Carved by hand from the rocky cliffs early last century, the Great Ocean Road high above the pounding waves of Bass Strait is certainly a scenic drive. However, every weekend and holiday it is a magnet for the four and two-wheeled set alike, and if towing a van, the heavy traffic combined with numerous sharp, blind corners will probably raise your blood pressure along with your tow vehicles transmission temperature.
When heading south from Melbourne, take a break at Aireys Inlet and check out the lighthouse and Eagle Rock, an ancient volcanic stack that rises vertically from the ocean about 100 metres offshore. Nearby Table Rock is a similar formation that has lost its limestone capping to erosion over the eons and appears as a flat rock shelf. This scenic view belies its fiery beginnings some 25 million years ago when an eruption spewed out lava at over 1000°C. The lava cooled and crystallised to form the dark hard layer of basalt rock at the base of the cliffs. The yellow limestone that makes up the cliffs upper layers was formed from sand and shell fragments deposited after the land was subsequently inundated by rising sea levels.
Further south is Lorne, a holiday retreat for many Melburnians. While a hive of activity during summer it has more of a seaside village feel
