Introduction

After leaving Tasmania, Mara and I headed towards the famous Great Ocean Road. We stopped at an Aldi to stock up on food, threw everything in the car, and drove about two hours until we reached Apollo Bay, where we checked into Apollo Bay Backpackers.

The hostel was actually really cute, nicely decorated and cozy, and it immediately felt like a nice place to stay for a few days. At some point we also decided to do our laundry there. When I saw that the dryer cost $6, I absolutely refused to pay for it, so instead I hung all my clothes everywhere in the garden to dry. Shirts, socks, everything. The owner walked by at some point, saw my improvised laundry setup, and just started laughing. After settling into our room and finishing our little laundry mission, we went to bed, excited for the next days exploring one of the most famous coastal drives in Australia.

What followed were a few days filled with spontaneous road trips, random travel friends, penguins, Airbnb chaos, and very long drives up the east coast.

Waves crashing at Bells Beach along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.

Main story

Day 1 – The Great Ocean Road & Unexpected Travel Friends

On Wednesday morning I started chatting with an English guy from the hostel. He told me he was planning to take a bus to the Twelve Apostles with a friend of his.

I immediately thought: why don’t we just take them with us?

So I asked Mara, and a few minutes later the plan was set. Suddenly our little road trip had turned into a group adventure. The four of us, Mara, Jack, Phoebe and I, jumped into the car and started driving along the second part of the Great Ocean Road.

Our first stop was the lighthouse, after which my phone completely lost reception. Of course all the places I had saved on Google Maps suddenly wouldn’t load anymore, which meant we were driving half blindly for a while.

Eventually we continued until Giffords Track, where we finally found some reception again and could figure out the rest of our stops.

That day we explored some of the most incredible coastal views:

Castle Cove
Johanna Beach
Gibson Steps
Gibson Beach
Twelve Apostles
Loch Ard Gorge
London Bridge
The Grotto
Bay of Islands

Every stop seemed more dramatic than the previous one, cliffs, crashing waves, and endless ocean views.

That evening we went back to Apollo Bay where we spent some time chatting together in the hostel. There was also a random guy there who would absolutely not stop talking, which somehow made the whole evening even funnier.

At some point we also decided to book an Airbnb together in Melbourne for the next night.

Everything seemed perfectly organized…

Until the next morning.

Day 2 – Booking Chaos & The Drive to Melbourne

When I woke up, I suddenly realized something strange.

The Airbnb booking confirmation didn’t make sense.

It looked like the room I booked might not actually fit the four of us. After a small moment of panic and some messaging back and forth with the host, we weren’t really sure if it would work out.

So we just decided to continue driving and deal with the problem later.

On the way we stopped at:

Bells Beach
Erskine Falls

We also spent a longer break at Lorne Beach, which turned out to be a really nice place to relax for a while.

Meanwhile, Phoebe had called the Airbnb host again and somehow managed to convince him to still let the four of us stay there.

So when we finally arrived in Melbourne, we ended up sleeping there together using our air mattress. Not exactly luxury, but after a long day of driving we were more than happy to just collapse and sleep.

Day 3 – Phillip Island & Penguins at Sunset

The next morning Mara and I drove to Phillip Island, where we had already booked another Airbnb. Jack and Phoebe decided to join us for the day, so the four of us headed there together.

At first we thought about going to the famous Penguin Parade, but when we saw that tickets were about $30 and that the whole experience felt quite staged, we decided to skip it. Instead, we drove to the closest beach we could find: Flynns Beach.

And that decision turned out to be perfect.

Not long after arriving, we started spotting penguins in the wild. First one, then another. It wasn’t dozens like at the official parade, but that actually made it even more special. It felt authentic and quiet, like we had stumbled upon something natural rather than a tourist attraction.

The sky slowly turned pink while the four of us sat there watching them. We barely spoke, partly because we were all taking in the moment, but also because making noise can disturb the penguins.

So we just sat there in silence, watching them move along the rocks while the sunset colored the sky.

Honestly, it was perfect exactly the way it was.

Day 4 – A 14-Hour Drive to Newcastle

The next day was… intense.

Phoebe came along for the long drive, sitting mostly with Mara in the back. They talked constantly, laughing and chatting the whole way, while I tried to sleep as much as possible to avoid feeling nauseous.

Eventually I started feeling really sick, so we had to take a short break to stretch and recover a bit.

We dropped Phoebe off in Sydney, and then Mara and I continued on to our Airbnb in Newcastle. By the time we arrived, we were completely exhausted.

Day 5 – The Long Drive to Byron Bay

The next morning we got up early again.

Our next destination: Byron Bay.

On paper the drive looked manageable, but because we were already tired and really wanted to get there, it somehow felt longer than expected.

When we finally arrived it was extremely hot.

But the place we booked turned out to be amazing. YHA Byron Bay.

It was almost like a small retreat, with a pool and a super relaxed vibe. Mara and I immediately changed into our bikinis and jumped into the pool.

Later we went to the beach because someone I met at the surf camp near Sydney, Eva, was also there, so we spent some time lying on the sand and catching up.

Byron Bay already felt like the beginning of another adventure.

And secretly I was already hoping for the next thing on my list:

Spotting dolphins.

Byron era incoming.

Social connections

One of the nicest parts of these days was the spontaneous friendships that happened along the way.

A random conversation in a hostel turned into a full road trip with Jack and Phoebe, and even though we only travelled together for a short time, it made the experience much more fun.

Travel has a funny way of turning strangers into temporary teammates.

Gibson Steps leading down to the beach on the Great Ocean Road itinerary

Tips & Tricks

Great Ocean Road Tips:

Download your Google Maps offline before driving, reception disappears quickly.
Bring snacks and water, stops can be far apart.
Don’t rush the route, the smaller viewpoints are often the most beautiful. the smaller viewpoints are often the most beautiful. There is so much more to see than just the Twelve Apostles, so if you really want to explore all the hidden spots, it’s best to rent a car rather than taking a tour that only goes to the main attraction.

Penguin Tip (Phillip Island):

If you’re lucky, you can actually see penguins outside the official Penguin Parade area just by exploring the coast around sunset.

Reflection

These few days reminded me how unpredictable travel can be.

Plans change, bookings get confusing, and sometimes you end up driving fourteen hours in a single day.

But somewhere between cliffside roads, unexpected penguins, and long conversations in the car, those chaotic moments slowly turn into the best memories.

And honestly, I wouldn’t change them for anything.

Wherever I am next, I’m learning that even chaos can feel like a beginning.

Liked this story? Read chapter 11. Because trust me… it didn’t end there.

OR start from the beginning: Australia Travel Diary part 1.

Planning on going to Australia yourself?

Planning your own Australia adventure? I’ve written over 30 guides based on my own experiences after 9 months travelling and working around the country.

Find all my Australia articles here, or jump straight to the topic you need below.