Surf Academy or look at Big Stick adventures Finally choose your accommodation at Find a Room on the Great Ocean Road page where you will find buttons to all the popular towns.

Regards

YvonneHunter & TimKottek
PS – May I publish your question and my answer on our Blog, I’ll make sure you are not directly identified (not show your email or family name)

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Golf courses on the Great Ocean Road

January 23rd, 2008 by Yvonne

Glenda and ScullyAs the Great Ocean Road is such a spectacular part of the world for a golfing holiday, I asked my friend Glenda who is a keen golfer (shown here with her new puppy Scully)to give me a tour of her favourite courses and some tips for golf travellers.

Not only can you play golf on some of the most picturesque courses in the world, but you can also drive along the Great Ocean Road with all the beaches, food, art and nature then return home truly satisfied.

1. LORNE is Glenda’s favourite course because “it is like paradise”, especially the views from the Club House on the top of the hill overlooking the pier. The course itself is challenging due to the hills and Glenda advises, “Do not expect your balls to land where you think you aim for. The hills are tricky.” She asks, “Do you hit straight? Because accuracy rather than length is the value of this course. It is all about placing your shots.” It is a nine hole course so when you play the full eighteen you will get a second chance to look at the views. The other lovely thing is that in some places you will be amongst the bush, which is also gorgeous. While Glenda has not ventured beyond Lorne for golf she has had the Port Fairy course recommended as highly enjoyable to play.

2. THIRTEENTH BEACH – The Beach Course. “There’s not a bad hole on this course. The fairways are undulating so you will not be able to see where you are hitting until you get close to the green. The greens are wonderfully consistent for putting. “There is an advantage in being a female golfer at this course because the men’s course is longer and tougher,” advises Glenda. She also mentions that any golfer must take into account the WIND at 13th Beach where it can be a “4 club breeze”. The Creek Course is not as pretty according to Glenda and has some water so shots need to be given more thought. Glenda prefers the Beach Course to the Creek course but would never pass up the opportunity to play either.

3. ANGLESEA – Glenda’s home club, is a very challenging course, and Glenda would rate it the hardest on the coast because the hills make the fairways seem longer. Glenda also suggests that you will need longer clubs than you might usually use. For example the Par 3 16th hole is approximately 110 metres from the ladies tee but the front of the green slopes away so you will need a club that will take you plus 10 metres. Female players who are unfamiliar with this hole will frequently under-club Glenda has observed.

KANGAROOS – are fellow residents of the Anglesea Golf Course and must be given due respect. October is the best time to see the new joeys (baby kangaroos) trying out their feet. They have been known to approach quite close to golfers. HOWEVER it is a strict rule that no golfer approaches a kangaroo as they are wild animals and can be dangerous. Glenda advises that if you just play as usual they will go about their business accepting you as part of their habitat. TOURISTS are not allowed on the golf course but can view from the car park or the Pro shop.

4. TORQUAY is a very accessible and easy course. There are views of the ocean on some holes particularly the par 3 17th hole which overlooks Jan Juc beach as you will see on the website. This course does have some tricky spots but it is also a great course for juniors to develop their skills. If you are planning to play a round during the summer holiday season it is important to phone ahead as this course is very popular with visitors.

5. THE SANDS is the most heavily bunkered course in the district so it is very challenging. Glenda advises that this is a course where course management is essential. The fairway bunkers are deep and Glenda likes to avoid them so she will often take an extra lay-up shot to ensure that she gets to the green via the fairway rather than through the sand.You may need to take 2 shots to get to the green to avoid the bunkers and if you find yourself in a bunker it will be very difficult to recover, as they are deep and sandy. Glenda likes this challenge and if you are a thinking golfer you will too. While this is a private golf course anyone with membership at another club can organise to play.

I hope that this will pique your interest in packing the clubs, bringing some friends to travel the Road stopping off to sample the courses and little towns along the way. Maybe you will see Glenda on the course – say “Hi” to her and thank her for the tips.

Some clubs you might like to try along the Great Ocean Road and on the Bellarine Peninsula:

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Planning your Great Ocean Road drive holiday

November 27th, 2007 by Yvonne

We have been asked by a number of travellers how best to plan their trip along the Great Ocean Road. So we have put together some tips to make your trip easier.

TIP#1 – Distances

The Great Ocean Road fringes the coast of Victoria, which is the most southern mainland state of Australia. To give you an idea of size and distance, Australia could fit over the entire USA, and the State of Victoria is the same size as Great Britain.

When you are looking for accommodation, food or petrol, it is also important to keep in mind that there is a relatively sparse population outside of Melbourne and large towns such as Geelong.

The Great Ocean Road itself is 263 km long with steep inclines, blind hairpin bends and a quite narrow single lane each way. The views are spectacular and distracting if you are the driver. So you will be travelling slower than on a main road or freeway and you need to make allowances for the extra time.

TIP#2 – Choosing when to Travel

Any time is the best time to travel the road, especially before and after the long summer school holiday break (late December till end January). Our summers are long with daylight saving until the end of March, making travel into April extremely pleasant. Our winters are extremely mild by Northern Hemisphere standards and driving is easier because there is less traffic.

The famous Bells Beach professional surfing competition is always held at Easter for those keen on seeing the best surfers at work.

April the 25th is ANZAC day, the day Australia stops to remember those killed in war. Point Danger at Torquay is the biggest rally outside of the capital cities providing a moving and memorable tribute as the lone bugle plays at sunrise. Everyone is welcome to join with the locals at a traditional sausage sizzle for breakfast.

TIP#3 – Safety on the Road

Driving the road is an exciting and spectacular experience. You will be able to stop frequently at designated spots to take photos while soaking up the views.

If you find yourself so besotted by the views that you want to drive slowly there are pull-out points to allow other drivers to pass. This is a great convenience on this narrow road for all travellers.

You will notice signs reminding drivers to keep to the left, and the speed limit is 80 kph (50 mph) along many stretches and during the summer additional speed restrictions apply.

TIP#4 – The Sun

The Australian sun can seem intense to visitors from the Northern Hemisphere, so remember your hat and sunscreen whenever you are outside.

When in England, we walked for a whole sunny day without sunscreen without getting sunburnt – here, an hour without sunscreen will be enough to leave your skin reddened and more could lead to a painful burn.

The late afternoon Western sun can also be a hazard if you are driving into it. Best to plan to be on a beach or in a café at this time of day.

TIP#5 – Book Ahead

Our peak summer period between Christmas and the end of January needs to be booked well ahead. And very few places have single nights available because holidaymakers book for longer periods at this time.

Being desperate for accommodation late on a hot day with the possibility of the nearest room being 200 km away is not pleasant when you have come all this way to see the Apostles.

We hope these tips will help you with your next trip to the Great Ocean Road.

A little aside in the Q & A Below:-

Hi Stewart,

The most common rout is Torquay to Allansford. My late father’s logic was the reverse, that is Allansford to Torquay. His reasoning was to drive on the hill rather than on the cliff side of the road.
There is a good reason for doing it in both directions
Cheers

Tim
0425 777 230
On 15/02/2012, at 5:18 AM, stewart sim wrote:
Is there a best direction for this drive i.e Allansford to Torquay  or
Torquay to Allansford

 

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Tips and tax: there are no hidden holiday costs in Australia

November 8th, 2007 by Yvonne

To tip or not to tip – that’s a question we rarely know the answer to until after we’ve arrived at our holiday destination.

We have just returned from a trip to Canada and the USA – a great holiday that highlighted the big differences between North America and Australia when it comes to tipping.

As passengers on the Rocky Mountaineer, for example, we were advised that it would be acceptable (in other words, expected) to offer CAD$25 per day per hostess. And this is after we had paid top dollar for the tour! Our costs everywhere were higher than we had anticipated because of the “gratuities” added to meals and services.

Some argue that gratuities are necessary in countries where workers are not paid adequate wages. But does this really apply to North America? Or is it an excuse for employers to pay lower wages than they can afford?

Some restaurants and tour operators will make it clear that tips are an essential part of an employee’s take-home pay. So you’re effectively being told that you have to pay the employee part of their wage, as well as paying for the goods or services. Personally I’d rather have the extra built into the price so that I know what I’m buying up front.

Then there’s tax. To top off our North American trip, GST was added at the cash register AFTER we had selected a purchase, so you have to remember to mentally add the GST to avoid being unpleasantly surprised by this hidden extra!

When you come to Australia, when you view prices at restaurants, in stores and on Australian travel sites like this one, the price you will pay is the price advertised. GST, if applicable, is either included or stated clearly up front, and tipping is not expected. However if you feel that you have received excellent service and you wish to tip then that is your choice.

I’d love to hear your views and your experiences of tipping. Check our Travel Tips category regularly for more Australian travel tips, including advice for drivers exploring our magnificent Great Ocean Road.

You can get more information on tipping and other Australian travel matters from The Small Guide.

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Driving the Great Ocean Road: Lorne to Allansford

September 12th, 2007 by Yvonne

Still on the first of our two-day trip along the Great Ocean Road, we’re an hour out of Lorne driving west.

The most wonderful vistas have continually begged us to stop and take yet another photo of the most fabulous beaches, but we have pressed on to our lunch destination.

Blue-eye fillet on mash with red wine jusWe have a very soft spot for the brilliant fresh food served in the spectacular Chris’s Beacon Point Restaurant up the hill at Skenes Creek. Impossible to drive past here without sampling something – and the view is to die for too.

Today I have blue eye fillet on mash with red wine jus. Mmmmmm! Tim has calamari with blue cheese and walnut dressing and a Greek salad.

This restaurant was rebuilt after being totally destroyed by a bushfire four years ago. The refurbishment has ensured that every diner has access to that spectacular view, yet they have managed to maintain the warm feeling of a Greek taverna that it has always had.

Chris is 70 now, having migrated from Greece as a young man, and he still pops into the restaurant every day. The next party of diners arrives as we leave. Any weekend and all summer this place is packed to the rafters day and night.

There are cottages right outside the door if you don’t want to drive after your delicious meal. (Contact us for more information.) We, however, are on a mission and must press on – without dessert.

Skene’s Creek is only 6 km from Apollo Bay, which we slip through today, but is worth a stop for the beach, the pub and La Bimba – a warmly welcoming café. And if you have very little time, this is where you can catch a plane for “flightseeing” over the Twelve Apostles with Apollo Bay Aviation.

We want to see how far we can comfortably travel today. Can we get to the end of the road, or even to Warrnambool or Port Fairy?

By the way, if you’re intending to drive to Warrnambool in winter, call ahead (1800 637 725) to find out if the southern right whales are swimming off Logan’s Beach. You can often see them just 100 metres offshore – a real treat.

Our drive now covers the wettest area of the state of Victoria, where rainfall is normally measured in feet rather than inches! And yes, it’s raining – and everything is green. Cows graze in the valleys, and eucalypts, ferns, beech and wattle line the roads, which are single lane with double lines frequently reminding us not to pass. There are plenty of rest stops so you can pull in and appreciate the scenery.

We pass signs for Mait’s Rest Forest Walk, which gives you easy access to wonderful temperate rainforest, Cape Otway Lighthouse and Johanna Beach (often used as an alternative to Bells Beach for the Easter Surf Pro Competition). These would all be worthwhile diversions with time to spare. Not for us today.

Pine plantations surround us as we head over the hills to Port Campbell. Gibson’s Steps provide our first opportunity to view the rocky outcrops that this coast is famous for – the Twelve Apostles – and it’s easy to see why everyone gets excited about them. Their naturally sculpted beauty is magnetic.

Cream separator at Cheese WorldBut once again, because of our mission, we decide to savour the Apostles on the way back, and instead we cruise past each outcrop to the “end of the road” at Allansford, and Cheese World – a free museum devoted to the dairy industry!

It takes us an extra hour of driving, including a stop to allow milking cows to cross the road, and it’s really only worth doing this last stretch if you have a particular interest in dairying or want to buy some delicious cheeses and chocolates for the return journey – as we do!

Next post: Overnight stop and The Twelve Apostles

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Posted by Yvonne Posted in Beaches, Eating, Great Ocean Road, Itineraries, Lorne, Photography, Travel tips, Wildlife | No Comments »


Driving the Great Ocean Road: Torquay to Lorne

September 5th, 2007 by Yvonne

Teddy’s Lookout, Lorne, Great Ocean Road, Victoria.Well, here we are driving our beloved Great Ocean Road once again. We are testing a two-day itinerary from our home in Torquay – at the start of the road – and we’re interested to see how far along we can get, comfortably.

Along the way, we’ll bring a few tips for places to stop, admire, photograph, shop, dine or sleep.

This first post sees us leave Torquay and make our way along the road (the B100) to the seaside township of Lorne – a stretch known as the Surf Coast.

Naturally we start by paying homage to the famous Bells Beach where a dozen or so keen surfers in thick winter wetsuits are making the most of some reliable waves.

The first tourist bus of the day has already departed ahead of us as we join the winding road through the Great Otway Park. It’s a quiet stretch, and we have to work hard to remember that some folks might need the other side of the road to come the opposite way. Luckily, regular signs remind us to keep to the left!

Most of the road is now limited to 80 kilometres per hour, and in many places we drive slower due to the curves and switchbacks. These are what make the road beloved by motorbike riders, who come in their hundreds at weekends. Their favourite haunt is the Arab Café in Lorne, where you will see every kind of bike lined up as the riders drink coffee and compare notes.

Today we slip past Point Addis and the Ironbark Forest Koori Walk, which we already know to have a spectacular cliff-top view over glorious beaches – worth a stop and an uphill walk on a fine day.

Anglesea, sitting at the join of the Anglesea River and the sea, is a big favourite with Melbourne holidaymakers. The heath-covered slopes provide a backdrop on one side of the road to the ocean on the other.

Today we are lucky to have few fellow travellers. The grey day is contrasted with the bright yellow of the first wattles heralding spring just around the corner. It has been a long, cold winter and we’re looking forward to some warm sunshine. The temperature today is predicted to reach about 14C.

We pass by Aireys Inlet Lighthouse as we have been there before. We used to holiday in this town prior to our move from Melbourne to Torquay, so we’re already familiar with the lovely view from the lighthouse down the coast to Lorne.

Tim Kottek at Memorial Arch - Great Ocean Road, VictoriaInstead, we stop in a parking bay to take pictures of the new Memorial Arch sculpture completed this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the building of the Great Ocean Road by soldiers returned from World War 1.

There are a number of smaller commemorative plaques along the road. We stop to photograph one about a white man named Buckley who lived for many years with the Wathaurung Aboriginal people of this area.

I love the way the view of Lorne peeps out and then hides as we weave our way around the bends – this is one of my favourite views because we are right against a cliff face on one side with the swirling ocean on our other side. Awaiting us ahead are Lorne’s horseshoe shaped Louttit Bay, accessible sands and groovy shops.

The Visitor Information Centre is just round the corner after you cross the little bridge at the entrance to the town and is well worth a visit. We buy some souvenirs to take when we visit Canada later this year – a platypus, koala and kangaroo. Maps, DVDs, books and other information about the Great Ocean Road are available here too. And there’s a toilet.

Next, we climb up the VERY steep back streets of Lorne to visit Teddy’s Lookout (follow the signs and keep going to the end of the road). This is a lovely surprise – we stand as if hovering like birds viewing the winding road to the west (the photo at the top of this post is taken from the Lookout). Viewing platforms and tables for morning tea make this a delightful detour.

Next post: stopping for lunch and continuing on to Allansford.

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Posted by Yvonne Posted in Beaches, Great Ocean Road, Itineraries, Lorne, Surfing, Torquay, Travel tips | 3 Comments »


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