I’m sitting here at Waurn Ponds Railway Station, having heard the cancellation of two consecutive trains on the V Line.

Tough luck for a rookie who’s taking her very first regional train.

I thought I would put my time to good use since I’d be waiting around anyway, to pen down the travels along the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road was the first road trip I made when I arrived in Melbourne four months ago. It was the tail-end of Winter and freezing, and now in Summer, there doesn’t seem to be much of a change. It’s 16C as I’m writing this, with strong, chilly wind howling outside the wait zone.

The below captures memories from both my trips here (Aug and Dec 2022):

We weren’t able to book a caravan and ended up with a mix of motels and camping – both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Apollo Bay

Random viewpoints along the Great Ocean Road

Princetown Recreation Reserve & Camping

Cape Otway Lightstation

Great Otway National Park

Johanna Cottage

Twelve Apostles (or Sow & the Piglets)

Gibson Steps

Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands, Triplet Falls

Warrnambool

Extremely beautiful little town, away from the hustle and bustle of its noisier neighbours

Intimate get-to-know session with OZ’s wildlife. Worth every penny and learned so much!

Keayang Maar Vineyard

One of the better vineyards of four that we’ve tried in Victoria so far. Love the unfiltered Pinot Noir and unfiltered Shiraz! The cheese platter was also rock solid. #willvisitagain

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Lake Edge Cafe

Jan Juc

An unexpected find as we set off for Jan Juc. This cosy hut housed some of the most delicious food, a beautiful Shiraz and had one of the most sincere hospitality staff. #highlyrecommend

And there you go, ending this post now that I’m onboard the train. There’s a weirdo seated next to me who keeps blabbering. Wish me luck that he doesn’t come disturb me 😶‍🌫️

Also, a huge shoutout to Angel, Vlad, Mirko and Dao for making the long trip down to Melbourne to visit. Thanks for all the memories, singing, wine and dine and BBQs, and just being the best bunch ever ❤️

Best, Olly’22