Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 12 . VICTORIA
loggers—it’s some 27m (88 ft.) in circumference and is estimated to be more
than 300 years old.
The next place of note is Moonlight Head, which marks the start of the
“Shipwreck Coast”—a 120km (74-mile) stretch of coastline running to Port
Fairy that claimed more than 80 ships in only 40 years at the end of the 19th
century and the beginning of the 20th.
Just past Princetown starts the biggest attraction of the trip, Port Campbell
National Park . With its sheer cliffs and coastal rock sculptures, it’s one of
the most immediately recognizable images of natural Australia. You can’t miss the
Twelve Apostles, a series of rock pillars standing in the foam just offshore. Other
attractions are the Blowhole, which throws up huge sprays of water; the Grotto,
a rock formation intricately carved by the waves; London Bridge, which looked
quite like the real thing until the center crashed into the sea in 1990 (leaving a
bunch of tourists stranded on the wrong end); and the Loch Ard Gorge. Port
Fairy, a lovely fishing town once known as Belfast by Irish immigrants who settled
here to escape the potato famine, is also on the Shipwreck Coast.
Not far past the town of Peterborough, the Great Ocean Road heads inland to
Warrnambool to eventually join the Princes Highway heading toward Adelaide.
WHERE TO STAY ALONG THE WAY
The Great Ocean Road Accommodation Centre, 136 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne,
VIC 3232 (& 03/5289 1800), rents out cottages and units along the route.
IN LORNE
Lorne is a good option for a night’s rest. Though the beach is nothing special it’s
a great place to learn to surf. There are plenty of restaurants, and lots of boutiques.
Great Ocean Road Cottages Kids This complex has it all, although with so
many people around (and quite a few children), it can be a little noisy in summer.
There’s a set of self-contained cottages, set away from each other in a quiet
patch of bushland, about a 5-minute walk from the town center. Each cottage is
a two-story wooden hut with a double bed, two twin beds, and a pullout mattress.
There’s also a bathroom and a full kitchen. Just down the road is Waverley
House, a historic mansion that has been divided into seven apartments. All
of them are nice, but they vary enormously in size and furnishing.
Also on the property is Great Ocean Road Backpackers, which offers dormstyle
accommodations for A$18 (US$12) for YHA members and A$21 (US$13)
for non-members. They also have a few family rooms. (Discounts apply to all
backpacker beds for YHA members.)
10 Erskine Ave. (P.O. Box 60), Lorne, VIC 3232. & 03/5289 1070. Fax 03/5289 2508. greatoceanrdcotts@
iprimus.com.au. 10 cottages, 7 apts, dorms sleeping 40. A$130 (US$85) double off-season; A$220 (US$143)
double peak season; A$145–A$220 (US$94–US$143) apts. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Spa; free bike rental;
free laundry; nonsmoking rooms. In room: A/C (cottages only), TV/VCR, kitchenette, fridge, coffeemaker, hair
dryer.
IN APOLLO BAY
Bayside Gardens Opposite the beach, with good ocean views from the front
rooms, Bayside Gardens is a pleasant place to stay—and you can save money on
meals by cooking in your own kitchen. The units all have a separate bedroom
with a double bed, a lounge area, kitchen, and attached bathroom with shower.
Rooms at the front can be noisy if you’re not used to living beside an ocean. There
are wood fires in some of the units, and all rooms have central heating. Fry your
fish on barbecues scattered around the grounds. It’s a 10-minute walk to town.