The Great Ocean Road - Australia

A welcome Guest post by Natasha from Paradise Bay

Australia, the continent down under, is known for many great things. Although it is the smallest continent, it is the only one that is its own country. It is an island nation with nearly 22,000 miles of coastline, it hosts one of the greatest deserts and the great divide delineates the arid west from the tropical eastern coast. The indigenous people of Australia are separated by over 200 different languages and for the visitor to this great and diverse country, there are two attractions that should not be missed; the Great Ocean Road and the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Ocean Road stretches for 150 miles along the southeastern coast of Australia between the towns of Torquay and Warmambool and hosts some of the country’s most beautiful scenery and geologic wonders. Much of the road hugs the coast, traversing the rain forest and offers the visitor sweeping vistas of white sand beaches and limestone cliffs. The Twelve Apostles are a collection of rock spires, rising out of the shallows at Port Campbell National Park and have become a world-class tourist attraction. Besides the breathtaking scenery, the Great Ocean Road offers quaint holiday retreats, fine dining and extensive vineyards.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living thing on the planet and is made up of nearly 3000 separate reefs, 900 islands and 400 species of coral. The Great Barrier Reef supports a diversity of marine life that is unrivaled anywhere on the planet with over 1500 species of fish including giant grouper, snapper, coral trout and a plethora of neon colored tropicals that is unmatched. Sea turtles are represented by six different species, there are seventeen types of sea snakes and a variety of sharks that can only be found within the reef system. For greatness, the reef cannot be beat.

Posted in: Australia,The Great Ocean Road