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I have always been very much interested in the Land Down Under, but unfortunately have no real chance to visit. So when I was asked if I would go for an assignment to the country, I practically jumped at the opportunity. I was to be stationed in Melbourne for 6 weeks and in that period, I managed to make a few road trips around the state of Victoria.

In this article is an account of my drive to the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. This 400 kilometers road was build after the World War One (between 1919-1932), partly to provide employment to the service men returning home. Running mostly next to the Southern Ocean, it provides breathtaking views of the coastline carved out by the relentless waves hundreds of years in the making. Over a hundred ships had sunk in these areas in the past. The locals called this coastline 'Shipwreck Coast'.

I was woken up in the wee hours of the morning (about 5am) by a sudden burst of some loud rock band over the clock-radio, whose name I do not know but did the job (waking me up) nonetheless. After a quick breakfast and a quick check of the map of our intended route and planned stops, we started the journey.

In the 17 degrees morning, the land is a-washed in mist with hardly any cars in sight along the freeway. Our headlights picked up each line on the gravelled road in turn, urging us onwards. To the side of the road, the flat landscape along the Princes Highway extends and disappeared into the mist. The journey takes on a cold and mystical feel. Is was not till an hour later before the first rays of sun sets the mists a-glow and it (the mist) began to fade and the landscape cleared. Some hot air balloons dotted the skyline in the distance.

It was a cloudy morning when we reached our fist destination, Fisherman's Beach in the town of Torquay. This is one of the more popular surf area in Victoria. We pulled into a stop to catch a sight of the coast. In the cold and cloudy morning, there was no soul that dares brave the freezing water. The breeze sends goosebumps into my flesh as I got out of the heated car. I was greeted with a long lonely strech of beach, clean water and huge waves pounding on the sands and rocks. Simply serene, and beautiful.

Anglesea was the next stop, another popular surf beach for the folks at Melbourne and Geelong. Here we pulled to a stop at Guvvo and Hutt Gully beach to take a couple more photos of the coastline.

At Split Point, we stopped and took a short walk along the cliff to have a look at the Aireys Inlet Lighthouse. This was erected during the old days to warn passing ships of the dangers near the coast. The area has become the Eagle National Park in recent times.

We arrived at the town of Lorne at around noon. This is a prime holiday location with a beautiful stretch of beach and holiday style town. Teddy's lookout, a small hilltop about nine kilometres inland is a place not to be missed. A short drive inland, followed by a 5 minute hike rewarded us with a breathtaking view of the Great Ocean Road as it winds it's way around the coast.

A short drive away from Lorne, past Kennnett River is Cape Patton. This has a small lookout area right beside the main road and is a popular stop with the tour operators. The relentless ocean has carved a jagged line of coast from the hills forming a beautiful coastline which pretty much looks like a picture lifted out from an artist's canvas.

We stopped for a short break from the drive at Appollo Bay. Relative to all the towns that we have passed so far this is a pretty sizable one. Here, we took a short detour to the Marinners Lookout. Situated over some private land, this hill offers a panaromic view of Appollo Bay. The windy conditions and the height made this an ideal place for paragliding.

86 kilometeres from Appollo Bay, we managed to make a stop by the Gibson Steps before heading for our prime destination - Twelve Apostles. Here (Gibson Steps) is one of Australia's most grand sand beaches. Yonder from the top of the cliffs we can see coral reefs and huge limestone towers over the sea in the distance. Steps are build into the cliff-face (hence the name Gibson Steps) allowing you to decend into the beach below. The waves is strong and high to the point that it is unsafe to surf here. The wind blew a never ending blast of salt air into my face. The afternoon sun lights up the scene beautifully. I stood on the beach for such a long time, taking in and admiring the beauty and power of nature.

The Twelve Apostles is a stop not to be missed. The trip across the Great Ocean Road would not be complete without seeing the majestic collection of rock towers rising more than 65 metres from the ocean. They are the result of erosion from the sea and winds of the limestone cliff over 30 million years ago. If you cannot get a complete viewing satisfaction from the platforms, helicopter rides are provided (for a fee) to give you a bird's eye view of the landscape.

After the Twelve Apostles, less than five kilometres away is another coastal rock formation called the Loch Ard Gorge. This is named after the ship which rammed into the nearby Muttonbird island and sank many decades ago. Only two survived, a young girl and a boy. They were washed up to a narrow gorge and crawled into a cave known as the Thunder Cave to shelter from the freezing wheather and the rough seas.

The sea and wind over the centuries have made an awe inspiring work of art on the rocks and cliff faces of the Great Ocean Road. This is definately a trip worth making if you are ever in Southern Australia. The beauty and power of the seas have never been this close.

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