Great Ocean Road and Melbourne - Exploring by Car

The most ideal way to visit Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road is by car. The Victorian coast is perfect for driving and very easy to get around. Melbourne is not only known for it's shopping mecca and cultural food fare, but it also boosts an interesting historical past. Within the area around Port Phillip and the Yarra Valley, on which the city of Melbourne now stands are full of landmarks that tell of a fascinating history.

The most ideal way to explore Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road is by car. The Victorian & NSW's coastlines are perfect for driving and very easy to get around.

Checkout the official Visit Melbourne Website

Melbourne is not only known as a shopping mecca and cultural food fare, but it also boosts an interesting historical past. Within the area around Port Phillip and the Yarra Valley, on which the city of Melbourne now stands are full of landmarks that tell of a fascinating history.

The Melbourne area was once the home of the Kulin, Indigenous Australians, whose ancestors had lived in the area for up to 40,000 years. In 1835 the europeans moved in and the original settlement name was "Bearbassa" and then renamed Melbourne two years later. There is a wealth of historical sites and history to be absorbed in and around the city.

When planning to drive around Melbourne you should click on to the Visit Melbourne website where you will find lots of great information and can pre-purchase your city link pass for the toll road expressways.

I also recommend downloading and printing the Free Melbourne Travel Guide that comes with maps, and lots of information about what there is to do and see.

For an entertaining and guided drive around Port Philip Bay and Melbourne the Melbourne Driveabout Audio Tour will take you on a historical tour from West Gate to the Port of Melbourne via Geelong, the Penal Settlement, Point Nepean, Sullivana's Bay and much more.

Once you are done seeing the sites of Melbourne and Port Philip Bay you will be ready to hit the tar and head for the Great Ocean Road.

Buckle up for one of the most spectacular ocean frontage drives in the world, and make sure your passengers have camera's ready, as the scenery is spectacular and jaw dropping.

The Great Ocean Road is a journey like no other. As the road winds and bends to conform to the rugged coastline, the scenery unfolds like magic as The Great Ocean Road is truly Australia's most famous and loved holiday drive, the Great Ocean Road stretches through the picturesque town & breathtaking beaches found along this stunning southern coastline.

The road starts at Torquay and takes you past a 300-kilometer run past some of the world's most breathtaking coastal scenery. The road heads along the shoreline of Anglesea, along the massive cliffs that hug the coast between Lorne and Apollo Bay. It then winds around untouched rainforests of the Otway National Park and returns to the coast, passing the renowned Twelve Apostles rock formations. This coast line can tell you stories of fascinating and notorious tragedy and ship wrecks. Then as road the brings you through the historic coastal villages of Warrnambool and Portland you can sit at a sea side cafe and watch whales swim by.

There are many landmarks that are a must to watch out for and schedule to stop at, such as Bells Beach, Point Addis, Split Point Lighthouse, Memorial Arch, Teddy's Lookout, Carisbrook Falls, Cape Otway Lighthouse, Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Thsave e Arch, London Arch, The Grotto, Bay of Islands, Warrnambool Cemetery, Lady Bay, The Crags, Lady Julia Percy Island, Codrington Wind Farm, Portland Lighthouse.

Try recommended guided drive tours that you can instantly download and play in your car while cruising Melbourne & Port Phillip and the Great Ocean Road of Victoria, Australia