101 Years of the Great Ocean Road and 25 Years of the Ulysses Club Geelong Branch - by Peter Barclay

Who has ridden our “great” Great Ocean Road? Whose bucket list contains a ride along the Great Ocean Road? 

The year 2020 marks two anniversaries for motorcyclists in the Geelong area. It’s 101 years since the first sod was turned on the construction of our great road, and it’s 25 years since the first meeting of the Geelong Ulysses Riding Group (Now the Ulysses Geelong Branch). 

The proposal for a road that followed the coast from the Geelong region down through Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay, around Cape Otway, through Port Campbell and along to Warrnambool, was proposed late in the First World War. In March 1918, 500 people attended a meeting in Colac and the Great Ocean Road Trust was formed. Some members of the councils involved made the statement that “They had no money to waste on tourists” (Bold statement!). The Trust was a private company formed to build the road and was led by Cr. Howard Hitchcock, the Geelong Mayor. Howard Hitchcock was labelled the Father of the Great Ocean Road, but sadly, he passed away before the road’s completion. He is honoured on the Mount Defiance memorial wall just south of Lorne. There is a parking area just big enough for a couple of cars, but you can get a lot more bikes in there. Trust me, I`ve parked there with many other bikes. At the right time of the year, you may even spot a whale or two out from the coast. 

The Great Ocean Road was a toll road for many years until the loans were repaid (Car and driver 2/6d and each passenger 1/6d), with the first Arch/gate being one of the original toll booths and was located near the Cathedral Rock area. Over the years there have been four arches, at Fairhaven, with the existing one being constructed after the previous arch was destroyed in the Ash Wednesday Fires in 1983. The existing arch was erected after 1983. The second arch, constructed in 1936, was to be demolished in 1970 because of road widening works, but public backlash denied the demolition of this Arch. So, the task was left to a wayward truck which severely damaged the Arch resulting in the replacement being erected 1972. This was the arch destroyed by the Ash Wednesday Fires. The first official opening of the road was held in March 1922. This was Fairhaven to Lorne, with the second official opening being held in November 1932 celebrating the completion of the Lorne to Apollo Bay section. 

Originally it was proposed that the northern end of the road was to be at the mouth of the Barwon River at Barwon Heads. Officially this end of the road starts in Torquay at the big roundabout near the golf club. The opposite end is at Allansford which is a “smidgen” east of the city of Warrnambool. That’s 243km of riding pleasure. The road was finally completed by returned soldiers from the Second World War, utilising approximately 3000 ex-service men working on the road over the years. Consequently, the Great Ocean Road holds the distinction of being the world’s largest War Memorial in the world, and in 2011 the road was added to the Australian National Heritage List. 

The Great Ocean Road over the years has attracted thousands of bikes. It also attracted the attention of the authorities which were concerned about the number of accidents along the road. Strict speed limits were enforced and police presence was applied. This kept the boy racers away and the accidents/ incidents decreased to acceptable levels. There was one popular stop off point in Lorne used by many motorcyclists called the Arab Café. At any given time on a Sunday morning there would be 60 to 80 bikes parked out the front of the Arab, along Mountjoy Parade in Lorne. Return an hour or so later and there would still be 60 to 80 bikes parked there, but most of the first lot had been replaced by newly arrived riders. 

Over the years, even from day one to the present, the Great Ocean Road has suffered many landslides, wash-aways and rock falls. This can be so severe that the road can be closed for weeks. At any time you may experience a little rubble at the base of the cliffs. I have personally removed a large rock from the road at the Mount Defiance car/bike park lookout. A couple of years ago the road was deteriorating to such a degree that there was a whisper going around that the engineers wanted to close the road for twelve months. Obviously, this did not, or could not happen, however, there have been major road updates being undertaken over the last couple of years and these are ongoing. As I write, the bridge at Moggs Creek is being replaced. At the moment the road is generally in good condition. When it was obvious some years ago that a dollar or two had to be spent on the road, a councillor suggested the introduction of a toll. Wow, public outrage and his back peddling had to be seen! 

Recently, in New Zealand, I met a young couple from England doing the big around the globe trip. The next day they were flying out of Christchurch, landing at Melbourne Airport, and collecting their “rental vehicle” with their first stop being the Great Ocean Road. That is the attraction to local, interstate, and overseas visitors. If you intend to ride or drive the Great Ocean Road, please treat it with respect. If you get a bit “slack”, it will bite. Treat it with respect and it will repay you with a great experience that will stay with you for many years to come. 

MotoGP, and the Superbike weekends at Phillip Island, brings a big presence of bikes around our region, with, I suspect, riders attending Phillip Island actually taking the long way round so they can ride the Great Ocean Road on their way to the track. (Do you need an excuse to do that?) There are a variety of places to visit when on the Great Ocean Road. By all means stop in the towns down the coast. 

Spend a dollar, stop, have a look around, perhaps stay the night and continue the ride refreshed the following day. Not far from Torquay you have the world famous Bells Beach. Technically it’s not on the Road but just a little detour, five kilometres approximately. There’s nothing but the famous beach, because no development is allowed in the vicinity. During the tourist season, which is nearly all the year round, tourist buses are restricted because of the large number of visitors. You’ll have no trouble getting a bike in there for a visit. Another must-see just a little further on (about two kilometres) is Point Addis, with magnificent views up and down the coast. 

Numerous stop offs and lookouts along the road, take a break, stop, have a look, take a break, and then continue on. Consider turning off to the Cape Otway lighthouse. Accommodation is available there, and you can check out the koalas (Drop Bears?). Of course, a must see on the limestone coast are the Loch Ard Gorge, the Twelve Apostles, and London Arch (formerly London Bridge until the bridge part collapsed. Stop off at Port Campbell for a look see and when you continue on and exit the end of the Great Ocean Road there is plenty to do and see around Warrnambool, such as Tower Hill (Extinct volcano with a crater lake) and Port Fairy. 

Safe travels fellow riders.