Just 2 hours outside of Melbourne lies the aptly named Great Ocean Road, a coastal highway that stretches a couple hundred kilometers through both rugged and pristine coastline. Photo ops are littered throughout the drive, with the main draw being the 12 Apostles, a set of rock formations settled just off the shore. Coastal towns, hidden coves, rainforest, kangaroos, and koalas make the drive anything but mundane. I was in a constant state of anticipation of what was coming up around the next curve.
Adding to the adventure was the act of driving itself. Thankfully, I found a fellow traveler in my hostel that was planning to drive the road as well, so we were able to split costs for the 2-day adventure. Aside from company, I was also provided a navigator. It was good thing, too, as it required all my mental capability to not turn onto the wrong side of the road or go the wrong way through the roundabouts! Surprisingly, it didn’t take long to get used to being on the other side, though I still haven’t quite mastered the art of parking. Activating the turn signals was a challenge on its own, as more often than not I ended up turning on the windshield wipers, instead!
The drive went without a hitch. Two days of stunning coastline views, a little bit of camping, great company, and koala & kangaroo sightings made for a quintessential adventure on the Great Ocean Road.