Where to Stay Central to Attractions Great Ocean Road

Stay Central to Attractions on Great Ocean Road

Finding an accommodation during your Great Ocean Road adventure so you stay central to attractions is something you might want to give a serious thought in advance.

Ahoy Ahoy

If you are still confused about where to spend your night while on this family travel, we recommend Port O’ Call Motel. We spent two nights here and fell in love with it. It is the type of place that is ideal for a cozy nights rest and perfect for those of you who wish to stay central in this quaint township.

Although we are luxury travel experts, we felt this motel is still worth recommending to you because it is affordable, central, newly refurbished and has a modern and clean up to date decor compared to many others on offer.

And it is ideal for families and even couples who wish to also have the facilities of a kitchenette.

We could also walk to the cove and beach area at the end of the street.  The visitor center and a pub are both on opposite areas of this ideal corner location.

Modern And Clean

Our motel room at Port O’Call Motel was meticulously clean and had just been totally refurbished.  The interior was white and modern, and I love the cane additions to the room.  The bed was uber comfortable and I loved the fact it had a quilt, not a tucked in bedcover.

We had plenty of room to put our items away too, and the daily room service meant we returned from sightseeing to a lovely and neat room ready for our evening relaxation.

stay central to attractions

©Exploramum and Explorason – Exploramum relaxes as she stays central to attractions

Hanging and Swinging Chairs

Both inside our room and outside in the central walkway was hanging cane chairs. Perfect for relaxation.  We also had exterior chairs at our front door and chairs around a fire pit in the garden we could also use.

Ensuite/Bathroom

I particularly loved the large shower section of our spacious bathroom.  Being on the road now for nearly two weeks meant that it was time to wash a few small items.  Having a nice warm room meant they dried naturally in no time, even when hung in the bathroom.

Off-Street Parking

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like leaving my vehicle on the road when I stay somewhere. Sure, I am told country towns are safe, but just today I was sitting in my 4WD next to a building and a truck reversed around the corner – oblivious to my vehicle being parked there.  I sounded the horn repeatedly and he just stopped within a few centimeters of smashing into my 4WD.  Had I not been in the car he would have hit it for sure, and possibly even driven off, leaving me to find a crumpled mess when I return.

Here at Port O’Call Motel, there is paved off-street parking at the rear of the motel and conveniently right opposite your room.  This is great for easy unpacking and for the safety of your vehicle too.  It also means you can park your car and walk to dinner without drinking and driving worries too.

stay central to attractions

©Exploramum and Explorason – We love pub meals. They are good comfort food when traveling

Dining Out

To stay central also meant we could walk to both the supermarket and a choice of restaurants or pubs for dinner each evening.

We found a great hotel called the 12 Rocks Beach Bar just down the road, which was packed.  For a Monday night in the middle of winter, this surprised us!  The service was great, and the food was really good. I also felt it was good value for money so I’m happy to give them a shout out too.

We finished our meal and walked safely back to Port O’Call Motel feeling like we had achieved so much. This was because we had seen many of the local attractions that day.

To stay central to attractions is so important when choosing your accommodation.

The beauty of Port O’Call Motel is that it is proximal to three of the greatest attractions in Port Campbell.

These attractions are:

The 12 Apostles

The 12 Apostles are incredible! You will be amazed at the beauty of these numerous stacks of limestone, naturally formed at the shore of the ocean that looks like they have just been “plonked” into the ocean.

Many tourists and locals consider this a ‘must see’ when visiting Port Campbell. Fortunately, this attraction (which is also the most famous of them all on Great Ocean Road) is approximately only 10 minutes’ drive from the motel.

Do not forget to bring along your camera since there are so many memories to be made and captured at this place. The cool breeze from the ocean and the beautiful waves formed in it makes the place very serene and welcoming. The high rocky cliffs in this area give the best elevation for a great view. The 12 apostles were definitely worth a visit.

Keep in mind this is a busy place.  You need to park across the road, and entry is via a tunnel under the road.

It is free to enter, and there are toilets here which are great.  To stay central means it is easier to visit at both early morning and end of the day will give you two completely different types of natural lighting on them.

Great Ocean Road

©Exploramum and Explorason – Great Ocean Road – London Bridge

London Bridge (Also known as London Arch)

London Bridge is an old naturally and beautifully formed yet ruggedly dilapidated bridge whose parts have continued to corrode and collapse over the years. What remains is part of the bridge, which forms an arc in the ocean. Water can be seen beautifully flowing through the arc.

Some people think that the scene is more interesting when Mother Nature becomes rough and the waves hit and flow through the arc at a greater force. We couldn’t tell how strong it is when the storms hit here but the day we went it was quite calm. The bridge has sadly lost one of the archways but it still very famous and well worth viewing.

Loch Ard Gorge and Razorback

Loch Ard Gorge is an attraction is closer to the motel than all the other two. It only took us 7 minutes to drive to it. Just like the other two, it is a natural beauty worth the drive. It is a gift from nature to humanity. A ship is believed to have capsized at this place some years back. You will not be able to see it though since it is a history hidden many meters deep into the ocean.

Being at this place, however, gives you a picture of the forces that sunk that ship. There are strong waves that repeatedly and randomly hit the cliffs along the ocean. No ancient ship could possibly go through such force without damage. While here, you might want to imagine just how many sailors attempted to use this route and also how difficult it might have been to escape from these waters alive.

We have never been to such a place that is mind boggling and scary yet worth a visit for its beauty and serenity.

There are also several other formations in the area you can walk to from the same car park – for example, the Razorback.

We found there were no restrooms here but because we chose to stay central we could easily head back to our motel room to use the bathroom before moving on to our next attraction.

Great Ocean Road

©Exploramum and Explorason – Great Ocean Road – Loch Ard Gorge

To stay central to attractions is so important when you visit the Great Ocean Road.  A lot of the area is single lane traffic, and car parking can be scarce.  You want to maximize your time in the area.

Comments

Have you been to The Great Ocean before?

What is your take on finding accommodation this close to famous attractions?

Port O Call Motel
37 Lord St, Port Campbell VIC 3269
(03) 5598 6206

theportocall.com.au
stay@theportocall.com.au

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stay central to attractions

©Exploramum and Explorason – Great Ocean Road

5 thoughts on “Where to Stay Central to Attractions Great Ocean Road

  1. Wow!!!! I didn’t know that you could stay so central to all those attractions. The port o call sounds like the perfect place to call home whilst there. The rooms look beautiful and I love the cane chairs. Glad to know they have a fire pit as that is my favourite thing to do whilst on holidays. We are always looking for accommodation that has a kitchenette as it saves $$ on breakfast etc. The pub sounds like a great place to grab a meal and a drink with the locals. Can’t wait to go again as went when I was a kid. It’s been years. Definitely, time to go again and winter is the perfect time.

  2. The London Arch and Loch Ard Gorge and Razorback look simply amazing. I can only imagine the sound of the waves in that place! And it looks like the Port O’ Call Motel is the perfect accommodation as it’s very close to these places and offers good conditions and amenities, as I can see from your photos and presentation.

  3. I remember driving from Melbourne to Port Campbell and while people told us we should turn back from the 12 Apostles, we were determined to reach Port Campbell and return. We did however go all the way to Port Fairy and return.
    I guess a stay at Port Campbell would be apt if we are on a three-day trip. This place seems very apt for those on a self-drive trip, especially with a dedicated place for parking.

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