Brad Templeton's Photography
Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road

(This is part 1. Check the Apostles page for part 2.)

We love road trips so we asked what Australia's best road trip was and most sources suggested the Great Ocean Road, a scenic coastal stretch between Melbourne and Adelaide.

The GOR is indeed quite a nice drive, though it is also remarkably similar (except for the gum trees) to California Highway One, which I have done several times. It has some areas that are different enough to stil make it worth doing, but if you've done California One before, you might put the GOR a little lower on your priority list. If you haven't done Highway One, put the GOR (or Highway One) high up.

We were lucky to encounter some beautiful sunrise rainbows on the GOR which appear here and in the panoramas page.

And I had the most delicious stack of pancakes in a restaurant along the road. Of course due to the time change we were getting up before sunrise and thus driving for 3 hours in the good light before having breakfast.

The tip of this road is the Otway lighthouse. It's a detour off the road and frankly I didn't find it particularly remarkable if you have seen other lighthouses.

After shooting the panorama of the great ocean road rainbow
(768 x 1024 - 69K)
After shooting the panorama of the great ocean road rainbow
After driving for 300km on Aussie roads, they decided to give the foreign tourists a reminder
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After driving for 300km on Aussie roads, they decided to give the foreign tourists a reminder
Kangaroo crossing signs really aren't just for the tourist shops.  This sign had them all
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Kangaroo crossing signs really aren't just for the tourist shops. This sign had them all
Split Point lighthouse
(1280 x 853 - 97K)
Split Point lighthouse
Rocks at Airley's Inlet
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Rocks at Airley's Inlet
First rainbow on morning, just past Lorne
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First rainbow on morning, just past Lorne
One of the stronger rainbows I have seen
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One of the stronger rainbows I have seen
Double rainbow.  See also panorama
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Double rainbow. See also panorama
Fishermen out for morning catch
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Fishermen out for morning catch
Man waits by his fishing pole, watching the waves crest
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Man waits by his fishing pole, watching the waves crest
Fishermen with glinting light on t he water
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Fishermen with glinting light on t he water
Cape Otway Lighthouse Tourist Trap
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Cape Otway Lighthouse Tourist Trap
Cape Otway
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Cape Otway
View tower in the Otway Fly rainforest walk
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View tower in the Otway Fly rainforest walk
End of the raised rainforest walk
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End of the raised rainforest walk
Looking down into the temperate rainforest
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Looking down into the temperate rainforest

Australia Index

Melbourne | Healesville Animal Sanctuary | Great Ocean Road
The Twelve Apostles and Beyond | South Australia | Kakadu | Kakadu, Part Two
Yellow Water | Yellow Water Two | Northern Territory | Cairns
Butterfly Sanctuary | Great Barrier Reef | Sydney (General)
Harbour Bridge and Opera House | Sydney Beaches

Panoramic Photos for this trip