Great Ocean Road - Day 3
Day III: Port Campbell to Port Fairy
Our last full day traveling on the Great Ocean Road started with driving to The Arch. This naturally sculptured arch stands 26-feet-tall and is located a short distance from Port Campbell. We were the only people there first thing in the morning and we spent quite a bit of time listening to the waves crashing against the arch.
Nearby is London Arch which was formed by a gradual process of erosion. It was originally a complete double-span and was attached to the mainland. In 1990, the arch closest to the shore collapsed unexpectedly leaving two tourists stranded for a few hours before they were rescued by helicopter! Prior to the collapse, it was originally known as the London Bridge because of its similarity to its namesake.
Also close by is The Grotto. To get to what is basically a sinkhole, we walked down multiple levels of steps to the bottom where we could see the ocean through a sinkhole in the rock.
We then drove to Peterborough to see the Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands. There was a nice walking trail around both which we used to explore the area. Given this is further down the Great Ocean Road, not many tour buses venture this far and it was very quiet and peaceful.
Bay of Martyrs
Halladale Point
Bay of Islands
Our second to last stop before ending in Port Fairy was Warrnambool. Warrnambool was once a whaling and sealing station. Today, it is major regional commercial and whale-watching center. We are not currently in whale-watching season, but did stop at Sting Ray Bay and the Merri Marine Sanctuary. It was fun being able to walk around the tide pools of the sanctuary. There were even a few fairy penguins hanging out on the cliffs nearby!
Fairy Penguins on the rocks!
We stayed overnight in Port Fairy before driving back to Melbourne the following day. Established as a whaling and sealing station in 1833, Port Fairy is a cute town and was even voted the world's most livable small community in 2012. Before heading to our motel, we did the 1-hour loop Griffith Island Walk. Griffiths Island is a small island at the mouth of the Moyne River. It is connected to Port Fairy by a short causeway and there is a walking track which circumnavigates the island.
Griffiths Island Lighthouse
This has been a highlight for sure in the short time we have been in Australia. We lucked out with sunny blue skies the last two days of our road trip which really made the water blue and sparkling. The Aussies also do a great job of keeping the pathways, boardwalks and trails nicely marked and manicured. I did try to be good about sunscreen, but unfortunately ended up getting burnt on my nose and back of my legs! I'm going to keep in mind reapplying is key - we are in summer here!!
Food:
Breakfast: Hello Coffee (Apollo Bay), Grassroots Cafe (Port Campbell), & Bank St + Co (Port Fairy)
Lunch: Bottle of Milk (Lorne)
Dinner: Sow & Piglets (Port Campbell) & Coffin Sally (Port Fairy)
Treat: Poco Artisan Ice Cream (Port Fairy)
Accommodation:
The Coastal Motel (Apollo Bay)
Loch Ard Motor Inn (Port Campbell)
Port Fairy Motor Inn (Port Fairy)