5 Non-Touristy Thing To do When Visiting Great Ocean Road

When I first set out on the trip to Melbourne, I was hell-bent on deviating as much as possible away from partaking experiences that are deemed 'tourist'. The idea of just blindly being sold on what travel sites said couldn't have irked me more. When it comes to travelling, I always think there are two kinds of people - the tourist and the traveller. Of course, the latter would bring back more unique anecdotes and recommendations no amount of googling or TripAdvisor surfing would.

But as a first-timer in Melbourne, I can't help but to succumb to some of the popular attractions - Great Ocean Road Home to the biblical Twelve Apostles' rock formation, it was one of those things you just had to see for yourself. But just because it's a mainstream tourist attraction, doesn't mean you have to do the ordinary.

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5 Reasons To Visit Great Ocean Road

I'm not exactly nature's biggest advocate, but since it was an indispensable destination according to a friend who just returned from Melbourne, I reckoned what's one to lose?

Our day began at around six in the morning, our earliest in the entire trip. The sun barely broke nightfall and my mind was still asleep. Thankfully, the two-hour drive to Great Ocean Road meant that I could catch up with the zzz's. Contrary to what I believed, these tours don't just take you straight to the main attraction. Instead, they have planned stops at several noteworthy locations.

1. Conquer the Brave Winds at Urquhart Bluff [aka the spot my contacts lenses fell out

I woke up to the brighter front of Melbourne that I was accustomed to and the first stop was the Urquhart Bluff. At this point I've been to so many beaches I failed to see the novelty in this station. Nonetheless I went ahead with grabbing a shot but nothing had prepared me for what happened next.

The winds in Melbourne were extremely potent, especially in the mornings. As I was focusing the image via my viewfinder, I could feel my eyes dry out. Like the rest of the population, when your eyes dry, you blink. And *bloop*, I blinked my contacts out. Well, half of it was still attached in my eye. What happened the next 5 minutes was my desperate attempt at looking up, a) trying to get it to fall back into my eye and b) looking up to the high heavens for a miracle.

Next thing I tried to push it back in with my finger, my attempts were futile as it just attached my finger altogether. :'). In my head, I thought this was it. The day barely began and I'm struck half-blind for the first time in public. Despite knowing better, I ran it under the tap and forced it back in my eye. To set the scene better, the toilet had a barely working tap with no soap.

2. Sample Vegemite Flavoured Ice Cream at Apollo Bay

Most of Great Ocean Road are sandy beaches, lush greenery and private houses, and it is at Apollo Bay we rejoined civilisation. Reminiscent of an old town valley, the bucolic town is respite for anyone who's looking for a place to chill out and lay back. We were served lunch at a local diner Iluka but the food was nothing fantastic. But that wasn't alarming since it was a part of the tour package.

Before leaving Apollo Bay, it is essential to check out The Ice Cream Tub to sample Australia's iconic spread in its frozen glory- Vegemite Ice Cream. For those who haven't tried vegemite, it wasn't as bad as Niall Horan made it out to be on live Aussie TV. It tastes like Essence of Chicken but extremely concentrated. Sampling a spoonful was good, but that's where I draw the line.

The Ice Cream Tub serves classics with outstanding twists and the Chocolate Cake flavour was a decadent daydream I could never have enough of. Creamy, bittersweet chocolate ice cream laced with loads of actual chocolate cake, I'm still looking for an ice cream parlour that does the same back here at home.

3. Marvel Century-old Eucalyptus Tress at Otway Rainforest

My idea of Melbourne was confined to pristine beaches, hot beach boys and a smorgasbord of delectable cafes. All my notions were challenged when we arrived at Otway Rainforest.

With over 30 million years of history, Otway Rainforest is home to thousands of plant and fungi species, and have thrived due to the lack of human interferences. I couldn't believe my eyes how tall some of the trees were, and our guide John told us that most of the taller trees are Eucalyptus trees and most are over a century old, with some older than 250 years old.

I thought all air were made the same, but I finally understood why people jog in the morning for fresh air. It could be a placebo effect, but the walking through nothing but dense forestry really help cleared the head and put many things in life into perspective.

But above all, you'll get to see amazing man-made-like structures like the ones you see above, only to realise it's all nature's way of creating art. I mean, getting nestled in tree holes that can easily fit my entire body? That's something straight out of a Tim Burton fantasy.

More pictures from Otway Rainforest here.

4.Loch Ard Gorge & Shipwreck Coast

Back on the bus, it was food coma and a long ride away to the next destination. I'm strongly believe in staying awake when travelling, for why would you want to travel to begin with if your itinerary is going to dreamland. But the long-windedness of our bus guide just knocked me out 10 minutes tops.

When we reached the next stop, Shipwreck Coast, it was a visual stunner by every mean. But the anecdote on how this place got its name is one that's hard to forget.

Many decades ago, this was one of the most feared stretch of coast for sailors to sail in. With over 700 shipwrecked vessels submerged in its abyss, it is only fitting to name this place after the carnage it has created - Shipwreck Coast. But it's hard to imagine this body of water being harsh and unforgiving, the lilac skies and stunningly clear waters simply masked its darker facade.

5. Swoon Over the 12 Apostles Formation & Gibson Steps

At the conclusion of the tour comes the highlight, the reason why most people signed up for the tour - the iconic Twelve Apostles limestone formations. If you do plan to make here, try counting the number of formations you can sight and you'll wonder if you missed any when you reach the eighth rock. Despite being named for biblical purposes, there were only ever nine stacks of stones[eight now after one collapsed]. Though it looked absolutely stunning on pictures, the best views were from an observation bridge/deck that was just simply overcrowded with overzealous and that killed the vibe for me.

There were so many people crowding at the edge of railings as well, so it was just snap and go for me. But with that said, perhaps nature enthusiasts might find this place to be extremely noteworthy. The views can be stunning if you head over at the right time.

The pushy experience at Twelve Apostles aside, I found resolution at Gibson Steps, a picturesque beach that oversees several limestone formations. The soft hues of the sky, sand and sea looked almost unreal, and the limestone looked like a patch of artwork that had been torn off. It was here I found true moments of zen, and looking out to the seas was a view that took my breath away.

With low skies and high tides, it seems as if these two entities fused as one to hide a lost city. The strong winds and loud crashes of the wave were a great way to end this tour. Though I didn't manage to catch sights of beach boys thanks to the icy waters, but I find solace in having a few solitary moments to myself, as the waves crashed and autumn beach breeze blew.

The Great Ocean Road Review

In a flash, Great Ocean Road seems to be a nature lover's paradise, with sights of Mother Nature's own work of art from destination to destination. Unless the itinerary you found on a tour package is perfectly in tuned with that you're out to see, one is simply better off renting a car to cruise the area. The flexibility to customise your own schedule and places to visit can save you time to head back to the city before sun sets.

Otherwise, do prepare to spend the entire day with the tour package. Of course, the up sides with the tour is not having to risk getting lost and contemplate if you should skip certain areas or not. The guided tour also helps to fill you in on any fun facts and cool anecdotes the internet and brochures might miss out. Of course, how entertaining your tour guide is fully depends on your luck.

Overall, Great Ocean Road's an attraction you should go, but you're not missing all that much if you don't.