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.

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Lorne is a great place to stay a while on the Great Ocean Road. It is a beautiful location, with a huge, stunning beach and lots of things to do with the children. It also has all the essentials a traveller needs, and is reasonably well serviced with a petrol station, mechanic, hairdresser and supermarket, and of course numerous fashion and tourist shops and cafes.

Lorne gives off a bit of a surfie-hippie vibe, as all good coastal towns should! A little farther on from the main street, up the hill and around the bend is a massive Grand Pacific old-fashioned hotel, overlooking the ocean and the Lorne Pier which extends right out into the sea. Here pedestrians are welcome to stroll to the end on it’s wide concrete walkway (no side barriers in some places, so take care with toddlers!) and we had the delight of watching a wild a seal frolicking about and eating fish thrown to it in the deep water at the very end!

The Cumberland Lorne Resort where we stayed in Lorne is a group of accommodation blocks, some privately owned, run by a central Reception office.

Reception does close between 7pm and 9pm on weekends, however we did get caught out with the reception closing ten minutes early, and also on another occasion the swipe door from the Plaza  locking off at least 15 minutes earlier than 9pm, so just be forwarned on those points, and don’t leave things until closing time!

One of the major features of the resort is its large heated indoor pool. There is an attached spa, baby pool, sauna and a reasonably-sized gymnasium – all of which is accessible using your room key-card up until 9pm (towels are supplied at Reception). There’s also a large games room area with pool tables, etc. – great for families with teenagers.

The Cumberland Lorne Resort is conveniently located at the very end of the Lorne main street. The complex has direct access to the main road and Plaza below by a stair case, or a steep-ish footpath from the side entrance. The handicapped may possibly find this hotel’s access to the Plaza and main road below a little challenging by anything other than car.

The Plaza and main road contain lots of takeaways which is great if you don’t want to cook your own meals, however the very well-outfitted apartment kitchen means you can self-cater to save some money on your stay – always a good family option!  Remember that you are on holiday though – it would be a shame not to utilise at least a couple of the local eateries during your stay, and then just stroll back home to your apartment – no washing up!

Traveller Tip! The Cumberland Lorne Resort is just across the road from the Lorne Hotel, which can get a little noisy with pub bands and dance music on the weekends, so it’s best to avoid staying at that end of the resort if you don’t like pub music keeping the baby or toddlers up!

Parking is free and undercover, and there are lifts up to each accommodation block, which are named after famous shipwrecks – after all, Lorne is situated on the Victorian Shipwreck Coast! Our apartment block was named after the 1932 shipwreck of the steamer “Casino”, which resulted in the loss of ten lives at nearby Apollo Bay.

Apartments are modern split-level townhouse-style accommodation, accessed with a key-card, and vary from non-ocean (garden) views right up to Penthouse two story apartments (two balconies). There are some great one and two bedroom ocean view apartments are available, and this is what we stayed in.

Looking across the main street through the pines to the beach, you may even get some resident Cockatoos perching on your balcony, who you are not supposed to feed. (Okay, we may have fed them just the once – we suffer from missing our pets badly whenever we travel, and end up trying to pet any animal that stays still long enough!)

The split-level (just three or four steps) apartments themselves are open-plan, modern and nicely furnished. They are well fitted-out with excellent appliances. Ours had a modern kitchen with a dishwasher, microwave, large fridge, all pots pans and cutlery and toaster.

The bathroom had nice toiletries, a Jacuzzi spa bath (with a large window through to the lounge) and hairdryer, and within the bathroom area there was also a washing machine and dryer, with an ironing board and iron in the hall cupboard. The lounge had a large flat screen with some basic cable TV channels and local digital channels. The master bedroom had built-in wardrobes.

Our apartment configuration was a large one bedroom with a queen bed and built-in wardrobes, and there was a fold out queen bed in the lounge area. The kids and I often end up piling in one bed together, and as this was a good-quality fold out, it was large and comfortable.

Rates at the Cumberland Lorne Resort are variable – definitely cheaper on Sundays and early in the week outside of school holidays, so book your accommodation during those times if you have the option – and ask for the best rate with Reception too – more than one night may well be cheaper!

So, the big question – would we stay at the Cumberland Lorne Resort again?

Yes, we definitely would. It’s a great Lorne accommodation option for families. The location was a real winner with that lovely view, across the road from the park, playgrounds and the beach, plus the indoor pool and large apartment with excellent facilities meant our stay was hassle-free and enjoyable.

You can read about what we did I Lorne on our road trip here, and  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 stayed in Lorne? Did you like it? Tell us in the comments below!

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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village is waaay too well-kept a secret in the city of Warrnambool! I vaguely remembered a Shipwreck tourist centre a long time ago, but it has since developed into a really fantastic tourist attraction – and until we’d hit Port Campbell, we’d never even heard it referred to! Luckily, a friendly local in Port Campbell had told us how Warrnambool had a really great olden-time shipwreck village, otherwise we may have missed this gem.

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village is a step-back-in-time experience – an 1800’s Maritime fishing village. You can walk through the village along cobblestones and check out the old buildings, see people walking about it period costume – it’s all great fun! The kids absolutely loved inspecting everything – especially petting the live animals about the place!

So when we heard that they not only had an evening sound-and-light show, but that it was a recreation of the sinking of the Loch Ard – the ship we had been listening to the story of on the car’s CD player, and that we had stopped and viewed the actual site of the sinking of – we were incredibly eager to see it.

The Sound and Laser show didn’t start until 9pm so that it was properly dark when it began. We all met up at the entrance, and were handed our “boarding passes” to the Loch Ard! The scene was effectively set! My two were the only children, being that school holidays were now over.

Then we were taken down and led through the village by lantern-light (okay, well electric lantern, but still fun!). The kids were allowed to each carry one, which was kid-heaven for Brooke and Samantha – wandering through a dark old cobblestone village carrying a lantern and hearing tales of woe about shipwrecks? It doesn’t get much better than that when you are 7 and 9 years old! But the best was yet to come….

We were led down to the village dock-side, with short stories told to us each step of the way by our excellent guide. At one point we were even shown the lead “pigs” that had once been in the hull of the Loch Ard – and which had caused her to sink so fast! We touched them in awe, imagining the gloomy depths that they had been hauled out of…and now here they were, right in front of us!

We were then directed into a theatre, and we all took a seat in anticipation. Everyone was warned not to sit in the front row, as they might get wet. On hearing that, both kids immediately wanted to sit there of course!

A mini-movie rolled on the large screen with actors playing the parts in the sinking of the Loch Ard. The movie was about twenty minutes long and was absolutely fascinating. It went into realistic detail about life on board an 1800’s sailing ship – the miserable conditions, the awful weather, shelter and food…even for such privileged passengers, it made us very glad not to be them – and that was without their looming disaster!

Tip!  If you go to the light and sound show first you’ll get discounted entry to the Maritime Village the next day

Then the screen and the backdrop curtain raised, and we were looking outside at where dockside lake was, only there was an artificial misty rain falling – this would act as a “canvas” for the laser lights.

Through the rain began a laser light show like no other – it actually recreated the sinking of the Loch Ard ship with laser lights! The sound effects were realistically exciting and scary – the ship was heading for a rocky outcrop island – look out! The Loch Ard laser-light ship met its watery doom, sliding silently into the real lake and taking all but two souls with her – it was quite an effect. We couldn’t tear our eyes away – what a show!

You can take a sneak peak at the Shipwrecked! Sound and Laser show here…

We returned back up through the dark village to the exit, chatting excitedly all the way. Before we left we stopped in at the souvenir shop for books on shipwrecks, little treasure chests and a small Loch Ard sailing ship to remember the night.

If you’re nearby Warrnambool finishing up your Great Ocean Road holiday, do not miss this show, especially if you have children who love a bit of adventure (really, whose don’t?)! It’s more than worth the entry price, especially if you compare it to the Ballarat light and sound show. Plus if you go to the light and sound show first you’ll get a 30%-off-discount on your day-tickets to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village the next day!

Need-to-know info…

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village

*Prices : Adult $16, Concession $12.50, Child $6.50, Family $39 (2 Adults – 2 or more Children)

Shipwrecked! Sound and Laser show night experience

*Prices : Adults – $26, Concession $23, Child $13.95, Family $67 (2 Adults – 2 Children), Additional Child $9.

Please Note – Child Age 5  – 15, Under 5 Free

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village is located at Merri Street Warrnambool Victoria.
You can call 1800 556 111 or go to the official Flagstaff Hill website to book and get discounts on tickets here
*Prices correct as of February 2015

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 Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, or would you like to go? Comment below!

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The Great Ocean Road had been long and winding during our Victorian road trip, but as we drew towards its end we were encouraged by locals to keep going – “Don’t miss Port Fairy!”  they said…so on we went, past Warrnambool and continued on down the coast for another 20 minutes to the gem of Port Fairy, and the indulgence of our accommodation – Hearns Beach Villas…

Hearns Beach Villas are quite deceptive when you first approach them. Just a couple of minutes away from the quaint fishing village of Port Fairy, we had decided to go and inspect them before committing to stay. They sat huddled together at the end of a peaceful farming road, curious cows stationed along either side.

I knew that, thanks to their name, there must be a beach there somewhere… I left the family sitting in the car as I looked for a path to get around the side of the villas and up over the low dunes that were blocking my view. Thinking back, I suppose it may have looked a little odd to my waiting family, but I was determined to take a look! After I managed to get to the point where I could finally see, I paused for a moment before returning to the car and blurting out,  “Okay, we have to stay here!”

The secret these beautiful villas were concealing was the most incredible absolute-beachfront views. Beautiful, wild, wave-breaking ocean that looks as thought it could sweep right up into the Villa without too much trouble at all – but of course it doesn’t, as there are dunes below, and then a thin line of black basalt boulders between you and the sea.

Although the view alone is more than enough reason to want to stay at Hearns Beach, the charms of these secluded and very private villas don’t end there.

Hearns Beach Villas are the height of modern luxury. A huge open-plan living area encompasses the dining area sweeping down to the kitchen, then large lounge area. The lounge is furnished with comfy leather sofas and a rocking recliner – all interior decoration is stylish and minimal – easy on the eye. A flat screen TV is mounted above the gas-fire, which charmingly flickers between both lounge and large master bedroom for chilly evenings. In addition to the gas fire is a split-system dual climate control unit to effectively heat or air condition.

There’s a DVD player for movie nights and a great CD stereo system tucked away in the cupboard.

Both the lounge and master bedroom feature floor to ceiling glass windows and sliding doors to take advantage of that incredible view – you can literally wake up in the morning in the massive King bed, staring at the beautiful Southern Ocean crashing against the rocks – just to remind you of where you are staying!

There is a good-sized second bedroom at the other end of the villa which has two single beds and built-in wardrobes containing the various essentials – an iron and ironing board, clothes airer and ducted vacuum cleaner.

In the voluminous luxury bathroom between the two bedrooms you’ll find a separate toilet, a hairdryer in the vanity, an inset glass shower and huge Jacuzzi-spa-bath separated by a large glass viewing window from the master bedroom – again to access the ocean view. Make use of the supplied bathroom accessories for a scented holiday bath from heaven!

The kitchen is central, with a large bench-table, and houses every top-quality convenience you could wish for. Concealed away behind cupboard doors you’ll find a super-quiet LG combined washing machine and dryer, full-size Fisher & Paykel fridge, dishwasher and microwave. Tea and coffee facilities, including a plunger and UHT milk are all supplied, and you’ll find lots of handy appliances hiding in the kitchen draws and cupboards, including a wine chiller, electric frypan, sandwich maker, and of course, toaster.

From both the lounge and master bedroom you can access the large ocean-front deck. The deck is furnished with twin wooden deck chairs and a small table and chairs – perfect for those relaxed morning coffees or beach-side dinner – with a contemplative local wine, perhaps!

It’s not difficult to spend a lot of time on the ocean-front deck at Hearns Beach Villas, simply taking in the sea view. I found myself quite mesmerised by the ocean and its ever-changing currents.

The children found it fun to follow the sandy path down from the deck to go exploring in the small dunes or close to the seashore, waving up at me now and then until I would join them.

In clear weather you can see a distant table-top island we were told was a large seal colony, and the way this part of the coast is positioned means that you have those spectacular sunsets into the sea.

At the entrance to the Villa from the car park you’ll find another large entertaining deck complete with BBQ and dining setting. You certainly won’t run short of eating area options!

With only two minute drive to Port Fairy, these villas are ideally situated to be within easy reach of the pubs, restaurants, galleries and surf beaches of Port Fairy, an idyllic fishing village and historic whaler and sealer port, now famed for its beauty, culture and history.

It’s also just a ten minute drive from the villas to the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve for koala spotting, and only twenty minute to Warrnambool, a large city centre with lots of shops and other tourist attractions, including the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village – a must for families.

A Hearns Beach Villa video tour…

To get a feel for Hearns Beach Villas, you might like to take a stroll with me through the one we spent two nights in, in this short walk-through video…

 Hearns Beach Villas are located at 13-17 Thistle Place, Port Fairy in Victoria. Phone +61 3 5568 3150. You can view the official Hearns Beach Villas website here for more information and to book a Hearns Beach Villa.

Hearns Beach Villas 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 Port Fairy or Hearns Beach? Tell us in the comments below…

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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…

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We left my mother to rest at the hotel this morning and set off back to Gibson Step (12 minutes drive) to walk down to the Twelve Apostles beach – the staircase only takes around a minute or two to go down and is quite safe and navigable for children – and at the bottom is one of the most stunning beaches in Australia!

Here’s a quick video of what Gibson Steps beach, Twelve Apostles is like…

This is the beach on the side of the Twelve Apostles dividing promontory where there are two Apostles only – but don’t be put off by this – it’s spectacular. Windswept, majestic – half deserted (even though we went at 10am) and stunningly beautiful. The cliffs made me a little nervous – particularly with the warning signs saying keep away, cliffs unstable, and the tide not leaving us much beach clear of the cliffs!

The kids searched for shells, penguin feathers and rocks, and would have loved to go swimming, but I wouldn’t let them in more than ankle-deep – it was not safe around these massive structures! This beach gives you a ground-view aspect of the 12 Apostles that is really special. If I was time-restricted and had to choose between either the high walkway with stunning views of all Apostles, and the sandy wild beach with just two, I’d choose the beach any day – don’t miss it!

Alas, we had to hurry back for our late check out, so up the steep steps and back to Port Campbell we went.

Leaving Port Campbell and driving towards Warrnambool. there is a veritable treasure box of amazing sights to see – all within a few minutes of each other.

First, we stopped at the London Bridge lookout. With the carpark only a short, level-walking  distance from the stunning London Bridge rock formation. It’s an impressive sight, even with its first arch now gone, which famously collapsed in 1990 leaving two people stranded!

The next sight was The Arch, but I made an executive decision to skip it – I could tell the children were getting a little monument-tired of all the amazing sights at this point – although Brooke said to me later, why didn’t we stop at the Arch? Sigh!

We did stop at the Grotto. This is maybe a seven minute walk down a path then stairs to a beautiful arch with a aqua-coloured blue pool beneath – definitely worth the short walk, even though nowadays the Grotto is fenced off at waist-height. It’s a great photo opportunity, and a natural wonder. You can read all about how it developed on the information signs too – geology lesson, kids!

Next stop was the Bay of Matyrs. Samantha opted to stay in the car to keep writing in her travel journal, so just Brooke and I hopped out to see this one. You can actually see it from the car, but it’s worthy of a closer look – especially seeing it’s the last major sight here – and what a sight it is!

The road now leaves the coast to go to Warrnambool – miles and miles of milk-cow farms line the way. We’d never seen so many cows – clearly, the dairy products around here would be as fresh as could be. We thought we saw silos coming up – but they were actually milk containers – wow – they were huge! Opposite was our lunch stop – the Cheese Factory.

The Cheese Factory was a great place to not only get lunch, but to pick up some bargain-basement  beautiful Warrnambool cheese for supper from their wine and cheese shop – if only we could get such yummy cheese every day for $4! Don’t pass this place without grabbing at least one block of their scrumptious cheese!

We arrived at the city of Warnambool, however we didn’t stop here but drove through it to Port Fairy – a very quaint riverside fishing village. Wooden period houses line the river – it’s all so peaceful! It looked so picturesque that we decided to stay here the night, and I called a few of the vacancy board numbers lining the roads. I got a real estate agent who offered us a beach-view villa. We were leaving the coast after Port Fairy, so agreed an ocean view would be great.

The Hearns Beach Villas have the best ocean view from private accommodation that I have ever seen outside of a cruise ship. The coast is so wild and free here – it’s the open Southern Ocean – straight from Antarctica , and it’s as though the waves are about to wash right up to the villa. The Shipwreck Coast is truly awe-inspiring in its power. I scouted the villa out, took one look at the view and we booked it – $350 per night, and worth every penny. We all deserve a bit of self-indulgent luxury at least once in a road trip!

The villa itself was lovely – it was huge inside, with full glass windows looking directly out to the ocean, and all quality mod cons everywhere, including washer/dryer combo (yay – more clean clothes!), Gas log heater, two flatscreens, huge Jacuzzi, etc. – but really, it’s all about that view! You can read our full review of Hearns Beach Villas here.

Once we had settled in, I piled the kids back into the car to drive the twenty minutes back to Warrnambool to visit Flagstaff Hill. This is an awesome tourist must-see feature of Warrnambool. – an old-time fishing village by day, and amazing laser light show by evening that re-enacts the sinking of the Loch Ard – a shipwreck that by now we were on very familiar story-terms with. You can read our detailed Flagstaff Hill review here.

Finally we drove back to the gorgeous Hearns Beach Villa, it was late, and time to collapse. The days certainly are long and exciting, but we’ve all never slept better in our lives!

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 staying another night at Hearns Beach and Port Fairy…we’ll check in with you then!

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

The post Road Trip! Day 8 – Port Campbell – London Bridge – Flagstaff Hill – Port Fairy 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