koala

Last week my brother and I decided to spend a day exploring outside of Melbourne City and check out the Great Ocean Road. After umm-ing and ahh-ing we decided a day guided tour would be best. We were both really tired and didn’t have time to research the car journey if we drove on our own, so booked the Great Ocean Road Classic Tour with Bunnyip Tours.

So very glad we did. I think both of us slept most of the way there and had a few naps at other quiet times too! We headed off with Katie, our wonderful Bunyip guide, who decided that she would do the tour backwards to beat both the heat and the crowds.

The incredible 12 Apostles were our first stop on the Great Ocean Road. Breathtaking views, ragged cliffs, stunning colours and a roaring ocean. I could have stared at them for hours. Instead, typically, we did our best to take some photos in front of them and enjoy the view. Being so early in the day there weren’t many people around and while the weather wasn’t great, I think it was the best weather to visit the 12 Apostles in. The colours were mesmerizing.

Our next stop was the Loch Ard Gorge and the Shipwreck Coast. Luke and I ran along to see everything and Katie was very kind to take us to another special spot, Thunder Cave and Sherbroke River. I managed to break my shoe while running along the paths – oops! The views were so worth it. Big thanks to Katie for going out of her way to make our experience special, knowing that we were adventure nuts!

We stopped for lunch at Otway lighthouse, mainland Australia’s oldest lighthouse. It took 70 men 10 months to build and was much needed with all the shipwrecks along the coast. Lunch was a typical Aussie BBQ, sausage sizzle, pasta salad and fresh salad – yumm. There’s some really nice sweet slices inside too if you’re so inclined. We ate overlooking the lighthouse and then took the pathway that lead us to the top to magnificent coastal views. We learnt the ancient history of the Aboriginal owners, the Gadubanud people in an Aboriginal hutt where you can hear stories from the past.

We followed the Great Ocean Road back along the rainforest towards Melbourne, stopping in Apollo Bay and Lorne – both small coastal towns. At Lorne you could even try a vegemite gelato! Not my thing, but I’m sure some people like it…

We stopped to looked for Koala’s in the wild and found four! There were heaps of friendly birds too, with Cockatoos and Australian Parrots wanting to land on our arms and heads for the perfect photo opportunity. Luke was fairly pleased with his new pics (I’m sure they’re on his Tinder profile already – ha) with all his new bird friends.

During the course of the tour we also saw a kookaburra, a kangaroo and even some dolphins on the way home! They were following us down the coastline.

Katie is great entertainment and full of knowledge while on the road, constantly sharing stories, personal experiences and even singing local songs! I highly recommend doing a tour if you are time poor or from overseas – there’s so much to learn that you miss on your own. Plus you make new friends along the way!

*This tour was complimentary however is a true and authentic review.