G'day all. Yeah so going to ride out from Sydney prob just after boxing day, head down Bermagui, then onto Phillip Island.

How does that Ferry work from near the phillip island peninsular across the mouth of the bay? As would be better than riding to Melbourne CBD and around??

Then wanna see Bells Beach, Great Ocean Road, 12 Apostles, all that kinda shit. Going to be tops!

Where do you reckon I could spend NYE whilst on the road?
where there will be sheila's. I was thinking maybe Phillips Island (Rock Pyramid thing) but then I am wasting days as better to get through Philip island before the Thursday morning and then have NYE in Lorne or somewhere like that??? Whats that like over there??

I need to be back in Sydney Sunday 3rd Jan. But am pretty keen to hoon across great ocean road and cross the border into South Australia - just coz i can and make it a "3 state roadtrip" - actually will go back through canberra so that (kinda) 4!

 

Sounds like a great trip Superglide. Rodders you nailed it re the Great Ocean Road. I hired a sports car for a trip out of Melbourne starting with that stretch and it was a real dud. First the Porsche I thought I'd hired so that I could say I drove one once in my life was "unservicable" which I think means they rented it to someone who would pay full whack, and was replaced with a very clapped out M3 that wouldn't pull the skin off a custard. Then I learnt that it didn't matter because on the Great Ocean Road your top speed is set by the speed of the slowest Hyundai. I could have walked it. Still the views are good and even though there are plenty of bends but you won't be scraping any hard bits so you'll have plenty of time to admire the scenery. Rodder, would avoiding a weekend help or doesn't it matter? 

Cheers lads, thanks for info/feedback.

So on phillip island its alright place to party for NYE, young ladies present etc? Or better to continue through to say Torquay/Lorne???
(i'm married but the boys I'm with are late twenties / early thirties so really can't just hole them up somewhere the is no nightlife for NYE)

I will look into the Ferry. Thanks for that.
If you interested have a look at below link (cut n paste) this is my draft road map, big link but it does work, now including Edenhope!! Bacamick better have a friggin keg ready for us, anyone stayed at his joing b4? we will make this final pissup night before the long drag back.

Anyone been to Robe??? Thought I could do a easy 1/2 day ride somewhere there, or Carpenters Bay? and have a rest/swim, maybe deep sea fishing.

 

 

OK here is the link, it's going to mess up the page/thread a bit...

 

<<< Route plan Removed >>>

i'm thinking your dead right (again). I'm thinking we need to cruise through Philip island and enjoy the new year on the coast road.
I was going to book some accomodation now, say 70%, and wing the rest.

Maybe we need to consider skipping the S.A leg and turn back around Portland.
Other option, but dunno if I like it, is go straight down the Hume from Sydney to Melbourne, and then cruise around ocean rd
and then back through philips island and up the coast via bermagui.

Accomodation is a big point considering school hollz, coast etc. Other problem is Highway Patrol.
I imagine it will be full on not like the random midweek trips I've done in the past.

Update, well booked in on south coast NSW, also a night in Gippsland, and now looking at Phillips Island, can't find ANY pub in Cowes??

Still unsure about NYE, looks like have to fork out the big cash and go for Torqauy, found some great places on the G.O.R. but they are all booked out.

Well still looking for PI accom. But we are definatley into Gippsland on Monday.

Then Tuesday might try check out a few local sights, staying in remote town the Monday night.
And arrive PI Tuesday afternoon, fairly early se we can get on the cans.
 

That Isle of whight is not going to be for much longer, buggered if i can work out how you enquire to stay there
http://www.isleofwighthotel.com.au/

HEY GUYS, tell me this, if you stop for lunch, and at 12 apostles, and theres a bit of traffic, how long will it take to go from say Torqua through to Port Fairy???

You won't have much chance of "hoonin along the Great Ocean Road" unfortunately. Busy holiday traffic with their minds in holiday mode instead of driving mode will keep you on your toes. Speed limit along most of there is 80 km/h these days.

Good advice, as  the rubber necking tin top tourists are bloody hopeless on that bit of road and they look less than not at all, Rode it on wayback from MotoGP in Oct and yep need to keep your mind on the job. Came onto it at Anglesea turn off and here around a corner was a poor barstard on a pushy rolled up under a 10yd dump truck  with dog trailer, not the best thing to have in ur mind when your about to head into those twitsies.

Also no doubt at that time of the year there will be sherrifs of nottingham collecting taxes (oops I meant police doing road safety duties) and giving out double demerits because that'll make the public much safer.

On the 12 Apostles been a couple take a dive so I don't think you'll see 12 anymore, think there might still be 9?

Anyway enjoy the ride and keep the shiney side up

Agree with all the previous posts - used to do the GOR 2 - 3 times per year as had rellies in Anglesea. Be very careful of cars on the GOR -especially those with hire car labels on the rear window - tend to be driven by O/S tourists who have difficulty with left and right indicators and turns. Last time on the GOR nearly rear ended a hire car that stopped dead centre of the road to look at the view. Prior to that another vehicle with AVIS sticker , had the left hand indicator on , turned right - only avoided the inevitable because there was nothing to turn into on the left except ocean !!
Having said all that it still is a wonderful experience but definitely slower these days

There is a smaller version of the GOR on the other side of the state between inverloch and wonthaggi via Cape Patterson - only about 40kms but nice sweepers , less traffic and good road surface - C435 on the maps

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Well lads, sorry for delay, but have been back for a bit now obviously, had massive withdrawels, life on the road sure is sweet.

Anyway, as promised here is a string of pics, we did 3,000 klms in all, just a few shots below, GRO was great, down thru Gippsland was a highlight and out to Wilsons Prom.

Longest single leg was the first day back, we did 780klms in one day, on an empty stomach with just 2 carlton draughts in Wangaratta for sustenance hahahaha. 
 

 < everything="" but="" the="" kitchen="" sink.="" shot="" at="" lake="" wallaga="" pulling="" into="">

< believe="" it="" or="" not,="" this="" is="" was="" prob="" the="" highlight="" of="" the="" trip.="" some="" big="" k's="" under="" the="" belt,="" rain="" gear="" off,="" suns="" shining,="" send="" jezza="" down="" the="" pub="" for="" some="" longnecks="" and="" sit="" back.="" ipod="" dock="" was a="" top="" idea,="" thought="" i="" was="" carrying="" it="" for="" nothing="" but="" ended="" up="" every="" motel="" became="" a="" party.="" good="">

 < stevo's="" steel="">

 

< jezza.="" heaps="" of="" k's="" on="" this="" old="" heritage="" but="" what="" a="" beauty.="" he's="" sett="" the="" bars="" down/back="" for="" this="">

Tips from the trip....
well i don't normally ride with iPod as see it as distracting, but on long runs it was actually really good to help keep me interested and focused.
The other thing is, and hate to say it / hope I won't get too much flack, but I would NEVER do a trip like this without the full face helmet. We went open face on the cruising days on GOR out of Torqauy and local stuff which was great, but on the long windy runs that full face felt like the ultimate luxury I tell ya'

Any info tips on towns or routes just write in,
basically we went;
Sydney - Merimbula - Yarram - Phillip Island - Frankston - Sorrento - Car Ferry - Torqauy - Lorne - Torqauy - Warnambool - Gundagai - Sydney.

The WolfPack or 3 was perfect, we all got on and had a ball.
Weather was great, we outran many storms and only copped rain leaving Sydney, Cops were all fine too, only saw few radar near Nowra etc and once in south Gippsland, got breath tested once but this was just after 12 apostles on another big ride day to Warnambool so we were sober as a judge.

Overall no close calls, one helmet got killed when it fell off back of Jerry's bike at 160kph but other than that no dramas, mechanically, no punctures.
All good. Very fortunate & can't wait to do it again. (oh and NYE at Torqauy was off the hook!!)

Cheers!!!
 

< a="" dream="" day,="" down="" through="" the="" twisties="" to="" wilsons="" prom.="" heaps="" of="" wildlife,="" eagles,="" echidnas,="" emus.="">
We had a magic swim down the beaches here. Bloody beautiful.







< car="" ferry="" across="" the="" heads.="" very="" very="" hungover.="">



< bells="" beach....="" another="" goal="" ticked="" off="" the="" list.="" had="" a="" bodybash="" in="" the="" surf="" here.="">






< standard="" great="" ocean="" road="" shot.="" most="" days="" we="" were="" cruising="" this="" in="" t-shirt="" and="" open="" face.="" this="" day="" is="" loaded="" up="" and="" heading="" round="" to="" otway="" lighthouse,="" cape="" otway.="">



Bit of wet weather gear time...

After cape otway lighthouse which was cool, great ride, and heaps of Koala's. We go to 12 apostles.
Ahhhhhh fuck it we've done everything else, let's hire a helicopter and get a proper view!!!!!!!












AND thats about it lads, got heaps of shots but thats a good sampler for ya. Bloody awesome out on the road. Love it.
Ah welll......... homeward bound..........

 Brilliant report Supergilde. Thanks for the comments and pics.

Cheers yeah good times.

Cheers yeah good times.

Ah chopper was about $90 for "15 minutes" (felt like about 2 mins) and we paid I think $120 each and for that he pulled some G's on banked turns and returned along the apostles at a low flying height for better view.

Not cheap I guess but as Apostles were a childhood dream for me I did'nt think twice. Plus we just rocked up on sunset with no booking and they were put us straight in the thing. VERY busy/successful operation that one, I think they had about 3 choppers flat out the whole hour or so we were there.