Melbourne Travel Forum

What would you recommend? Driving from Melbourne to Warrnambool via the inside road and coming back to Melbourne via the GOR, or doing it the opposite way? Why?

I notice you're in Madrid, where you drive on the opposite side of the road to here in Australia. Suggest you go to Warrnambool via the GOR and return via the highway, because you'll have the ocean view on your left and its much easier to pull into the parking bays where the look outs are from the left rather than crossing traffic.

How many days are you intending to travel the GOR and have you considered returning to Melbourne via Ballarat, which is a great provincial city with many of the gold rush era magnificent buildings still in use.

Hi Sirgaw,
Thanks for the info. WeŽll follow your advice.
We are planning to spend 2 days on the GOR. I will have a look at Ballarat. Had not considered it before.

Regards
Virginia

Hi,

I would consider 2 days on the GOR to be minimum - 3 would be better. Perhaps with 2 days, Appolo Bay would be the ideal spot to stay overnight and then do the Cape Otway Lighthouse at the start of day 2. Whilst the distance of the GOR is not that big, it is a slow and winding drive with many photo/viewing opportunities. Too many people have rushed the GOR, but its like a good wine - drink slowly

Ballarat has the Sovereign Hill re-creation of the gold rush era - see www.sovereignhill.com.au/ for more details

Hi I would be guided by the weather, if it is a fine sunny day take the coast road as you can never be certain what the weather will be next day.

Good Luck,
Mike

I would suggest Melbourne to Warrnambool, as someone else said, you are on the *right* side of the road to stop and look...best views this way.

I was in Warrnambool for Christmas and instead of going straight from Warrnambool to Ballarat/Melbourne we did a drive to Halls Gap, which in the Grampians. Then down the highway to Ballarat.

There are some great overnight accommodation, including backpackers.

Halls Cape is a nice little village and has some great walks to do in this area.
Very pretty. There were big fires there not long ago, but most of the vegetation is all glowing green again.
Here is a link to have a browse at.

http://www.visithallsgap.com.au/

Thank you all for your comments. Unfortunately what we lack is time. We have three weeks to do the most of Australia and...the country is huge and there are so many things to do that...unfortunately there will be some things we have to leave on the way.
I really appreciate your tips and weŽll sure include some of your recommendation as part of our trip.

All the best

SoonBeijing

Yes, like so many of us who holiday, there's never enough time. I certainly would have mentioned the goldfields as well, they're really special.
I'm also with sirgaw, go down on the GOR. Make sure you allocate time in and around Loch Ard Gorge, it has so much to offer.
Cheers and have a good time whatever you decide.

Soon, it really is unfortunate that you are staying such a short amount of time. I would highly recommend that if you are going to attempt the GOR in just one day that you follow this recommendation:

1. If leaving from Melbourne, get the group up especially early (think 4-5am), so that you are hitting the start of the road (Torquay) at dawn's early light. I lived in Melbourne's CBD, and we were able to do the whole road and eat dinner in Port Fairy before venturing back in the dark. This did not leave alot of time for exploration in places like Cape Otway or the Otway National Park like I would have preferred.

2. If your accommodation plans are somewhat flexible, you could break the trip into two nights, and still accomplish quite a bit. Staying in Torquay, Warnambool, or Port Campbell would allow you to get an earlier morning start without being road weary already when you get to the Ocean Road.

One other thing to bear in mind is that you have two capable drivers if you are going to attempt this in one day. I drove the entire day, but my level of enjoyment was much less than the others in my party, because I had to focus on the road so much!

Enjoy your trip!!!

Port Fairy, what a fabulous little town, suggest you stay overnight, we did and I think of it often.

Mike