We’ve just returned from a fabulous coast-to-coast trip of Victoria, and we’d like to share with you some simply amazing Great Ocean Road scenic sights and astounding accommodation finds you really shouldn’t miss!

We’ll list them in the order in which we stayed at them, because if we had to pick a favourite – well, we simply couldn’t do it!

Here are our picks of where to stay on the Australian Great Ocean Road…

No time to read? Just watch the video…

No.1 – Cumberland Lorne Resort

2 hrs drive from Melbourne

The Cumberland Lorne Resort is the best located hotel in Lorne. It’s situated directly opposite gorgeous Lorne Beach and right upstairs from bakeries, eateries and shops. This means you don’t have to drive or park to get to all those lovely Lorne boutiques, cafes and restaurants!

The resort features huge apartments – many of them with stunning ocean views. They are fully serviced and fitted out, with open-plan living areas, full kitchens, a laundry and big, comfortable bedrooms. Here, the family can spread out in comfort without having to worry about spending the holidays living on top of one another!

Amenities on site include an underground car park, gardens, barbeques,  a (beautifully warm – bliss!) heated indoor swimming pool and tennis court.

These apartments are ideal for both short or longer holiday stays. Suited for singles, couples or large families, the Cumberland Lorne Resort is a great place to settle in and relax, and explore the nearby sights.

Prices

Apartments start from $207 per night

Take a look for yourself – watch our apartment walk-through

Learn more or book at the official Cumberland Lorne Resort website here

Things to do near here

Visit Lorne Beach (1 minute walk, lifesaver-patrolled family beach), Teddy’s Lookout (2 minutes drive), Lorne Pier (2 mins drive), Live Wire tree climbing and zip lining (7 mins drive) and (Erskine Falls (15 mins drive).

While in Lorne, you might like to try…

Feel like climbing  through the trees? How about Australia’s newest and highest zipline? Watch our fun day out at the fun new Lorne family attraction, Live Wire Park

No. 2 – Cape Otway Lighthouse

1 hr 20 mins drive from Lorne
3 hrs drive from Melbourne
1hr 14 mins drive to the Twelve Apostles

It would be difficult to find a more historic, unique place to stay along the Great Ocean Road, than Cape Otway Lighthouse, or Lightstation, as it is more formally known. So historic, that it is even known for its ghost in residence!

Accommodation consists of the haunted Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage (we had our own rather strange happenings here, both times we stayed!), which is a delight to stay in. A very large period house, the cottage is located at the end of the Lighthouse footpath which can sleep up to ten people easily. The big kitchen is set up to cater for many, as is the large dining room, living room and bedrooms with doubles and bunk beds. In winter, a wood fire and electric bedroom column heaters keep things nice and cosy.

During opening hours wifi is available in the café, along with yummy cooked meals, coffee and souvenirs. Be prepared to manage without the internet or even your mobile phone after hours, however there are some big advantages to this escape from the attention-seeking modern world. With no calls from work or text messages from friends, you can really relax together and perhaps play a board game or watch a DVD together. Or you can simply curl up in front of the fire with a shipwreck book from the cottages shelves – the choice is yours!

If you are really desperate, you can wander down to the Lighthouse where you may get a weak mobile phone signal.

At the end of the day, it’s the sheer isolation of this unique accommodation choice which makes the Cape Otway Lightstation totally unique. With little more than a handful of guests or perhaps a resident scientist staying on site after hours, you’ll find yourselves masters of your domain. It’s great fun to have free-run of the vast grounds of historical buildings, lookouts, rolling parklands and of course that amazing lighthouse!

Prices

Quoted upon enquiry

Learn more or book at the official Cape Otway Lightstation website here

Things to do near here

There is little reason to leave Cape Otway during your stay, as there is plenty to do and see! There are several historically significant buildings to explore. The most famous of course is the Cape Otway Lighthouse, which you can climb during opening hours. Be sure to visit the Aboriginal bush tucker hut and talks, whale art installations, World War 2 bunker, Telegraph building and more – and it’s all free with the price of your accommodation!

Don’t forget to keep your eyes open for the numerous members of the local koala population in the Otway National Park forest too, which you have to drive through to reach Cape Otway. Just watch out for the haphazardly pulled-over cars and people staring and pointing upwards!

Take a look for yourself – watch our tour of the Cape Otway Lightstation and attractions

No. 3 – Port Fairy Horizons Beach House apartments

3 hrs 20 mins direct drive from Melbourne

2 hrs 30 mins from Cape Otway

Whilst no longer strictly part of the Great Ocean Road which ends at nearby Warrnambool, the historic town of Port Fairy is a Victorian coast highlight which is far too good to miss. An absolute feast of natural beauty, Port Fairy is steeped in coastal Victorian history and it’s streets are lined with a plethora of beautiful old buildings.

Located just about as close as you can be to the incredible expanse of Port Fairy Easts Beach you’ll find the indulgent Horizons apartment. This beach house has been split into two gorgeous accommodation options – one upstairs (the Penthouse), and one down (Horizons). Both are big enough to sleep families of up to six people. These beautifully modern apartments are a deluxe way to enjoy this stunning part of the world in comfort, but without the massive price tag.

Panoramic ocean view windows along the entire front, huge open living areas and bedrooms with elegant furnishings make for a very pleasant stay. There is a full kitchen with everything you could ever need, a separate laundry, ensuite and bathroom. With room to move and the beach literally a stone’s throw away across a single lane access road, the whole family is going to adore staying at Horizons.

Prices

From $350 per night for 2 x adults, 2 x children

Take a look for yourself – watch our water front apartment walk-through

Learn more or book at the official website here

Things to do near here

Visit Port Fairy Beach (across the road), Port Fairy’s historical town and buildings (2 mins drive), Griffiths Island & lighthouse (3 mins drive), Tower Hill reserve (20 mins drive), Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (30 mins drive)

While in Port Fairy, you might like to try…

Just thirty minutes drive away at Warrnambool you’ll find the fantastic historical replica maritime village of Flagstaff Hill (don’t miss the light show!). Take a look at Flagstaff Hill in this video we made during our visit.

Have you ever visited the Great Ocean Road, or do you plan to go one day? Perhaps you have your own suggestions? Tell us in the comments below…

All driving times are approximate and do not include breaks. All information is correct as at July 2018, but prices can fluctuate – check supplied website links for any price and availability changes.
Let’s go Mum were hosted guests at all of the above hotels and paid activities, however all opinions remain firmly our own.

The post Great Ocean Road unique family accommodation stays appeared first on Let's go Mum.

We had the pleasure of staying in the Head Lightkeeper’s House accommodation at the Cape Otway Lightstation during our recent Victorian road trip. This would have to be one of the most unique accommodation experiences on the Great Ocean Road, if not the whole of Australia…

Cape Otway is located just ten minutes off the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, at the end of a koala-forest-lined road. You can spot a koala from your car on this road without even trying. On the way in we saw three koalas, and on the way out, seven! With some just an arms length away, it’s common to see several cars pulled up on the side of the road with the inhabitants tumbling out to see a koala close-up.

The road then opens out to the astoundingly beautiful peninsula, dominated by the Cape Otway Lightstation. Drawing many thousands of visitors each year, the main attraction is the Cape Otway Lighthouse.

This is Australia’s oldest surviving lighthouse, and is recognised as its most significant. It was built 1848 in an attempt to prevent the many shipwrecks occurring in the wild straight between Cape Otway and King Island known as the eye of the needle. You can enter and climb the lighthouse during opening hours, and this beautiful, historical structure is your neighbour when you stay at the Head Lightkeeper’s House!

Built in 1857, the stone Head Lightkeeper’s House is where we spent our two wonderful nights at the Cape Otway Lightstation. All Cape Otway Lightstation accommodation is available for holiday rental, or just a casual overnight stay. I’d recommend staying at least two nights, but it would be easy to stay longer, as it is such an amazing location.

One of the really great advantages of staying here is that after the tourist precinct closes for the day at 5pm, you have it all to yourself (apart from a caretaker at the Cafe), and can wander about at will.

Rolling lawns are everywhere, making it all very accessible, and a real pleasure to explore – particularly after closing time! You can stroll down to the lighthouse on sunset and admire the endless ocean views in solitude – or creep down at midnight to look for the resident lighthouse ghost, like I did!

The children and I had a wonderful time discovering the different buildings and “secret” walking paths circling the Indigenous cultural area after everyone had gone home – the kids said that it was just like stepping into a Famous Five novel! You can read all about the Cape Otway precinct attractions in detail in our Victorian travel blog – Cape Otway here.

A tour of the Head Lightkeeper’s House

The Head Lightkeeper’s House itself is located just down the path from the lighthouse. This majestic heritage house has so much to offer holidaying families or couples.

Entering this house really is like stepping back in time. It features large, stately rooms with wooden floorboards and heavy antique furniture. Leather Chesterfield lounges line the cosy lounge room so that you can relax in front of the wood fire (there are also electric heaters dotted around the house).

An old wind-up black telephone sits on a shelf, still wired to the wall. Grand sailing ship paintings line the walls. The kettle on the range whistles a cheery summons to tea…in some ways, staying here is like being left in to a closed museum overnight – what a fun experience!

There is a huge separate dining room and also fully-outfitted kitchen with a gas range, microwave and large refrigerator plus another large dining table, so it’s easy to self-cater – or you can simply buy delicious meals from the Café just across the path.

Full English breakfasts can be included in your accommodation price, plus upon arrival the Café delivers a complimentary Devonshire Tea to the house. It’s a lovely, welcoming touch, and just what any hungry travelling family would appreciate!

The nearest service town to Cape Otway is Apollo Bay, about twenty minutes away – but really, once you’re at the Cape Otway Lightstation, you are not going to want to leave it to go anywhere else, so stock up on your way in!

The master bedroom of the house has built-in wardrobes and a king sized bed that can split to singles, plus a bunk bed.

The large second bedroom sleeps five more. This house can easily accommodate families, groups or a couple, and with further bedrooms that can be either opened up for large groups, or locked off for smaller ones. The whole house can accommodate up to sixteen people. There are two bathrooms and another separate toilet, so there’s plenty of facilities.

Another accommodation option if you don’t want the whole main part of the house, is staying in the locked-off end of the house as a Bed-and-Breakfast, which is also at a cheaper rate.

To get a feel for the Head Lightkeeper’s House, you might like to take a stroll with me through the main house in this video…

At Cape Otway, it was just so easy to slide into a more relaxed, nostalgic way of life…

During the day you will almost certainly be exploring outside, taking advantage of staying within the precinct – right outside of course you will find the Cape Otway Lighthouse just waiting for you to climb it, but there are also museum outbuildings, the Telegraph Station, a World War 2 bunker, sculptures and much more.

In the evenings, the well-stocked games cupboard provides a source of endless old-fashioned fun to share with the family. Play a game of Checkers together, or perhaps do a jigsaw puzzle. There’s plenty of historical Shipwreck Coast books to read, or you can watch a DVD on the flat screen TV (it’s a good idea to bring a favourite DVD or two along, as the resident DVD selection is limited).

There are lighthouse and sea views from the lounge room and master bedroom of the house to remind yourself that you really are staying somewhere very special. It’s easy to imagine yourself back in the 1800’s with a huge sailing ship foundering on the rocks in stormy weather! But shipwrecks aren’t the only thing Cape Otway is famous for – it also happens to be a prime whale-watching vantage point in the whale-spotting season!

At the end of our stay at the Cape Otway Lightstation we most-reluctantly set off for our next stop along the Great Ocean Road – but Cape Otway was not to be so easily forgotten. Probably the most telling vote for Cape Otway came from my children after we had arrived home at the end of our Road Trip. We’d stayed in eight different hotels over two weeks, and seen countless sights, but when I asked both children what their favourite place had been, the answer was unanimous – staying at the Lighthouse! I have a feeling they will always remember it, too.

If you get the opportunity to take your family to Cape Otway, don’t miss it – it’s the stuff adventures are made of.

You’ll find current Accommodation rates for the Head Lightkeeper’s House here. You can read all about the features of the Cape Otway Lightstation precinct and book your accommodation – including the Head Lightkeepers House where we stayed – at the official Cape Otway Lightstation website here or phone them on 03 5237 9240. The Cape Otway Lightstation is located off the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.

The Cape Otway Lightstation location on Google Maps…

You can read all of the Let’s Go Mum! Victorian road trip blogs as we meander along the Shipwreck Coast of the Victorian Southern Ocean here.

Have you been to Cape Otway? Tell us in the comments below…

The post Stay & Play in the Cape Otway Lightkeeper’s House! appeared first on Let's go Mum.

It was time to move on again today, so we bid a sad farewell to our beloved Cape Otway Lightstation and headed off for Port Campbell – but not without stopping in the Koala forest again – who could resist them? Certainly not us! We saw maybe six koalas in two stops before getting back on to the Great Ocean Road.

As we drove along the windy Great Ocean Road, it started to head inland and straighten out, and we could keep more of a steady pace – but the views weren’t as good as they had been, with the ocean being further over, and much of the time now out of sight. Still, there were one or two great lookouts to see.

I popped in a DVD –  the story of the sinking of the Loch Ard ship that I had bought it in the Cape Otway Lightstation souvenir shop. We listened to the story of the Loch Ard, shipwrecked in 1878. What calamity as the huge ship went down, taking all on board with her apart from two amazing survival stories – a young lady and man – and we were going to see where it all happened today!

But first there were other sights to see. After around fifty minutes from Cape Otway we pulled into the Gibson Steps lookout – at last, here were the 12 Apostles! Or at least, two of them. We took a few pics of these enormous rock formations, and I took note that here there were a set of steps down to the beach – we might come back here tomorrow if we could find accommodation nearby.

We headed off again, and just a few hundred metres down the road pulled into the official 12 Apostles visitors centre. There’s a small kiosk here, and from here you can follow what is now a very civilised, wide thoroughfare under the road to the viewing decks and walkways high up, looking over the 12 Apostles – spectacular! Here it was swarming with international tourists – where did they all come from all of a sudden?!

Here’s a very quick look at the 12 Apostles…

We waited for our opportunity to take our pictures with the huge Apostles behind, and after walking right around to the promontory where you could also view the other two Apostles on the other side, I noticed that down at their separate beach must be where the Gibson Steps lead to.

The main 12 Apostles beach now appears to be closed to all. There seems to be several reasons, the most common that this protects the colony of penguins living there, and the other that the cliffs have just become too unstable for the descent onto the beach. Either way, that beach was deserted.

We went back to the car and moved on to the much-awaited Loch Ard Gorge – site of the sinking of the Loch Ard ship in 1878. We walked out to the sea view look outs to see the churning waves hitting the rocks – it was easy to imagine how a ship could get into awful trouble here.

Then we walked back and went up the path for the descent down into the Gorge itself, where the shipwrecked survivors had ended up taking refuge. At the bottom we found a beautiful sandy beach, protected on three sides – and a big snake lying on the sand. Quite alive, and almost certainly a tiger snake! We made a quiet retreat back up the stairs, but then looked down to watch tourist after tourist go way too close to the large and sleepy looking snake to snap pictures of themselves with it! Suicide selfie, anyone?! Luckily this snake didn’t move a muscle.

We walked back to the car and headed a bit further along to the graveyard where the only four bodies recoverable from the Loch Ard wreck lay buried – two of which were the mother and sister of the girl who survived. The other two, two men that had clung to life with her, for a time, before being swept away. All so tragic.

We left for Port Campbell, a ten minute drive to this sleepy little village set back in a protected cove. Here were several Motels, small shops and cafes, and it is here that we will stay the night at the SouthernOcean Motor Inn.

The SouthernOcean Motor Inn ($175 per night for a family of four) is your basic Motor Inn – it has everything needed to get back on the road clean, refreshed and ready to go! The shower was a bit temperamental, but there was a hairdryer, and our connecting rooms had plenty of space and were nice and clean and warm, with tea and coffee making facilities and breakfast crockery so that we could self-cater again – great! There was a small laundrette (oh bliss – clean clothes again!) and in the room, an iron.

The view from our room was straight down to the beach, which was very nice, and off to the left of the Motel were some dirt tracks to lookouts with views of the cliffs at the entrance to the Port – the sight of waves crashing into cliffs is always a spectacular one!

Once we got settled in I took the kids for a paddle at Port Campbell beach. This is a great kids beach, as the waves aren’t too high, but high enough to thrill the kids. We had a lovely afternoon at Port Campbell beach – what a perfect way to end the day!

Today’s route…

You can read our Road Trip! daily posts here:

Read the Road Trip! Day 1 blog here  -Canberra to Gundagai to Wangaratta
Read the Road Trip! Day 2 blog here – Wangaratta to Glenrowan to Aireys Inlet
Read the Road Trip! Day 3 blog here – Aireys Inlet to Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 4 blog here – Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 5 blog here – Lorne to Apollo Bay to Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 6 blog here – Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 7 blog here – Cape Otway to 12 Apostles to Port Campbell
Read the Road Trip! Day 8 blog here – Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 9 blog here – Hearn’s Beach & Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 10 blog here – Port Fairy to Warrnambool to Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 11 blog here – Sovereign Hill gold mining village, Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 12 blog here – Ballarat and the road home…

Tomorrow we will be moving on down the Great Ocean Road again…we’ll check in with you then!

Have you travelled (or want to) travel to Cape Otway, Port Campbell or along the Great Ocean Road with your family? Comment here!

The post Road Trip! Day 7 – Cape Otway – 12 Apostles – Loch Ard Gorge appeared first on Let's go Mum.

How lovely it was to wake up this morning to the peace and quiet of the Cape Otway Lightstation before the day tourists started arriving – and to see a lighthouse out of my bedroom window!

We went over to the Cafe for a very tasty full cooked breakfast – poached eggs smothered in the most delectable mushrooms for me – yum! After breakfast we were eager to explore the Lightstation grounds again – but this time everything would be open!

The lighthouse certainly isn’t the only thing to see on the Cape Otway Peninsular – there’s so many interesting and fun attractions all included in the one day-admission price. Everything is dotted around within easy walking distance of one another across manicured lawns just perfect for picnicking and stunning views from just about everywhere.

We had had been given a comprehensive map at the entrance to help guide us around the grounds, and there was so much to see and do, we weren’t sure where to start! In the end, we decided on visiting the Telegraph Station first.

The Telegraph Station building is well-worth a good look around. There is a guide on site to explain the buildings history, as well as all of the displays inside. There is a working telegraph tapping away which is fascinating to examine. The guide likened it to modern day text-messaging, which we found quite funny – we’ve kind of gone backwards, in a way!

Inside you will also find a rather unexpected dinosaur display – fossil replicas, as dinosaurs bones have been discovered nearby. We had been told that there was even an actual dinosaur excavation still happening just a few minutes drive away in the next cove. We decided to visit there, as it sounded too good to miss! But the thing the girls found most interesting about the Telegraph Station building was that it was noted on our map to be haunted!

We then walked over to the highly-anticipated Lighthouse on the very tip of the Peninsular. The most fun thing about this lighthouse, is that you can actually go inside of it and climb right up to the top – none of us had ever been inside of one before, so this was a first for all three of us!

The children loved racing up the spiral stairs, and then climbing the final metal ladder-stairs at the top (you need to be reasonably mobile to climb this last section). The huge lighthouse lamp is of course at the very top, and you can walk out and all around the outside balcony for what must be one of the best ocean views in Australia!

Here is a video of us excitedly ascending the Cape Otway Lighthouse…

This beautiful lighthouse is considered to be Australia’s most significant, and sits at the tip of the Otway Peninsula, Victoria. This of course is a notorious shipwreck coast, and the lighthouse was built in 1846 to help prevent shipwrecks that were happening all up and down the coast, but particularly in this area – commonly known as “the eye of the needle”.

From Cape Otway to the opposite King Island, there’s just a 90km gap between the two points – which in sailing ship terms is not much room at all if you are in a sailing ship with a gale-force wind blowing you the wrong way – or navigating blind in the fog!

Although Cape Otway is no longer a working lighthouse, there is a smaller light operating right in front of the lighthouse, and the huge lamp inside the lighthouse is still kept fully operational. The lighthouse guide at the top is explained all about the lamp mechanism which was great, because the kids had questions galore – as did I!

After the lighthouse, we walked up the hill to the World War 2 Bunker building.

The World War 2 Radar bunker was built to help defend this area of Australia’s coast after a US ship was sunk by the Germans. From this location there is some of the best views down to the lighthouse and along coast.

Down from the bunker we entered the Understanding Culture art display which highlights local Aboriginal culture, and the Caring For Culture and Country area. You enter this area via a covered tunnel of Teatree forest. Here, local Indigenous guides teach us how nature and humans are interlinked. Our guide Brad spoke to the children and I of helping to protect the animals and earth around us.

The kids learned so much from Brad – from how boomerangs were made to what local animals were around – and what they liked to eat. He even took us on a tour of local bush tucker – all growing right under our noses! We tasted leaves, berries, bush-tomatos – the kids thought the sweet berries were delicious, and loved hearing all about Aboriginal ways. The underlying message of preservation and our responsibility to care for our environment from an Aboriginal cultural view point was so incredibly valuable for them to learn – you could see them soaking it all up – priceless.

We bid goodbye to Brad and wandered over to the workshop, which was chock-full of historical relics. I loved the fact you could still see a section of the original shingle roof! From there it was a quick hop across the road to the Café for lunch.

Lunch at the Otway Lightstation Cafe is a must of course – they have the most yummy gourmet food at very reasonable prices. We ate here every chance we got, and were totally spoiled with sumptuous meals from the very skilled Chef, Sue.

You can choose from several small rooms to eat in, some with lighthouse and ocean views, others with majestic sailing-ship artworks on every wall. In one room there is an informative video presentation playing so you can brush up on your lighthouse history while you have breakfast or lunch. Or just catch up on your emails with their free Wifi connection.

Also located in the Cafe area is the Weather Station – this is the real, modern day reference station for the Bureau of Meteorology – measurements from this very location are what the weathermen and women report to us on our TVs and radio everyday. The weather measurements here are recorded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

After lunch we decided to try and find the annual 3-week dinosaur dig going on at nearby Point Franklin. We drove out to Point Franklin, just 10 minutes down some dirt roads, and a ten minute dirt track path down to the beach dig site. We did see a small snake on the trail, but thankfully it was way more scared of us than we were of it!

The first thing we saw when we clambered down to the beach was a huge rusty anchor – we wondered if it had come from a shipwreck – it certainly looked the part! We walked down the beach and could see about twenty people digging, chipping and sawing – we had found the dig!

We approached the site and were greeted by the very friendly palaentologists and their crew of passionate students and volunteeers. They generously showed us all the different fossils they had found that day – including three separate dinosaur bones – we were astounded – we were actually looking at 100,000,000 dinosaur bones! What a wonderful experience for us all

To keep up to date with the amazing dinosaur excavation news, go to http://www.dinosaurdreaming.net/

After the dig, we headed back to our accommodation to have dinner – the most delicious gourmet Beef Goulash pies and salad – delectable!

We then went outside to find that the dinosaur digging crews we had met that afternoon at the dig were staying in the Precinct too in tents! The kids thought that was great, and they even got to have a game of croquet with them!

Later the girls took advantage of almost noone being in the park after closing, and went hill-rolling. Over and again, they rolled down the grassy lawn hills, giggling, laughing and crashing. They we all walked down to the lighthouse again to see the sunset – beautiful – what a magical place the Otway Cape is!

The Cape Otway Lightstation Precinct is an absolute must-see on a Great Ocean Road trip. Leave yourself a complete day to visit, or better-still do what we did and book in to stay at the historical accommodation available onsite – it would have to be one of the best places to stay along the whole Great Ocean Road. It’s completely unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else – and best of all, after they lock the gates at 5pm nearly everyone goes home, so you get to wander about and have the whole place to yourselves!

You can read our review of the Cape Otway Head Lightkeeper’s House here.

Today’s route – a rest day at Cape Otway!

You can read our Road Trip! daily posts here:

Read the Road Trip! Day 1 blog here  -Canberra to Gundagai to Wangaratta
Read the Road Trip! Day 2 blog here – Wangaratta to Glenrowan to Aireys Inlet
Read the Road Trip! Day 3 blog here – Aireys Inlet to Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 4 blog here – Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 5 blog here – Lorne to Apollo Bay to Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 6 blog here – Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 7 blog here – Cape Otway to 12 Apostles to Port Campbell
Read the Road Trip! Day 8 blog here – Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 9 blog here – Hearn’s Beach & Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 10 blog here – Port Fairy to Warrnambool to Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 11 blog here – Sovereign Hill gold mining village, Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 12 blog here – Ballarat and the road home…

Tomorrow we will be spending another night in Cape Otway…we’ll check in with you then!

Have you travelled (or want to) travel to Lorne,  Cape Otway or along the Great Ocean Road with your family? Comment here!

The post Road Trip! Day 6 – Cape Otway – Lightstation – Dinosaur Dig appeared first on Let's go Mum.

What an exciting day we’ve had today! We set out from Lorne this morning, dropping in to walk on the giant pier on the outskirts of Lorne before we left. The idea was just to snap a pic or two of the period Grand Pacific Hotel opposite and then walk to the end of the pier and back, but when we got to the end we had quite a surprise – there was a seal flipping about in the water! Needless to say we were thrilled to see such a big beautiful fellow enjoying himself in the Southern Ocean! A couple of other entranced tourists were there too, throwing in some bait fish for him to eat – which of course he did!

Onward we went, straight into the curves, bends and astounding views of the Great Ocean Road. Vantage point after vantage point – it was slow progress, as there was so many amazing views – each vista better than the last. After about half an hour on a low stretch of the road, we saw a Historical event sign. We pulled over to look and find a grave on the roadside – it was a memorial to two salvage-men who had drowned following a shipwreck. A nearby sign advised us that at low tide you could still see the winch or anchor – we eagerly scanned the shore-side waves and – spotted it! The top of the anchor of that old shipwreck, the WB Godfrey – we were all in awe of what must have been a frightful event. If you look carefully at this pic, you’ll see what we spotted…

Back on the road, we eventually drove into Apollo Bay, a small seaside village. From Lorne, even with our frequent stops it wouldn’t have been longer than an hour or so. In Apollo Bay you’ll find two small supermarkets and a petrol station, so the basics are covered. There’s also several boutique-y type shops, surf shops and cafes.

We decided to have lunch here, and enjoyed some delicious fish-and-chips, pancakes, pasta and chips from “Café 153”. The girls also seem to be developing a rather expensive Spider (lemonade and icecream drink) habit now – it’s going to be hard to kick that one when we get home! Best of all, this café sports a kids toy corner – so the kids are happy mucking around there until their meal arrives (rather than fifteen minutes of “where’s the food?”!)

We didn’t linger over lunch too long, because we were all excited about our next stop for the night – the Cape Otway Lighthouse! We were booked to stay at the Head Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, and so we were most eager to get there! An easy 30 minutes or so later, we turned onto the Otway peninsula road.

A few kilometres in we noticed a car pulled over and people pointing up at the trees – could it be – a koala? As bold as you like, there he sat – a plump grey bundle of fur, wryly watching us with one eye. He was sat on a branch that overhung the road – it certainly seemed as though Koalas weren’t too bothered by cars!

We pulled over and all tumbled out of the car to see him. A koala in the wild – there’s just something so amazing about that! All four of us were absolutely thrilled at such an experience. And he wasn’t the only one – we were to see two more koalas on roadside trees as we made our way to Cape Otway. This was indeed a very special forest in a unique part of the world, and if koala’s are your thing, this is the place to be. A peaceful, magical koala forest.

When we finally tore ourselves away from the koalas, we arrived at the Cape Otway Lightstation. What an amazing tourist destination this precinct is. Entry is through the souvenir shop – you’re going to need some time to check this shop out, as it’s jam-packed full of interesting souvenirs and everything-shipwreck! Here you can pay your admission (adults $19.50, concession $17.50, child $7.50) into the Precinct which covers all of the attractions inside, including the lighthouse, and helps to preserve it all.

As we were staying there the night, we set about settling into the Head Lightkeeper’s House house before going out for an evening walk. You can read our full review of the amazing Cape Otway Head Lightkeeper’s House accommodation here.

At 5 oclock the Cape Otway Lightstation Precinct closes to the public, and if you are staying in accommodation on site, you basically have the whole place to yourself – this is such a great bonus!

First we went for a walk to the Aboriginal Cultural area, discovering shelters, sculptures and atefact displays along the way. There is a 1km loop trail which is just the right length for a nice stroll – or for the kids to race excitedly along, which was pretty-much us! There are some great ocean vantage points along the way too, and best of all we had this charming little forest all to ourselves. I made a mental note to make sure we came back tomorrow when there was an indigenous guide.

We completed the day with an evening walk down to the now-closed lighthouse for some scenic coastal photographs, and to just wonder at the size and splendor of it – just beautiful.

We headed back to our gorgeous accommodation, ate up a yummy Cafe dinner we had arranged earlier, and settled down for a peaceful night. We’ll explore the Cape Otway Lightstation Precinct thoroughly tomorrow.

Today’s route…

You can read our Road Trip! daily posts here:

Read the Road Trip! Day 1 blog here  -Canberra to Gundagai to Wangaratta
Read the Road Trip! Day 2 blog here – Wangaratta to Glenrowan to Aireys Inlet
Read the Road Trip! Day 3 blog here – Aireys Inlet to Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 4 blog here – Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 5 blog here – Lorne to Apollo Bay to Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 6 blog here – Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 7 blog here – Cape Otway to 12 Apostles to Port Campbell
Read the Road Trip! Day 8 blog here – Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 9 blog here – Hearn’s Beach & Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 10 blog here – Port Fairy to Warrnambool to Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 11 blog here – Sovereign Hill gold mining village, Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 12 blog here – Ballarat and the road home…

Tomorrow we will be spending another night at the fabulous Cape Otway Lightstation…we’ll check in with you then!

Have you travelled (or want to) travel to Lorne,  Cape Otway or along the Great Ocean Road with your family? Comment here!

The post Road Trip! Day 5 – Lorne – Apollo Bay – Cape Otway appeared first on Let's go Mum.