I recently spent a few days exploring part of The Great Ocean Road, basing myself first in Lorne and then in Apollo Bay. It has become in recent years one of the most popular destinations in Australia, and it’s not hard to understand why. The road hugs some of the most beautiful coastline one could ever hope to see, with wide, sandy beaches and water that attracts and challenges the world’s most accomplished surfers.

The road was built between 1919 and 1932 by some 3,000 soldiers returned from World War 1 and it is dedicated to those who died in that terrible conflict. I have heard it said that this makes it the world’s largest war memorial. Today, aside from the beauties of the coastline itself, the road is used as a starting-off point for exploring a large number of natural attractions, most notably The 12 Apostles, and by walkers, birdwatchers, and others keen to experience the extraordinary fauna and flora of the region. There are also plenty of restaurants, vineyards, breweries, and distilleries that showcase the region’s reputation as a gastronomic center.

Even when it is most busy, The Great Ocean Road is a spectacular place in which to spend a few days, a restful and gentle place in which to switch off and listen to the pounding waves and birdsong. Yes, it’s a road, but it’s a road that urges you to get out of your car, and walk, walk, walk …