The Great Ocean Road-Trip

NSW Bushfires Rural Fire Service

When I started planning this roadtrip, the bushfires in New South Wales were not as catastrophic as they became during my journey, and even with websites updating road closures and detours, things were happening quickly with strong winds causing embers to start more fires frequently.

So typical with life, plans you make change; & I had to update routes each morning. I still got caught out by rapid developments at Braidwood trying to get to the coast, and then later at Bylong trying to go around the firestorm north of the Blue Mountains, but managed to safely progress to experience some of Australias stunning variety of landscapes.

Great Ocean Road 12 Apostles

The focus of this motorcycle adventure was to ride the epic Great Ocean Road in Victoria, having visited the NSW Southern Coast on the way down, and the Snowy Mountains on the way back. I mostly avoided primary highways to instead get into the twisty backroads of real Australia. But along the way, I got to see iconic aspects of Australia, along with a few surprises.

Road sign to yesteryear at Cape Otway Great Ocean Road

The world sometimes has an odd idea about the wildlife in Australia, and signs like this one at the entrance to Cape Otway probably don’t help, but, they do remind that Australia lives toungue in cheek.

What lay beyond was a boulevard of stunning trees leading to the lighthouse; as unique as the Dark Hedges of Ireland.

Local resident at Trial Bay Gaol

Not everything in Oz is out to kill you 🙂 I wonder if this reputation was the brainchild of some twisted marketing campaign.

That said, a Kangaroo can be dangerous when they cross the road in front of you on a highway, as often experienced at dawn & dusk, or cute when you are making a U-turn at a picnic grounds only to be stared down by one as surpised to see me, as I was to find him.

This was just a little guy, I saw many 6 footers along the way.

The tragedy of the bushfires was seeing so many roadkill, escalated as the fires affected their habitats.

We watch the news and see dramatic footage of the devistation, but its far more confronting when you are out on the open road. My respects to the Australian Rural Fire Services, and Canadian & US firefighters who have traveled here to support the efforts.

Bathurst Racing Circuit

Peter Brocks legendary Torana A9X at Bathurst Racing Museum

So before the photos of the Great Ocean Road, growing up in Australia, my father (who had over 50 motorcycles in his lifetime) used to sit me down each year to watch the Great Race, The Bathurst 500 (miles), now Bathurst 1000 (km) V8 Supercar Race.

Whilst other racing events are held there during the year, when no events are on, it’s just another 2 way road, sooooo, 5 laps later, at 60kph due to speed cameras (lol) I got to put my Goldwing around the circuit. Even at 60kph, the Esses before Conrod Straight were hard work.

A fabulous experience, staying at the excellent Rydges Mount Panorama, and visiting the Motor Racing Museum which included tributes to Peter Brock, Alan Moffat, Wayne Gardner and many others.

The Great Ocean Road comes in 3 parts. Bells Beach to Apollo Bay features beaches and the road hugging the coastline with epic views, a section through Great Otway National Park forestry, and then the wind-carved rock formations from Princetown to Peterborough.