Great Ocean Road Tour from Melbourne with Go West Tours
Go west, baby. You going west with me? Cuz I am. We’re going on the Great Ocean Road, and that’s the tour company I’m using. We did the break here at Turkey at the famous front beach where most people go to surf and we’re boarding back on. Let’s go. Welcome everybody officially to our first tour of the year to the Great Ocean Road. The Great Ocean Road. It is great. It’s very oceany and it is a road. How’s everybody feeling this morning? Who was up to see the new year take over? You were nice. All done. On this episode of Across All Borders, going far and beyond. It’s all about the Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles Day Tour with Go West Tours January 2024. Join me for an unforgettable New Year’s Day adventure along Australia’s iconic Great Ocean Road with Go West Tours. From the lush rainforest and stunning coastal views to the majestic 12 Apostles, this is a day trip from Melbourne and I would say it’s a must do for any traveler. You can go with a tour company or you can go by yourself by hiring a car and driving. Our guide Emily was incredibly knowledgeable, sharing fascinating insights about the landscape, the wildlife, the local history throughout the journey. She truly made the experience even more special. My travel tip for you would be to make sure you wear comfortable shoes. And there’s a bit of walking involved to the viewpoints and the beaches, especially if you do Gibson steps because that is wild if you are in a hurry. And don’t forget to dress in layers. The weather can change quickly along the coast. It went from sunny to windy and cool in no time. So having layers and something to change into just makes it more enjoyable for you and you’re prepared for different kind of situation. In my case, I didn’t take a hat. I would recommend you do so because at some point my scalp started to burn from the sun, but I had a scarf so I tied it on. So whether you are a nature lover, a photographer, or just looking for an escape from the city for a day, this is a tour that has something for everyone. So come along, watch the video, take the breathtaking views of my experience with in the rainforest, seeing the koala, viewing this beautiful site, and then you can plan your own trip. [Music] So, happy 2024. [Laughter] So, I couldn’t do crazy party last night. I’m waiting for the tram. It’s 2024 and I’m on the way to my Great Ocean Drive. Um, pick up is 7:50, so I’m going to be getting there for like 7:30. And I’m hoping to grab like a sandwich. I couldn’t make my bagel. I just didn’t feel like it. And then um this supposed to be light breakfast included. I don’t know what the light breakfast is going to be if it’s really going to be one. Um to use the public transport here, you just need a card called my kit and you um top it up. And when you top it off, they are like the machines in the trams where you touch on. So, like if you know the Oyster in um the UK or other places where they have it, uh for the trams, you just touch on, you don’t touch off. I understand that for the buses, you touch on and touch off when um when you’re getting on and getting off, but um I haven’t used those. So, let’s see. And I think someone had a good time, so they’re coming. So, let’s pass it. Came out in the n of time. I thought it would be a bigger bus, but it is not a bigger one. This is the one we’re going with. So, I don’t know which bus we’re joining, but this is it. Compared to Sydney Harbor Bridge, look, Sydney Harbor Bridge is magnificent and all inspiring. Um, this one is just a little bit taller than the Sydney Harbor Bridge and that’s about all it’s out um the water fillet bay to the left at the docklands there. docks bringing all those coffee beans into our city. We are traveling all the way around that bay today and beyond. So, we are approaching Gilong, which is the second largest city in Victoria. And it’s actually where I should have taken the ferry, but I ditched that plan cuz it is a little bit more complicated than I thought it would be. But this is Chilong. We’re going through Well, we don’t want to miss out on any market. Yeah, true. Right. This is really like the beach capital. [Music] Oh, that’s beautiful. I mean, the sun is not in the right position right now, but it’s still beautiful. We stopped to do breakfast and it is well a quick a quick um tea and cake and it is the famous surf beach, the front beach. The difference between boat is that uh the front beach is usually where people just go to swim and it is a huge beach and the waves are usually not as big as the back beach. The back beach is where they go surfing. We’re not seeing the back beach right now. Um but it is absolutely impressive. The story behind this place is that um during the Olympics I believe two surfers came over and they did a show and people were so impressed with the way they were riding the waves that two accountants uh quit their job to start making um surf equipment. So, surfboards, rip call, it has it headquarters here. And now surfing is like what people do every day, day in day out around this area. And that means we are in Turkey. Oh yeah, we might be able to get you a bit of a beach here. There you go. Sun’s coming out. Ooh, this is a good one. Those are the buses we came with. And we are going to get on and get going on the tour. Go west, baby. You going west with me? Cuz I am. We’re going on the great ocean road and that’s the tour company I’m using. We did the break here at Turkey at the famous front beach where most people go to surf. And we’re boarding back on. Let’s go. Okay. It doesn’t get very gray or oceany for a little while, but here we are in the very beginning. Very much all these new houses. A lot of this was just clear before the pandemic. So much new development has occurred. All right. Seeing as we are in the surf capital of our state, we should listen to some surf music. What’s a band to think of when you think of surf music? Oh yeah. [Music] So my Camera is still stuck. This is the second stop, the sign of the Great Ocean Road. And I’m going to go get the sculpture. As you can see, tons of tourist. Trying to get that. I think this is a good angle there. So, first stop quick. I’m on walk down the beach. I don’t know if we have enough time. I hope my group hasn’t left. Put this thing on cuz my hair is burning or my scalp. Um, I hope my group hasn’t started leaving. We’re going to go. Ooh, that looks good. Let’s go look at the beach quickly. Sorry. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [Music] Oh my word. Look at that. Pity my phone’s pissing me off. No, no, no. My phone. My camera. Oh my god. It’s definitely worth coming down. Have to get this camera fixed. Okay. Oh wow. Look at that. Look at that. Mhm. [Music] Was incredibly hard to come by here in Australia. And it was a local mayor in this region who decided it could be a great project to develop a road that could connect the rest of these towns, the towns here with the rest of Melbourne. Cuz before that, they were only really accessible by boat. We get a nice view out the side there back on the coastline. Oh yeah. But yeah, it was amazing for these soldiers to have this steady work for 20 years while they built the road. Over 200 soldiers worked on the road and it was such a wonderful project. They got to work side by side with their I guess fellow comrades, work through some of the hardships that they faced together in the war. Would have been pretty cathartic. Although I I feel it’s kind of funny they’d be digging trenches and then they wouldn’t come home and they were suddenly digging a road. But on all accounts it was quite a happy time for them all those awful bombs. So they used a lot of manpower, lots of hand tools, [Music] and they’ve just been consistently working on it since then. You’ll notice lots of netting up on the side to kind of hold it together. And yeah, this body of water, it’s not an ocean at the moment, even though it’s called the Great Ocean Road. It’s technically known as the Vas Straight, which is that body of water connecting mainland Australia to Tasmania. It’s kind of a washing of the South Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean from the West. Very, very rough seas. It’s called the Bass Street, named after a guy called George Bass, who was a 22-year-old. He and his friend Matthew Flenders of Flender Street Station, fame, go to Flenders Street Station in Melbourne. Matthew and George sailed were the first to sail all the way around Tasmania and around Australia. They circumnavigated them. And before George discovered this body of water between the mainland and Tazzy, the ships coming to Australia would travel all the way down under Tasmania and back up and around up to New South Wales. And so George was a pretty popular dude when he discovered this body of water. I say discovered with inverted commas because the indigenous peoples definitely knew there was water there and had a few chats. An amazing feat. [Music] Eventually the southern ocean we will be at when we’re at the shipwreck coast. Okay. Look out there just ahead a little bit. You’ll see the a pier jetty. It’s called the lawn pier. We’re about to go through the town of lawn. And that pier is host to a very famous swimming race. Picked off the pier, swung, raced each other back to shore, went to the park, skia. It became a bit of a tradition. The next year, some of their friends joined them in this race. And then more and more people each year got wind of this and wanted to join in this theater pub swimming race. Lawn, right? Lawn. Yeah. L O R N E. Lawn. Wow, thank you so much. I finally freed it enough so I can record. But I can’t take any pictures cuz if I touch it, it’s going to get stuck again. But at least I can record. What’s going on here? Fancy dresses. And that’s good. Everybody should jump. Ah, this is good. [Music] Not at all. [Music] That’s what it was. That’s the best. [Music] [Music] It’s a shame because we people love to live. They’re sort of amongst the gum trees. Gum trees need to grow to survive. So, it’s a constant dance. trying to keep our houses quite safe in the summertime. [Music] Even though it’s been a bit rainy this summer, I kind of feel a bit safer when it rains in the beginning of summer because it gives a chance to the trees a chance. [Music] [Music] Just a photo opportunity for the koalas. There are toilets here as well. If you don’t manage to get to go here though. Oh, there’s no lines at the moment. That’s good. We will be after this. It’s a half an hour drive and then we have our lunch break. So, and there’ll be toilets though as well. Just so you know what I know. Now, a tip for finding koalas, look for the people with their cameras pointed towards the trees. But if we’re the first here, then we’re going to have to go find them ourselves. I’ll park and I’ll come help you look for them. Generally, they’re up that street there. Okay, if they’re here, uh, toilets are found just there. Okay, block there. So, do not feed the wildlife. Let’s show you that. We’re going to look for some koalas. But looks like you have some cockatos and parrots here, I guess. Let’s go see if we find any koalas. Probably should take off my Oh, there’s one at the beginning. In a good mood. Let’s get you. They tried to take the take the tree, but now you see koalas. It is. So there you go. Stop number two. We got a koala here. It’s a male one. So I learned that koalas like to they’re very territorial and they fight a lot. So you might find that they have scars on their faces. Um in the morning they do a kind of raw and this raw is what they do when they’re marking their territories. So, if they get on a tree, they don’t want to share it with anyone else. They’re generally bigger than uh the female, so the male. So, I’m going to go into the cafe and see what’s in there, but I don’t want to buy anything. And then we’ll return to the bus. Um, let me just show you what they have. And it is the Koala Cafe. Take a brew in and see what they have. And I need to charge my thingy. I hope I could do that in here. Oh, and they have loads of onreal ones in here. Should get something to drink, but I need to pee. [Music] Friends, you’re in the back. I think I want a pee. I don’t want an ice cream. I don’t want another coffee. So, I’m just going to go back to the car. I would like to go to the bathroom, but the line is long where we’re having lunch. There’s also a bathroom, so I’m going to do that there. I think I have sand in my shoes, so I need to get rid of it. So, I’m just going to go to the car. Or I could do it on the bench here. I don’t know if we’re going back to the car already. Um, maybe I’ll do it on the bench. Um, let me see. Anyways, I’m walking back. So, I’m tying the scarf because I just felt my head burning. Like when we were at the first stopping point, I felt like the sun was like getting to my scalp. So, now I’m letting it stay covered. So there are quite a number of things you can do at the Kennet River. Godfrey Beach, Bogley Creek Beach, Way River Rock Pools, the Way River Walk, the Way River Walk Beach. Okay. And more and more and more and more and more. And there is a bit of the Aborig culture you can get. There you go. I think I will not try to get to the toilet even though that would be nice. But um I don’t know if there are more toilets. I’m going to go back to the car. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Too many fries. Yeah. Flies, birds. Mm- Don’t chase that towards my food, please. Don’t just chase them. Chase them somewhere else. [Music] So, this is stop number I don’t remember, but this is our lunch break. And it is actually very busy. I think I’m going to go back to the grass area. I just wanted to see the beach. Want to do a spin so you can see the people in the water. um more with bodybods than surfs. So, let’s do a 360 so you can see it. There you go. Ooh, the light’s better like this. But that’s a beautiful Yeah, this is where the light’s good. Okay, but [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] So this is stop number don’t ask me. Oh no, this is a lunch break. And um I forgotten the name of the city. for town, but there’s a scallop pies and there’s a seafood place. So, um, got a lunch now. We’re waiting for someone from the bus who hasn’t made it back for lunch. From lunch. Not for lunch. From lunch. And then, uh, we are heading out. Yeah, it was good. No, no, no. You’re good. It was good. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. [Music] Oh, wow. I really want to take a picture now. always the same thing. Oh, this is nice. Can you make your Oh wow, look at that. Oh my god, that is huge. Oh, wow. Wow. So, what are these trees called? Oh, mountain ash. Ah, that’s the mountain ash. Wow. a really big one. We’re going to pass. Oh, okay. I mean, this is really So, this is not the big one. Okay. Okay. So, the one you’re talking about is alive. Yeah. Okay. Wow. Wow. Is it only one that is alive? No, no, no. There’s a number. We’re going to see some more. Okay. Jeez. Is it only in Australia or does it grow anywhere else? The mountain ash I’m pretty sure just grow in Australia. There are other eucalyptus around the world. Oh, is it a type of eucalyptus? Ah, okay. Wow. It’s the tallest flowery plant in the whole When does it flower? All year round or Yeah, I think so. Okay. Wow. Oh, cute. Oh my god, look at that. Like people can literally enter. One, two, three. Wow. Okay, we got a pretty walkway. We just saw a huge mountain ash that fell by itself and literally five people fit into the mountain ash. That’s how huge it is. So you can that’s the crew. No, you stay with her or with the group. Ah, okay. She’s tying. She’s tying her shoes. So come, you’ll be fine. So tell me about uh what you’ve seen so far. I’ve seen Uh uh stuff. Stuff? What kind of stuff? What’s the name of the big tree? Uh tree. No, it’s called mountain ash and it’s a type of eucalyptus and it flowers almost all year round. So now you can go back and tell your friends at school. [Applause] [Laughter] Hi. [Applause] There we go. We are heading to another beautiful platform. Maybe we will see some friends or not. Tada. Hello tree. Oh, holo tree. Yeah. Wow. Hello. Oh, well, not hello. Hello or holo, whichever pronunciation is better. Oh, wow. Nice. Hundreds of years ago, this tree originally grew around another tree later died and rotted away stepping into these old ferns. Okay. and the heritage tree. Look up. Oh, okay. What are we looking for? We looked up. I don’t see anything. Wow. 200 years old. Oh, I looked up and something fell into my eye. We are in this amazing forest. And the major tree here, I don’t want to say major, but one of the most impressive tree here that we’ve seen is the mountain ash, which is a type of eucalyptus. And it has white flowers. And our guide Emily says she thinks it flowers. Oh, yeah. We did see some petals on the ground. The crazy thing about this tree is that they get so huge. One of the re One of the reasons why they are protected is um because when they were making way to build houses for people that migrated because of the gold rush, a lot of it were cut down. So now they’re protected in this area. And we have this walkway that goes 30 minutes through the forest. It’s a rainforest. It’s much cooler than outside, which is typical of a forest when you have different um foilage and the forest um levels. So, we are hoping to see there was a hollow tree uh which actually grew around another tree and the tree it grew around rotted away. So, now you can literally step into it more or less. plus a huge mountain ash that fell and were able to enter the trunk of the tree. Like literally five people were in the trunk. So there seems to be a hole up here. Maybe there’s something. Oh, shoot. Oh, Lord. This is where I make room for you guys. That’s all right. I’m in low gear myself. Okay, that’s good. [Applause] Down is always great. Up. No, no, no. Busting down. was a quick think was quicker than 30 minutes. Well, maybe because we weren’t doing much talking. All my people are back to the bus. We are back to the bus, but we’re not inside yet. Ah, this one has a I don’t know what it is. A dolphin, I suppose. Oh, and that is awesome. We’re going up, up, up, up, up. Beautiful. Down that way. And we’re boarding. [Music] [Music] I don’t think there’s any regrets doing this. Those are the amount of visitors that are here. And that’s the overflow car park. It’s not like the main one. So, you can imagine how many people are here and probably how much time you’ll get to see anything. But in the meantime, uh we’ll try to complete this surve as fast as possible. And now I’m walking the right way. I turn to the Gibson stairs, which is not a bad thing, but I rather do this one first and then see if I can still make the Gibson step or just spend the whole time here. We’ll see. Maybe I don’t know as much time. It said 1 hour and we were supposed to What did she say? I don’t remember. [Music] What angel you go? [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Dink. [Music] Hey. Hey. Hey, hey, hey. [Music] [Music] Oh, you see what’s going on? That’s the way to do it. I don’t get the Okay, let’s do it again. [Music] [Music] There is a view there. I don’t know if I want to go check it out, but maybe I should just quickly see what it is. Hello. Take you. Yes. Yes, he did. Okay. So, I pulled a um Torbos Classicer. Um so, the last point where we were at the 12 Apostles, you could do the Oo, I left my jacket in the bus. That was not smart. Um it is very windy here, but they’re very beautiful flowers. Um I’m going to Let me see. I don’t have another layer in the bag. I need to put this thing away for a second. I think there’s another viewpoint there. I’m just going to go tie my shoes and then um Okay, so as I was saying, I literally So, these are the razor backs from Lord uh the second viewpoint, and we’re going to see some more limestone formation. the different points where you can view them from. And um I’m going to show you a few of those. Oh wow. Oh, that’s a beautiful shot there. Ooh. Just need to find the right angle though. But I think it’s even more impressive than where we were. Oh, cuz I was wondering what those helicopter blah were. Oo, okay. Have to figure out what’s the best way to shoot this place. You know, I think I have to do a return work that way. Um, take it like this. Then it gets better. Hello. We are there. Look at it. Isn’t that awesome? Like I’m just going to go around a bit. Wow. Look at that shot. But I don’t want to get that. So, let’s do this. I’m still going to go to where they are. It is beautiful. [Music] [Music] [Music] I don’t want to get left behind again. So, I’m just going to walk back and get in the car cuz it’s enough. It’s enough. It’s enough. It’s enough. And I’m cold. We’re going somewhere for dinner. I’m going to try to get a shot from there. And that’s it. [Music] I do hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. Thank you very much for watching. Yours truly, Leisel 81. [Music] [Music] I got you.
Great Ocean Road & Twelve Apostles Day Tour | Go West Tours | January 2024 Experience
Join me on an unforgettable *New Year’s Day* adventure along Australia’s world-famous Great Ocean Road with Go West Tours 🚐✨ From lush rainforests and charming seaside towns to the dramatic coastline and the breathtaking Twelve Apostles this full-day trip from Melbourne is packed with natural beauty and memorable stops.
Led by our knowledgeable and friendly guide **Emily**, the tour was smooth, informative, and filled with fun facts and hidden gems along the way.
Tour Highlights:
Scenic drive along the winding Great Ocean Road
Spotting wild koalas and native birds at Kennett River
Coastal stop at Apollo Bay for lunch and relaxation
A peaceful rainforest walk in Great Otway National Park
Stunning views of the Twelve Apostles rom the viewing platforms
Exploring Loch Ard Gorge and hearing the legendary shipwreck story
Plenty of photo opportunities at every stop!
Travel Tip
Wear comfortable walking shoes there are several paths, stairs, and trails to explore. And bring layers! The weather can shift quickly on the coast, even in summer — sunny one moment, windy and cool the next.
If you’re visiting Melbourne, this tour is an absolute must. Nature, history, wildlife, and jaw-dropping views all in one day – you won’t regret it!
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more travel videos and tips!
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 – Introduction
5:06 – complimentary morning tea at Torquay
8:05 – Photo stop Great Ocean Road Sign
17:59 – Koalas in their natural habitat near Kennett River township
23:16 – Lunch break in the charming coastal township of Apollo Bay
26:34 – Guided walk through the Otway Ranges ancient cool temperate rainforest
37:35 – Iconic Twelve Apostles in the Port Campbell National Park
40:37 – Beach level at Gibsons Steps to view 2 awesome limestone stacks
41:40 – Collapsed Island Archway & the Razorback
#GreatOceanRoad #TwelveApostles #GoWestTours #MelbourneDayTrip #AustraliaTravel #TravelVlog #EmilyWasAwesome