Driving the Great Ocean Road Australia

One of our all time bucket list excursions is driving the Great Ocean Road in Australia. We called upon a guest writer to offer his itinerary and ideas for visiting the lesser-known treasures of Australia’s southern coast on this epic Australian road trip.

A route to adventure reaches out, luring the adventurer in all of us. A shoreline unparalleled in its natural riches stands at the bottom of Australia. Waiting for you to seek out the beauty it possesses.

One of my fondest travel memories is of the day my friends and I hired a campervan and started off driving the Great Ocean Road in Australia. A rich Brit, elegant cook, party animal, attractive devil, and photographer piled in a camper van and started out. The goal was to drive along the coast down to Melbourne, tour the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide, then blast straight back to Sydney.

With 5 mature adult guys in one van, the trip was destined to become interesting. We had such a nice time seeing the lesser-known treasures of Australia’s southern coast, I wanted to share our itinerary and advice for repeating this incredible Australian road trip.

Great Ocean Road Route at a Glance

The Great Ocean Road officially starts south of Melbourne at Torquay and finishes in Allansford, Victoria. Stretching a total distance of 151 miles (243 kilometers). The key destinations along the trip include Bells Beach, Otway National Park, and the famed Twelve Apostles. There are no images that do the route the honor it deserves, so be prepared to be blown away by the turns this road has to offer.

Before we found ourselves traveling down the Great Ocean Road my companions and I spent 4-7 days of our road trip navigating the journey down from our starting point in Sydney and touring Melbourne. This Itinerary begins out with some suggestions on our favorite 42 Wallaby Way location. (Side note: this address from Finding Nemo is not genuine, do not try to find it.)

How To Pick A Campervan Rental In Australia

When my friends and I planned our Great Ocean Road itinerary, we thought a campervan rental was the way to go. Campervans are the most cost-effective method to see a nation especially if you are going to be driving to most of the attractions.

In the long term, a campervan will be cheaper than the combination of hiring a vehicle and living in a hotel/hostel, while also offering you the option of choosing your own schedule instead of being compelled to stick with a tour group. The campervan’s combined capacity to be your vehicle and bed provides for an unequaled degree of power in mapping out your itinerary.

When looking for a campervan rental, a major advice is to choose a van that can sleep the number of people you are going with, trying to cram in more people may assist with budgeting but lead to difficulties with comfort and accessible seat belts.

Another element to consider is the height of the roof, depending on how tall you are you may want a van with a raised roof or high top so you can stand comfortably inside.

Key campervan components include ensuring sure it has a table, sink, refrigerator, heat, A/C, and a cooking mechanism. Larger vans may be fitted with a stove while the smaller ones may have a tiny gas grill that can be put on a small counter. You may also read this: Planning a Road Trip from Las Vegas to Death Valley

Tips For Traveling In Australia With A Campervan

Before you start off on your road trip it would be prudent to take some of these considerations into mind.

Tip #1: Reserve Campsites Ahead Of Time

Renting a campervan is a popular vacation plan for many tourists in Australia. Due of this, campsites can fill up rapidly and far in advance. On my vacation, we didn’t bother to think about this ahead of time and it was a scurry for us to attempt to locate a place to stay each night.

Campsite rates in Australia can range from $50-$70 AUD if you are staying at an established site, if you select an area that has power it will effect the cost as well. These locations will contain showers, kitchens, and some possible recreational spaces. If you want to save a few dollars you can seek down a free campground, but these will be isolated locations with nothing around it.

Tip #2: Rental Insurance Is Invalid From Nightfall Till Am

This may come as a shock to some, but this blanket regulation is owing to the high amount of accidents induced by wildlife being more active at night. The majority of rental firms don’t want the bother of visitors damage automobiles by hitting an animal. You are still legally permitted to drive, but exercise great caution.

Kangaroos are deadly and may come out of nowhere (similar to deer in North America), however when attacked a kangaroo would retreat the opposite way. So even if you believe it has crossed the road out of your way already, it could leap back into the road without notice.

Tip #3 Travel With Necessities

My final recommendation is to travel with a few necessary non-perishable food items. In the event that something occurs to your fridge or cooking device, you will still have something to eat. I definitely recommend peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches, protein bars, and Poptarts. If you are allergic to nuts, make sure you have an alternative.

Things To Do In Sydney Before Your Vacation

Sydney is an excellent jumping-off point for your Australian road trip and Great Ocean Road itinerary because it’s an easy city to fly into and there are lots of can’t-miss things to do there. The renowned Australian city is the excellent starting location to acquire a modest sample size of Australia.

If you are just arriving in the land down under a three-day weekend is the perfect length of time to get used to a probable time difference that you may experience. There are lots of things to do in Sydney to keep you occupied, but here are some of my suggested highlights:

• Sydney Harbor Bridge: Walk over Sydney Harbour Bridge, or if you are courageous enough, climb to the top of the bridge with BridgeClimb.

• Taronga Zoo Sydney: A fantastic opportunity to observe some of the distinctive fauna Australia is known for. Tasmanian devils, koalas, and crocodiles may be difficult to spot on your own, and possibly dangerous. Plus, you’ll get some pretty spectacular views of the skyline from the gondola you have to ride to the park.

• Bondi Beach: Stroll down to Bondi Beach to soak up the sun. While at Bondi be sure you take part of the Bondi to Coggee trek. The walking trail loops along Sydney’s rugged coast affording many views of the famed beaches.Pro Tip: “Stay between the flags” is a phrase commonly heard at Australian Beaches. At most beaches lifeguards throw up red and yellow flags denoting where beach-goers can enter the ocean to keep people safe and away from surfers.

• Sydney Opera House tour: Everyone wants a selfie of the magnificent Opera House, but a tour will tell you the rich history behind this unusual landmark. Find yourself backstage and learn about how shows are put on here.

• Catch an Australian Football game: True Australian culture rests in their athletic activities. If an Australian Football match is happening while you are in Sydney, attempt to secure a ticket. Footy, a nickname for the game, is a chaotic sport that the entire country is in love with. The game contains features of handball, soccer, and rugby, and with competitors from all around the world creates for high-intensity action that is never ending.