Good Times on the Great Ocean Road

America’s got the Pacific Coast Highway, Australia’s got the Great Ocean Road.  Both are stunningly beautiful with jaw-dropping views.  Both are prone to the kind of weather that sends sane cyclists to an indoor spinning class.  And both are worth the effort even in torrential rains and gale force winds.

The Great Ocean Road is by far the flatter and shorter (just under 300 KMS) of the two.  Like Highway One in the US, the GOR hugs the coast, twisting and turning along the Southern Ocean.  At times the highway turns inland, climbing up into the heavily-forested hinterland.  There are fishing villages, and quaint little towns full of tourists sipping coffee at street side cafes.  It’s a fun ride but best avoided on weekends and school holidays when the area is flooded with day-trippers from Melbourne.

I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story…

We’re in Melbourne at the moment, bustling around as we prepare for our flight to New Zealand this evening.  Many thanks to all our wonderful hosts in Australia–you’ve truly made this part of the trip memorable.