My husband and I moved from Queensland to Melbourne in May 2004 and prior to our move, neither of us had ever been to Victoria.  A good friend of mine, gave me a "Lonely Planet" Victoria guide before we left, so prior to starting work at Reho, I did a lot of research on Melbourne and it's glorious surrounds.

The one area, that definitely stood out in my mind, was the 'Great Ocean Road'. We had heard a lot about this place, from family and friends, so we decided to head off on the Labour Day long weekend to check out the sights.

Our first port of call was Geelong, where we stopped and had lunch, (along with all the other tourists).  We then proceeded onwards to Lorne, a cute little beachside town, which was full of activity, with families and tourists just soaking up the sun and swimming in the water. 

We stopped briefly for a photo opportunity and a welcome break for my 'carsick' stomach.  The views are definitely spectacular, but the winding roads did nothing for my belly.

Back in the car, and off to Apollo Bay, where we had booked accommodation for 2 nights.  We made several stops along the way, as the views were breathtaking, and video coverage was a must.

At around about 3pm, we drove into Apollo Bay and made our way to the 'Beachcomber Motel & Apartments.  The Beachcomber offers 1 & 2 bedroom luxury apartments, executive studio apartments with corner spa and wood heater and also standard motel units.  The motel is set in a quiet location, and is about a 5 minute walk to the beach, shops and restaurants. The room we had was very spacious and clean and comfortable and the owners were really friendly. 

After we had settled in, we went for a walk to the beach, and discovered that even Victoria has some beautiful beaches (not as gorgeous as the ones in Queensland), but nice just the same.

Dinner was fish and chips at one of the many little cute cafes at Apollo Bay, followed by the regions famous home made ice-cream… bit too rich for my liking, but hubby loved it..

The next day we awoke early (about 10.00am) and we hit the road. We arrived at the '12 Apostles' about 2 hours later, after many stops for photos and of course, several stops for my car sick belly, once again… I was starting to think that I would have to call this place "The NOT so Great Ocean Road"…

I am sure that most Victorians have visited the '12 Apostles' and know how beautiful it is, but for us this was truly an experience. Aside from the cold and rainy weather, we managed to get some great photos and we even enjoyed a pancake and strawberries breakfast with a bus tour from our home town 'Bundaberg' who had just arrived.  How scary is that, we move to Victoria to meet new people, and end up meeting locals from Bundy.

After a couple of hours we decide to head back to Apollo Bay, where we spend the afternoon on the beach, and finish the night off by having pizza for dinner…

The next morning we head off back to Melbourne, but via the inland route, as someone has told my hubby that this way is less likely to make me car sick… mmmmm……

All in all, the weekend was great. So glad that I can finally say that I have been to see the 12 Apostles, or what's left of them anyway.   And I would have no hesitation in recommending a holiday to this beautiful, scenic place, however I would probably suggest to fly in, not drive in… if you have a weak stomach that is…