This being our third time driving this iconic stretch of Victoria's coastline, we made 2 leisurely stopovers at hotel resorts with full kitchen facilities. This allowed for us to plan our meals around a flexible schedule. Thus for sleepyheads, we could eschew early-bird breakfast for brunch and choose to eat wholesome dinners in the comfort of our own "house".
As an extra bonus, the Whitecrest Resort on The Great Ocean Road near Apollo Bay came complete with a "games room" for billiards, table tennis and table soccer, as well as an outdoor tennis-cum-basketball court for the boys.
After 4 nights, during which we made 2 easy driving forays to see the famous "Twelve Apostles" and walk the sandy beaches at Gibson Steps and Loch Ard Gorge, in the Port Campbell National Park, we spent the next 2 nights at Warrnambool's Deep Blue Quality Suites Hotel.
Here, we sprawled out in our 3-bedroom penthouse with a panoramic view of the ocean. Again, the full kitchen made for "home-cooked" meals while some of us soaked in the natural hotspring spa facilities adjoining the hotel.
Because Daryl's fiancee, Yihan was able to take leave to accompany us on this roadtrip, we spontaneously became paparazzi, enthusiastically creating a pre-wedding photoshoot around Gibson Steps and the Twelve Apostles.
Theresa helped Yihan pick out a lovely red summer dress while Daryl wore complimentary colours. Have a look at our full photo albums in the sidebar.
This year, the Aussie summer was just right for us, cool nights and just enough balmy days with plenty of sunny breaks and fluffy clouds in the sky. On sultry / cloudy or rainy days, the youngsters could laze around like sleepy koalas while we loved to explore shady trails in a giant fern forest like "Maits Rest" in the Otway National Park.
