A coastal road that ranks among the most beautiful in the world, and before it a city of coffee, art and laneways – Melbourne is the counterpart to Sydney.
Photo: Josh Fotheringham (Unsplash)
Full disclosure: Melbourne, too, I only know from stories – and they sound like descriptions of a European city: cafés in every lane, street art in Hosier Lane, the tram, markets, sport at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Friends who know both cities say: Sydney for looking at, Melbourne for living in.
The Great Ocean Road starts an hour to the south-west: 240 kilometres of coast with surf beaches around Torquay, koalas in the eucalyptus trees at Kennett River, rainforest in the Otway National Park and, at the end, the Twelve Apostles, the limestone stacks in the surf – best at sunset, with a night in Port Campbell.
From Melbourne, Phillip Island with its evening penguin parade and the Yarra Valley with its wineries are also worth it. The route can be driven in three days with a hire car; organised day tours manage the Great Ocean Road in one long day, but without sunset at the Apostles.
Melbourne: CBD, Fitzroy or St Kilda. Great Ocean Road: Apollo Bay, Port Campbell.
I almost always compare hotels, apartments and guesthouses on Booking.com – with genuine reviews and usually free cancellation.
See places to stay in Melbourne & on the Great Ocean Road Compare on Hotels.com Holiday rental on Vrbo