It was my first time to Australia, so I asked friends who’d been: how many days should I spend in Melbourne? Their answer was the same: three. Two of which were to be spent exploring Melbourne itself and one to discover the Great Ocean Road. I heeded their advice.
I checked out a friend’s blog about the Great Ocean Road, and I was easily convinced that I had to see it myself. The problem? I don’t drive—left-hand, right-hand, or what have you. Fortunately, Bunyip Tours, one of Melbourne’s top travel companies, offers its bestselling Great Ocean Road tours daily. Aside from transportation, their tours include park fees and lunch. I immediately signed up.
Although hotel pick-ups can be arranged, I chose to go directly to Bunyip Tours’ office right on Flinders Street on the morning of the tour, so I didn’t have to wake up too early. Minutes before the stated departure time, we were divided among three small buses. I was assigned to the third bus, and our driver and guide was Cameron, who was infectiously chipper even early in the morning.
By the way, I really liked how Bunyip Tours divides its guests into smaller groups and buses instead of having everyone in one big bus, making the experience more intimate.
The Great Ocean Road stretches 243 kilometers along the southeastern coast of Australia, straddling the state of Victoria. Considered the world’s largest war memorial, it was dedicated to fallen soldiers of World War I by returned soldiers who built the road themselves amid hardship and isolation.
We began our journey across the Great Ocean Road on its commemorative marker called the Memorial Archway. There, Cameron told us stories about the road and the great difficulty soldiers underwent building it. A few steps from the archway, there was a beach and a view of the road that gave me a glimpse of what was to come.
Then, we stopped by a pier in Anglesea to stretch our legs, have tea and biscuits (an Aussie thing to do), and check out the scenery. We also stopped nearby to check out a stunning view of the coast.
A few moments later, we were already in the Great Otway National Park to walk across its verdant rainforest and see koalas in their natural habitat. In one portion of it, we took photos with cheeky birds that are used to interacting with people.
It was already midday by then, and everyone was understandably hungry, so we stopped by a town called Apollo Bay to have lunch in a quaint restaurant. Its specialty is fish and chips, but I opted for roasted chicken.
While everyone is shopping, I proceeded to the beach nearby, which was our last stop along the Great Ocean Road.
After an almost hour’s drive, we were taken to the afternoon’s highlight—the mighty Twelve Apostles. To see these wonders, we had two stops, first of which were the Gibson Steps in Port Campbell National Park.
Due to natural phenomena that caused their erosion over the years, only eight of the twelve limestone stacks remain. I fortunately had the chance to see some of them close from the beach upon descending the Gibson Steps.
Sure, ascent back was quite difficult, but the gorgeous views made it worthwhile.
We then had another chance to see the Twelve Apostles from another perspective, this time from lookout points in Port Campbell.
The last stop of our tour was the Loch Ard Gorge, which took only a few minutes for us to reach. There, we saw even more awe-inspiring limestone formations, most notable of which was the gorge that can be observed from the beach. The Loch Ard Gorge was named after a Scottish clipper ship that ran aground nearby.
All in all, it was a unforgettable tour with Bunyip Tours. It was well-organized, and the guide was friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend it for us Filipinos who cannot drive on Australia’s roads or cannot drive at all.
And by the way, my friends are right—doing a Great Ocean Tour while in Melbourne is a must.
BUNYIP TOURS
Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Telephone: +61 3 9650 9680
Email: info@bunyiptours.com
Website: www.bunyiptours.com
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