Victoria - Australia 2004 - page 579

Just past Princetown starts the biggest attraction of the trip, Port Campbell
National Park . With its sheer cliffs and coastal rock sculptures, it's one of
the most immediately recognizable images of natural Australia. You can't miss the
Twelve Apostles, a series of rock pillars standing in the foam just offshore. Other
attractions are the Blowhole, which throws up huge sprays of water; the Grotto,
a rock formation intricately carved by the waves; London Bridge, which looked
quite like the real thing until the center crashed into the sea in 1990 (leaving a
bunch of tourists stranded on the wrong end); and the Loch Ard Gorge. Port
Fairy, a lovely fishing town once known as Belfast by Irish immigrants who set-
tled here to escape the potato famine, is also on the Shipwreck Coast.
Not far past the town of Peterborough, the Great Ocean Road heads inland to
Warrnambool to eventually join the Princes Highway heading toward Adelaide.
WHERE TO STAY ALONG THE WAY
The Great Ocean Road Accommodation Centre, 136 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne,
VIC 3232 ( & 03/5289 1800 ), rents out cottages and units along the route.
IN LORNE
Lorne is a good option for a night's rest. Though the beach is nothing special it's
a great place to learn to surf. There are plenty of restaurants, and lots of boutiques.
Cumberland Lorne Conference & Leisure Resort This sporty
resort, totally renovated in 2003, stands out like a sore thumb from its location
between the sea and the foothills of the Otway Ranges. Still, I highly recom-
mend it, as it's good value and quite luxurious. Every apartment has a queen-size
bed and a foldout sofa bed, a kitchen, a laundry, a Jacuzzi, a balcony, and free
in-house movies. All units have large bathrooms with shower/tub combinations.
More than half of the rooms have panoramic ocean views; the rest look out onto
gardens. Two-bedroom apartments have two extra single beds, and split-level
penthouses have two Jacuzzis and two balconies.
150-178 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne, VIC 3232. & 1800/037 010 in Australia, or 03/5289 2400. Fax 03/5289
2256. www.cumberland.com.au. 99 units. Summer A$285-A$325 (US$185-US$211) 1-bedroom apt; A$345-
A$385 (US$224-US$250) 2-bedroom apt; A$385-A$425 (US$250-US$276) penthouse. Off-season A$230-
A$270 (US$150-US$176) 1-bedroom apt; A$290-A$330 (US$189-US$212) 2-bedroom apt; A$330-A$370
(US$215-US$241) penthouse. Ask about packages. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; small indoor pool;
2 lit tennis courts; exercise room; Jacuzzi; sauna; watersports rental; children's center; concierge; tour desk;
business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; same-day dry cleaning; nonsmoking
rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, kitchenette, fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
Great Ocean Road Cottages This complex has it all, although with so
many people around (and quite a few children), it can be a little noisy in sum-
mer. There's a set of self-contained cottages, set away from each other in a quiet
patch of bushland, about a 5-minute walk from the town center. Each cottage is
a two-story wooden hut with a double bed, two twin beds, and a pullout mat-
tress. There's also a bathroom and a full kitchen. Just down the road is Waverley
House, a historic mansion that has been divided into seven apartments. All of
them are nice, but they vary enormously in size and furnishing.
Also on the property is Great Ocean Road Backpackers, which offers dorm-
style accommodations for A$18 (US$12) for YHA members and A$21 (US$13)
for non-members. They also have a few family rooms. (Discounts apply to all
backpacker beds for YHA members.)
10 Erskine Ave. (P.O. Box 60), Lorne, VIC 3232. & 03/5289 1070. Fax [phone]. greatoceanrdcotts@
iprimus.com.au. 10 cottages, 7 apts, dorms sleeping 40. A$130 (US$85) double off-season midweek; A$220
(US$143) double peak season; apts A$145-A$220 (US$94-US$143). AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Jacuzzi; free

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