Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is the main attraction of Victoria in Australia. Almost the entire road runs near the coast, only in a few places it goes deeper into the continent. In 2011, the road was added to the Australian National Heritage Register.
The road starts in the town of Torquay and ends in Allansford, while the length of the road is only 243 km. However, the Great Ocean Road is appreciated primarily for its landscapes. After all, traveling along the road you can see such sights as the 12 Apostles, the Coast of Shipwrecks, the London Arch, Otway National Park. Hundreds of fur seals can be seen in the natural environment at Cape Bridgewater. In the Tower Hill Nature Reserve, you can see koalas, emus, kangaroos and other animals found only in Australia.
The road was decided to be built back in 1864, but construction actually began only in 1919, when 3,000 soldiers returned from the First World War. They had to work 5.5 days a week, 8 hours a day. All the work was done manually: with shovels, pickaxes, explosives, the soldiers made their way through the rocky territory. The work was very difficult, besides it was complicated by rescue operations. In 1924, the Casino ship hit the rocks near the road. The workers rushed to the rescue without hesitation. 120 barrels of alcohol and 500 beer cans were taken out of the steamer. For 2 weeks, the construction site stalled - the soldiers were retreating after the rescue operation. On November 26, 1932, the construction was completed. To compensate for the costs, we decided to charge money for travel along the way. 2 shillings were collected from cars and 10 carts pulled by more than 2 horses. The Great Ocean Road soon paid off, and in 1936 travel was made free, and the road was donated to Australia.
Although the Australian government is taking measures to improve the safety of the Great Ocean Road, incidents still occur. The road was destroyed in places by landslides, washed away by storms, closed due to fires, and in 2011 a winding rock fell on the road.
In 2004, a 104-kilometer route was built along the road, which was called the "Great Ocean Pleasure Road."
Outdoor enthusiasts can stop at Bells Beach, where they can surf, kayak along the coast, or go fishing in Apollo Bay. Traveling along the road, you can see dozens of whales, learn about the life of the aborigines, snack on berries from Kolak farms, eat traditional Australian dishes and drink local wine to the sounds of national musical instruments.
These couple hundred kilometers will remain in the traveler's memory for a long time.
