Clinging to an upturned lifeboat, in heavy fog and battling an unrelenting swell, a young English sailor called Tom Pearce got his first sight of Australia from the water after his ship hit a reef and sank on June 1, 1878.
Pearce was miraculously tossed on waves through an opening in the soaring cliffs at Cape Otway and survived the wreck of the Loch Ard, washing up on the sand inside a canyon, later on called after the ill-fated ship.
Fast-forward 138 years and this treacherous and hugely lovely stretch of shoreline is still putting on a ferocious program this sunny spring morning in Apollo Bay accommodation.
It’s hard not to think of young Tom and 19-year-old Eva, the only other survivor of the wreck, as we base on a cliff looking down on that canyon, its abundant yellow beach and the famous 12 Apostle limestone stacks in the distance.
When they were included the water they also ended up being immersed in the story of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, their tale informed to this day on signs along the cliff-top tracks, eight kilometres from Port Campbell.
Considered among the most magnificent seaside drives in the world with world class great ocean road accommodation, the 243-kilometre touring path has also been called the world’s longest war memorial, having been developed by returned World War I soldiers and committed to the fallen.
To mark its 30th birthday this year, Scenic has launched a new 11-day Victorian Discovery tour taking in this significant coastline. The tour– a big salami from Melbourne– goes to the popular surfing beaches around Geelong and Lorne prior to heading to Loch Ard Gorge and the Twelve Apostles, Warrnambool, the medspa town of Daylesford and historic gold rush city of Ballarat.
At the Museum of Australian Democracy (MADE) in Ballarat we see the initial Southern Cross flag as our guide regales us with the heroics of Eureka Rebellion leader Peter Lalor.
Stories of fortunes made and lost, grand structures increasing, pubs burning down and Lalor’s journey from rebel gold miner to Speaker of the Victorian Parliament add depth to the sight-seeing around the town developed during the Victorian gold rush.
In Geelong, the National Wool Museum is custodian of among our nation’s essential narratives. It commemorates the important function played by wool farmers in turning early Australia from a country of failing crops into an export powerhouse.
Step-by-step, a mix of antique machinery and new innovation informs the story of how Australia rode to financial success on the sheep’s back.
Our guide brushes us up on our primary school history lessons as we walk through an exhibition demonstrating how fleece becomes material, describing how farms in this part of Victoria throughout the thriving 1860s produced a few of the finest grade wools on earth. To this day, the absolute best quality wool readily available is still referred to as Geelong grade in wool-classing circles.
Drop in the towns along the way
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