22 January 2018, Monday
This morning, we set off very early from our apartment. At 6:30am, we drove our rented car out of Melbourne city towards the airport. Our fourth member, YS, was flying in and finally joining us today. After scooping him up from the airport, we set off for our day trip to the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road.
From the airport, we took the inland expressway. It was not as scenic as the Great Ocean Road but more direct. At about 9am, we stopped at a small town called Colac and had McDonald’s for breakfast because we were all starving. After filling our tummies, we continued driving towards our first destination Port Campbell National Park, arriving at 10:45am.
Port Campbell National Park is a 1,750-hectare national park located approximately 190km southwest of Melbourne. It is a collection of several top-notch attractions including the London Arch, Loch Ard Gorge, the Gibson Steps and the famed Twelve Apostles. We first stopped at the London Arch.
The London Arch is an offshore natural arch formation. It used to be called London Bridge because until 1990, there was another arch that connected it to the mainland, forming a double-span bridge. On 15 January 1990, the span that connected it to the mainland collapsed and the London Bridge became no more. Two tourists were caught stranded on the outer span and had to be rescued by helicopters. Luckily, no one was standing on the span when it collapsed. Since then, the outer span has stood freely in the ocean and it has been renamed the London Arch.
Just wondering: Is this how the song “London Bridge Is Falling Down” originated?
It was amazing to stand there and enjoy the breeze from the ocean, and watch the waves roll in continuously. It was a potent reminder that nature is powerful. Rocks and cliffs may be hard and strong, but eventually they are no match for the waves that pound the shore repetitively, weakening them bit by bit. Perhaps in another century or so, the London Arch will also cease to exist as the remaining arch collapses into the ocean, finally giving up after being battered for so long.
From the London Arch, we walked a short distance and soon reached The Arch, another monumental natural rock arch that is still connected to the mainland. The Arch is much smaller in mass than the London Arch but it has a more pronounced arch that is almost symmetrical.
After that, we drove a short distance to the second cluster of attractions around Loch Ard Gorge. In geographical terms, a gorge is a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it. This gorge is named after the clipper Loch Ard, which wrecked here in 1878. A clipper is a term for a 19th century fast sailing ship with concave bows and raked masts.
There are three easy walks here at Loch Ard Gorge. It will take around two to three hours to walk them all. We only covered about one-and-a-half of them. From the carpark area, we first walked to the Loch Ard wreck lookout. Here, we saw the site where Loch Ard struck the reef and sank.
During that fateful night on 1 June 1878, strong winds and current carried the ship towards the cliffs. The captain lowered the sails and dropped the anchors but they dragged across the ocean floor. In a final desperate attempt, the anchors were cut and the sails were raised. The ship nearly managed to clear the cliffs but the bow struck a shallow reef and water flooded the cabins. Of the 54 people on board, only two people, Tom and Eva, survived. As a tribute to the survivors, two of the free-standing stacks are nicknamed Tom and Eva.
We then walked to see the Razorback. It is an unusual rock stack that is very narrow and long, resembling a razor blade. The sharp edges and bumps along its back are caused by wind-blown spray, which hardens small areas of rock. The softer rock around these erodes away, leaving an uneven surface.
It was magnificent to see the Razorback and the surrounding stacks in the distance, set against the jagged coastline. Together with the sound of the rolling waves, the smell of the sea spray, the breeze blowing against my face and the heat from the sun on my skin, it all contributed to a perfect sensory experience.
Turning back from the Razorback, we went back to Loch Ard Gorge and descended the steps to the beach. This was where Tom was washed ashore after the shipwreck, and he later saw Eva clinging on to a spar nearby and swam out to rescue her.
As the beach is located at the end of the narrow inlet of the gorge, it is shielded from the strongest of waves. Nevertheless, the waves are still quite strong and it is not advisable to swim at the beach, though we saw one crazy person attempting just that.
We spent about an hour at Loch Ard Gorge altogether. Next up, the highlight of our visit to Port Campbell National Park – the Twelve Apostles! It was just a short drive away (4km) and we arrived at about 12:55pm.
I was initially in two minds whether to make the trip here, because I’ve heard some people saying that the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Drive are over-rated, where you drive a long way out just to see some rocks in the sea. However, the moment the Twelve Apostles came into view, all those thoughts evaporated instantly.
The Twelve Apostles are limestone stacks just like the London Arch and Razorback, because they are from the same stretch of coastline, located just a few kilometres apart. In biblical terms, the 12 Apostles are the chief disciples of Jesus Christ. However, it is not clear why these limestone stacks here are called the Twelve Apostles because there were never 12 of them to begin with. There were only ever nine stacks and one of them collapsed on 3 July 2005, leaving eight standing today.
Sometimes, pictures don’t do a place justice as pictures are only one dimensional. Just like being at the Razorback earlier, it was the full sensory experience of seeing the Twelve Apostles with your eyes, hearing the waves lapping onto the shore, feeling the breeze and the sun’s rays on your skin and smelling the sea that contribute to the magic of the place. All your senses are engaged and you can only appreciate the full beauty of the scene by being there in person. I can safely tell you that the Twelve Apostles are well worth the visit!
After about half an hour of being mesmerised by the Twelve Apostles, we sought refuge from the sweltering heat at the Visitor Centre, where we bought ice-cream and ice-cold Coke to rehydrate ourselves. The sun and blue skies made for pretty pictures but it was tiring us out as well.
Next, we went to the Gibson Steps. We took the staircase down and went to the beach, where we witnessed in close proximity the waves crashing onto the beach. The beach was backed by dramatic, steep cliffs and it was a beautiful moment when we were dwarfed by majestic nature.
At about 2:20pm, we left the Gibson Steps and proceeded to our next destination, Great Otway National Park, arriving about an hour later. The Great Otway National Park is huge and we only visited a small section of it. We did a short 2km hike to Triplet Falls and it took us about 50 minutes.
It was an easy trek with well-marked paths. Along the way, we saw beautiful ferns and humongous trees. Indeed, some of the trees were over 300 years old and easily over 50m tall. We felt so small and humble then.
The reward of our hike was Triplet Falls, a small waterfall with three cascades. The viewing platform was a distance away so we couldn’t really see the falls properly. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable little trek and a total contrast from the cliff and ocean scenery we had seen earlier.
We then drove to Cape Otway Lightstation. Sadly, when we arrived at 5:15pm, it was already closed. We walked a short trail around the area and reached the lookout point, but all we could see was a tiny bit of the lighthouse. It was a pity because the weather was really fine and there was plenty of daylight left.
Not long after leaving Cape Otway, we found ourselves on the coastal part of the Great Ocean Road. We passed by Apollo Bay, lively town set in a beautiful bay. It had great views of the ocean and it looked a terrific place to stay for a night or two.
Before heading back to the city, we stopped by Kennett River to look for koalas. YE and KL had come here during their previous trip and managed to see koalas hanging out on the eucalyptus trees, so we hoped we could catch a glimpse of them in their natural habitat. Alas, luck was not on our side yet again. We looked hard at the treetops but the koalas were all hiding and nowhere to be found. After about half an hour, we gave up and departed.
For the rest of the way, we were treated to spectacular views of the ocean from our car windows. It’s not called the Great Ocean Road for nothing. I thank YE for driving because I could then enjoy the view properly.
At 7pm, we stopped by Lorne for a dinner break. My friend had recommended a restaurant called Pizza Pizza and said that I had to try it because it was the best pizza she had ever eaten in her life. The restaurant was very small and cosy but very popular, so we waited quite long for our order.
We ended up having a pizza each because we were so famished by then. Our last proper meal was McDonald’s at Colac 10 hours ago. Compared to the pizza we had at 400 Gradi yesterday, this one had a harder and thicker crust, like a biscuit. The toppings were very generous but the pizza was slightly oily. Personally, I prefer a thin-crust pizza, but this was still pretty good.
There was a short stretch of coastal road before the Great Ocean Road moved inland and ended at the seaside town of Torquay. At 8:45pm, we stopped by the side of the road to capture the last rays of light before the sun disappeared over the horizon. It was beautiful as the beach was bathed in a golden glow and the sky merged seamlessly from orange to yellow to blue.
It took quite a while before we finally reached our apartment. It was after midnight, I think. We were all shagged out by then, after a long day of being in the sun and walking around. Big kudos to YE for driving and keeping his concentration on the roads, so that we could all enjoy ourselves. Thanks YE!
I am so glad we did the Great Ocean Road drive and visited the Twelve Apostles. In fact, all the other attractions – London Arch, Loch Ard Gorge and the Great Otway National Park – were fantastic and made the trip worth it. I think we were also very lucky to have good weather so the entire experience turned out beautiful. It was a very long but very fruitful and memorable day.