We had already done 8 days of road trip before we hit the Melbourne.
The Leg 1 was Sydney with 5 kids for 3 days 2 nights (see Leg 1: Sydney With 5 Kids).
Then Leg 2 was the Sydney to Melbourne + Philip Island campervan for 7 days 6 nights (see Leg 2: Campervan Sydney to Melbourne).
By Day 8 we were cooked. The kids still excited. And still very hyper.
The parents were tired.
The 7 days 6 nights Great Ocean Road leg is what this article is about.
The plan for Leg 3 was a mix of slow mornings and big days.
1 coastal drive day.
2 farm stay day.
1 hike day.
1 zoo day.
1 airport day.
That was the rhythm.
How it actually went was messier. The public holiday surcharge caught us. We had our friend car bogged down in the mud. A strawberry farmer came to the rescue.
Mind blown. That is the leg, start to finish.
Day 9: 7 June, Sunday, Dandenong To Melbourne
We started the day with visit to Coles and Kmart. Breakfast from Coles and buying the 2nd Kmart car seat at 10am.
The first Kmart only had 1 in stock. We had to find a 2nd Kmart to buy the 2nd seat at A$49. Because the earlier Kmart we went, only had 1.
Brighton Bathhouse Quick Drop
We made a quick stop at Brighton Bathhouse at 11am. The colorful bathing boxes are the iconic Melbourne photo stop. We did not have time for the walk.
Mama and Loti got out. Mei Mei was napping in the car. Interestingly, there is no place to park the campervan. There will park warden patrolling the entire stretcch.
I drove to the petrol station to pump fuel.
The colorful houses were the attraction. But because it was an adhoc plan and no parking. So Mama and Loti went ahead while MeiMei slept on.
The drive to the car rental is more important. We left at 12pm. It was again a mad rush.
East Coast Car Rental was 1 hour away.
1pm: How We Got the Van We Did Not Know We Booked
Our intent for getting an MPV like Carnival was because of the sliding door. The sliding door with kids is much more convenient than a hinge door. The kids do not need to climb up into the car.
Mama does not need to lift Mei Mei in. The sliding door glides. Loti climbs in.
Mei Mei climbs in. Papa loads luggage. Mama clicks seatbelts.
Done.
That was the plan for Carnival.
They gave us a Staria. The Staria is a van equivalent. Same size family carrier.
Same 7 to 8 seats.
But. The sliding door is manual. Yes you read that right.
Manual sliding door. No electric button. No auto-slide.
You pull the handle. You slide it. You push it back.
With a hand full of kids and bags. That is a chore.
The premium upgrade did not come with the premium door. Sian.
1.50pm Return Campervan
After we picked up the car at East Coast Car Rental, we had to return the campervan. The campervan return and the car pickup happened at the same location. The rental counter had a 2pm closing time for campervan returns.
Late returns are charged extra. We were there at 1.50pm.
Very lucky. 10 minutes to spare. Not gonna lie, if we had been 15 minutes later the math would have been different.
Returning was a breeze. The staff was rushing to knock off. Yes you read that right.
Luckily We had packed our things earlier. We knew the return slot was tight.
So everything was just dump to the car.
The Staria V6 Engine, And Why We Noticed
Then after the entire rush, I started to explore the Staria.
The Staria comes with a V6 engine.
And the engine sound is so mesmerizing.
Considering we switched to EV a year before. The V6 is a sound we had not heard in a while.
The V6 is a rumble. The V6 is a hum at idle. The V6 is a low roar on the highway.
The kids noticed. Mama noticed. The whole car noticed.
The Staria Was Overkill, But That Is OK
Initially we got Carnival because we wanted to bring 3 big luggages.
In the end we brought 2.
Also due to the space of campervan. The campervan was already big enough for the family laundry. The 2 luggages fit easily.
So Staria is super overkill. The Staria boot fit way more than we needed. The middle row was bigger than we expected.
The third row was extra space nobody needed. It was folded all the way.
3pm: Shopping at The DFO
We reached DFO South at 3pm. The traffic into the carpark was heavy. We wondered why so many people for a A$60 parking lot.
The answer: DFO is ripping people off. A$60 for 3.5 hours is expensive. The trick is the coupon.
Spend money in the store. Get a coupon.
Halve the parking to A$30.
We did not know this until we read up. Had we not read up, we would have paid the full A$60.
The lesson: read up on DFO parking before you go.
So everything close at 6pm. Mama had only 3 hours to rush it through.
I took the kids to the foodcourt. They had some late lunch and binge watch some video while Daddy just chillax.
7pm: Check In The Seasons Botanic Garden
We checked in at Seasons Botanic Garden Hotel at 7pm. A$200 AUD per night. A$25 parking.
45m².
2 large double beds.
Small kitchen. Washer and dryer.
The bathtub is a bonus for the kids.
The wooden interior is dated. The space is what matters.
This is just a quick transit that is near to our friends hotel. 1 night stay here and Great Ocean drive the next day.
The bathtub is the kids reward.
There are also washer and dryer in this hotel, we did our last night washing for our next leg.
A$200 for a reset is worth it.
9pm: Supper
Because the kids had early dinner at 5pm. They were hungry at 8pm+. So we had some leftover from the mall and also instant noodles, let’s clear them out.
Day 10: 8 June, Monday, Melbourne To Apollo Bay
2 Birds And 1 Stone Brunch
We hit 2 Birds and 1 Stone cafe in South Yarra at 10am. The place is kid friendly. Easy parking on a weekend. Free Parking as well!
The indoor was full. We ate outdoors. It was cold but the heater was on.
Food was great, but expensive.
The receipt tells the real story.
Subtotal A$162.
18% King Birthday public holiday surcharge A$29.16.
Total A$191.15 for 4 adults 5 kids.
Wtf is a Public Holiday Surcharge? It is quite common in Australia!
Singaporeans will dread at the public holiday surcharge! In fact, Singaporeans prefer a weekday discount! 20% off during weekdays would sound nicer right.
We were there at 10am. We left at 11am.
And here’s the start of the Great Ocean Road drive.
Teddy Lookout Free View
The drive to Teddy Lookout is 2hr that’s like 150km away, at 110kmh max speed. Today we are covering like 200 km.
Teddy Lookout is free. No cost. The view is the coastline and the winding Great Ocean Road below.
The kids see the ocean.
The verdict: worth a stop on the 150km drive.
2pm: Lunch Lorne Chicken Joint Skip
We stopped at Lorne Chicken Joint for lunch at 2pm.
The verdict: skip. The chicken is salty.
The batter tastes bland. We got 5 chickens for A$30+. We added chicken tenders and calamari rings.
The total was A$80+.
For A$80+ on a mediocre chicken lunch, you can do better on the Great Ocean Road. But actually it is probably the cheapest meal we had.
3pm: Lorne Beach Park Play
We stopped at Lorne Beach for park play at 3pm. The kids ran. The mums and dads watched.
It was windy, alittle cold but still okay.
We had another 50km to cover and the drive continues.
6pm: Check in The A$700 Apollo House
Before checking in, we had a supermarket run as well. Stock up some supplies before the farmstay.
We checked in at 6pm.
The Apollo Bay stay is 2 nights for A$1400+ AUD. A$700+ per night.
For 9 people, that is A$78 per person per night. The accommodation has 3 double bed rooms and 1 family room with 1 bunk bed for 3 and 2 single beds. The room is adequately warm and huge.
The toilets are ok. The washer and dryer are included.
The verdict: expensive but necessary for 9 people. The 1 family room fits the kids. The 3 double rooms fit the adults.
8pm: Dinner Maggie Goreng Wind Down
Our friend cooked Maggie Goreng for dinner at 7.30pm. The kids had pasta. The adults had Maggie Goreng + 1 x sunny side up.
Very shiok to have Singapore food after many days of expensive ramen and chicken.
Day 11: 9 June, Tuesday, Apollo Bay And Colac
Shelter Cafe Organic Prices
We hit Shelter Cafe in Apollo Bay at 9.30am. The cafe is organic. But well, still expensive again.
The coffee is single origin from Brazil. The milk is from Timboon, Victoria.
The prices are organic too.
I had the breakfast roll. A$24. Otway bacon, local free range fried egg, house macadamia pesto, organic cheddar, organic chutney, roquette, sourdough brioche roll.
In short, the big breakfast set. bacon, scrambled egg, bread.
Mama had the classic avocado smash. A$24. Smashed avocado on organic sourdough with whipped goats feta, house beetroot hummus, house preserved lemon, zataar, lemon vinaigrette.
In short, bread with Avocado.
Loti had congee. Mei Mei had eggs on toast. Congee sibei ex leh! $20+ for porridge. I think in Singapore we can have Abalone and Scallop for $20+.
The Little Organic Paddock
We hit The Little Organic Paddock at 11.30am. A strawberry farm near Apollo Bay. The strawberry season in Australia is November to December.
We were there in June. The strawberries were not in season. The owner gave us some leaves to feed the sheep and goats.
The kids fed the animals with free leaves from the owner. It would probably cost $10 in the zoo.
Off season strawberry farms are still worth a stop. The farm has animals. The leaves are free.
The Mud Recovery
Our friend went to a separate blueberry farm to check. The car got stuck in the mud. The kids were excited.
The mums and dads were not. The recovery took longer than expected. We were lucky, The strawberry farm owner heard us. He brought his pickup vehicle. He brought a chain.
He tied the chain to both cars. Had a few tries but failed. He wanted to get a tractor to come. But that will have some delay. So I pleaded, let’s try 1 more time.
With some coordination (my coordination) and a huge tug, it was free!
Because I already had many experience (witnessing) recovering vehicles, during Army Days and overseas trip.
The car was undamaged. Just super muddy. Our friend gave the owner some coffee money as a token of appreciation.
The lesson is that a strawberry farm owner in June is also a mud recovery specialist.
The memory was priceless. Unfortunately, Loti and Mei Mei was watching mobile device in our car. They did not get to witness the exciting recovery. What a waste!
2pm Playground + Late Lunch
We were still too full from the brunch earlier, so brought the kids to playground while the adults relax abit.
Then had lunch at La Porchetta , Italian food. Pizza, pasta and Garlic bread.
Colac Woolworths Big Shop
We stopped at Colac Woolworths at 3.45pm. We bought steak for the farm stay for the next 2 days. We stocked up on snacks, looking very forward to our farmstay.
We bought the supplies. The farm stay at Johanna is next. Then it was another 1 hour drive back to Apollo Bay.
6pm: The Vault A$80 Dinner
We had dinner at The Vault at 6.30pm.
The Vault had a Chinese name – 旺德福中餐馆. Actually they should call it Wonderful Chinese Restaurant.
But probably sounded cringed.
The menu is super expensive! We saw, 3 x Xiao Long Bao is A$15 ! Wtf.
$5 for 1 Xiao Long Bao.
Not willing to spend $5 for 1, I got 10 dumplings for $20+. At least 1 dumpling is $2+ instead.
The total was A$80. 3 dishes for 4 people.
Beef horfun A$27.90. 10 dumplings A$21.90.
Salt and pepper pork rib A$30.90.
Total A$80.70. Who says Singapore is expensive?
Food is decent but still expensive.
Day 12: 10 June, Wednesday, Apollo Bay To Johanna
11am: Gibson Steps
Today was a check out day to our farmstay. So checked out at 10am, then 1hour drive to the 12 Apostle.
We stopped at Gibson Steps at 12pm. The first stop.
The cliffs were bigger than I expected. Look, even Mei Mei pressed her face against the car window the moment we pulled in. She did not want to get out.
The wind was strong. The waves were crashing loud enough that mama had to raise her voice.
Twelve Apostles
We hit Twelve Apostles at 12.30pm. Honest, I was not prepared. The boardwalk is wide.
The view opens up slowly as you walk. Then you hit the main lookout and you just stop talking.
I just stopped talking.
The 8 of us stood there for a minute. Nobody said anything. Loti was the first to break the silence.
She said it looks like a giant chocolate chip cookie. We all laughed. And then the photos started. But also the wind are too cold that we just appreciate the view in silence.
The kids ran down the boardwalk.
Back and forth, back and forth.
You know that feeling when you go to Gardens by the Bay and you just stare at the Supertree Grove. Same thing. Except this is ocean.
So this place is free.
No ticket.
No entry fee. Parking is free too!
Just the carpark and the walk.
The most famous view in Australia and you walk in for free. We spent 45 minutes.
Could have spent 2 hours. The adults the boardwalk twice. The kids did it four times.
Nobody wanted to leave.
Less feels rushed. More and the kids start complaining about the wind.
So do the adults.
We all get cold.
2pm Lunch: 12 Rocks Cafe
We had lunch at 12 Rocks Cafe at 2pm.
The roasted pork rice is nice and tasty. $30 for a portion. Easily 500g of roasted meat at Singapore Coffeeshop.
The fish and chips are the best, per mama. The tartar sauce is good. Easy eat.
The 4 of us shared A$60 worth of food.
4.30pm: Johanna Farm Arrival
We reached Johanna River Farm at 4.30pm. The drive was about 1 hour from the Twelve Apostles. By that point we were cooked.
The daddies had been driving for 1 hour+ on the moutainous road.
Then we turned into the farm driveway and the kids lost it. Not in a bad way. In a “where are we” way.
We saw kangaroos strolling along the hills. Then we reached the cottage farm turning dark soon.
As sunset was like 5pm+.
They had never seen a farm cottage in person before. Loti ran to the door first. Mei Mei ran after.
They went straight to the bunk beds. They did not even take their shoes off.
If you have stayed at a Desaru farm stay or a Bintan chalet, this is that but with a full kitchen. And a washing machine. And freezing cold toilets.
Glad we still brought along our portable heater.
And a mountain view. And alpacas next door.
That is Johanna.
The accommodation had 2 rooms. 1 double bed in the master room for the parents. 1 bunk bed and 1 single bed in the other room for the kids.
A huge dining table to squeeze 6 comfortably. The kitchen was full size.
The washer was included. No dryer.
The toilet was freezing cold.
The portable heater from Day 4 came out again. The Kmart A$15 fan heater that saved the campervan nights. It came out and warmed the toilet for the kids.
The shower was shiok. The water pressure was strong.
The mountain view from the bedroom window was the morning reward.
7pm: Homemade Burger Dinner
We had hamburger dinner at 7pm. Homemade burgers. The supermarket stock up at Colac paid off.
The Colac Woolworths had 9 patties at A$2 each. 9 buns. Cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce.
Around A$30 total for 9 burgers.
After the kids slept, the adults gathered and chillax.
Some wine, some popcorn. Delicious.
Day 13: The Free Farm Tour
The farm tour at 8.30am was conducted by the owner. It was complementary.
We did not expect it. He just walked up to our cottage last evening and said, “want to see the animals?” Yes please.
For the kids this was like the Zoo excurision except the animals are real and they let you feed them. There were no tickets. No ropes.
Just hay in your hand and the sheep came over.
The morning had already collected most of the eggs. There were 3 eggs left. We collected them.
The kids held the eggs carefully. Mei Mei was afraid she would drop one. Loti was braver.
She held 2 eggs in 1 hand.
The farm has 3 pet sheep. 2 horses. 1 donkey. There is hay to feed them. There is an alpaca.
The kids fed the animals. Loti fed the sheep. Mei Mei fed the alpaca.
The alpaca was soft. Mei Mei kept saying “soft soft soft” over and over.
The alpaca was so soft she would not let go of the hay for the next sheep.
The alpaca was the bonus for Mei Mei.
The owner also pointed out the eucalyptus tree with the wild koalas. The koalas were wild. Just sitting up in the branches.
We saw 2 koalas in 1 tree.
As we returned to our cottage, Mei Mei tripped over the stairs and drop the egg.
Of course she cried, but we laughed because we expected that to happen.
Well, it always happen.
12.30pm – Triplet Falls Hike
The farm owner mentioned that we could do a hike at the Triplet Falls if we have nothing on. That sounds ok for our family. Our friend went Colac for supermarketing shopping and lunch.
The hike was medium difficulty. 1 hour of hiking in dirt and slippery path. Mei Mei did it. I was not sure she would.
She is 5.
She did not complain once. She held my hand the whole way.
And then she wanted to do it again on the way back.
The water was small but because it is a wet period, there is abundance of water. It looks beautiful.
The falls were not dramatic.
They were gentle. The forest was the show. The moss on the trees.
The smell of the eucalyptus. The cool air.
If you have walked the MacRitchie Treetop Walk or the Dairy Farm trails, this is that but muddier, colder, and with proper waterfalls at the end.
The boardwalk on the Treetop Walk is engineered. Triplet Falls is the wild version.
The path is real dirt. The rocks are real rocks. The kids can do it, but bring grip shoes. I did not bring any shoes.
Only my crocs and socks.
Yes we slipped. Yes the kids fell.
Yes we kept going.
The water at Triplet Falls is seasonal. In a wet period, the water is abundant. In a dry period, the water is small.
The other lesson is the toilet. There is no proper toilet at Triplet Falls. The water is rainfall collected.
The toilet has no flush. It is just a pure dump. We did not know this.
Mei Mei had to go. We had to use it.
The look on mama’s face was priceless. But bo pian.
6pm: Savory Porridge Wind Down
We headed back to cook porridge for dinner. It was a failure the pot got burnt. It has the super wok hei smell.
No choice but to remake some instant noodles instead. The kids had them, adults had steak + alittle of the burnt porridge.
Everyone was fed.
It is the same feeling as cooking congee on a Sunday night in Singapore after a long day at East Coast Park. The congee is not exciting. The congee is comforting.
6.30pm: The Glow Worm Tour
The glow worm tour at 6.30pm was at the farm. The owner pointed out the small bridge at the morning farm tour. He said, “come back at night, look at the bridge.” We did not know what to expect.
Glow worms in Australia. We had only seen glow worms in New Zealand.
We got the kids together. We took torches. We went to the bridge.
We off the lights. We let our eyes adjust. The dark was total.
The stars were out. The silence was complete.
The silence was as complete as it gets with 5 kids and 2 sets of parents. Which is not complete.
But quieter than the rest of the day.
Then we saw 3 glowing ones. Tiny green lights in the darkness. The kids were quiet.
For once. They did not scream. They did not run.
They just pointed. Whispered. “Look look look.”
Day 14: Drive To Werribee
Johanna Farm Final Morning + Drive To Werribee
We woke up at Johanna Farm at 7am. The kids were not ready to leave.
The alpacas were still calling them.
We packed the car. The portable heater went back in. The 2 night stay at Johanna was over.
The kids wanted the last moment with the farm animals. In the end, we stayed for another 1 hour, feeding the sheeps, the donkeys and retrieving some eggs.
The drive from Johanna to Werribee was about 2 hours. 190km away.
Our friends already check out and going for breakfast at Colac, enroute for Werribee Zoo. And we just left the farm.
So we had to skip breakfast, had a coffee rest stop, 1.5 hours away. And another 1 hour to Werribee.
We reached at 12pm. 5-10 minutes later than our friend. And managed to make it for the Werribee Zoo Fun!
12pm: Werribee Zoo
We reached Werribee Zoo at 12pm. The entry was A$176 for 2 adults and 2 kids. The place is huge.
Bigger than Symbio. Solid for a big zoo, but too big to be honest.
The safari ride was the kids highlight. It’s a 45mins ride to their safari. There is giraffe, zebras, rhino, ostrich, some horses, deers.
The kids were excited.
The kids loved the safari ride. The adult then had lunch at 3pm at the cafe.
Zoned out of course. Then we moved on to explore other parts of the Zoo.
We spent 4-5 hours at the zoo. Left at like 5pm.
5pm: Check In Werribee Apartment
Our friends left early to check in to the Werribee apartment.
4 bedrooms. 2 bathrooms. Full kitchen.
The apartment was A$200+ per night. For 9 people, that is A$22 per person per night. The 1 big apartment is cheaper than 3 hotel rooms.
But here is the catch. We booked 4 bedrooms with 2 double beds each. The accommodation gave us 3 bedrooms with 2 double beds and 1 room with a single bed.
That is 7 beds for 8 people + 1 toddler.
We gave feedback to the property owner. They said it was a mistake. We escalated to Booking.com.
7pm: Dinner Bangkok Express Thai
As we stayed near Mambourin Marketplace, we went to Coles for our last day of supermarket shopping.
And had dinner at Bangkok Express Thai at 7pm.
Decent Thai food. The pad see ew was A$20.90.
Very delicious.
A little on the sweet side but kids love it. The Thai fried rice was nice but the pad see ew was much better.
The salt and pepper soft shell crab ok. Would be nicer if crispier.
The tom yum soup was nice too.
Authentic tom yum.
Total dinner: A$20.90 + A$15 (fried rice est) + A$30.70 + A$23 = A$90.
The pad see ew is the highlight.
Last Night Packing
Then it was the last night to pack our stuffs for our departure tomorrow back to Singapore. We had 2 boxes of car seat which i taped up together, was thinking we could just transport back to Singapore and sell it via Carousell. Claim some $ back.
And with the space in the box, we could pack all the titbits and snack inside.
I love their popcorn! Super addictive!
Day 15: 12 June, Friday, Werribee To Melbourne Airport
8am: The Seamless Car Return
We started the drive to Melbourne Tullamarine at 8am. The drive was 1 hour.
We reached East Coast Car Rental at 9am. The car return was seamless.
Just dropped the car and take the shuttle to the airport.
10am: Hungry Jacks A$41 Lunch
We reached Melbourne Tullamarine at 9.30am. The flight is 12pm. We had 2 hours to kill.
We hit the Hungry Jacks for an early lunch. A$41 for 5 burgers, 5 nuggets, 2 drinks and chips.
A$8 per person. Cheap airport lunch.
So while eating Hungry Jacks somehow it reminds me of Burger King. So did some research!
The Burger King Reveal
The discovery at 11am was the Burger King trademark story. I went to Google and found out: Hungry Jacks is part of Burger King. The logo looks the same.
The menu is the same. The trademark story is the surprise.
In 1971, Jack Cowin wanted to open Burger King franchises in Australia. The name Burger King was already trademarked by a different company in Australia. So Cowin opened as Hungry Jacks instead.
Today, all Hungry Jacks restaurants in Australia are Burger King franchises. The logo is the same. The menu is the same.
I did not know this. We seeing Hungry Jacks all around Australia for 2 weeks.
We saw the menu. We did not connect the dots. The kids were eating Chicken Hunger Tamers.
They were eating Burger King nuggets.
They had been eating Burger King without knowing it. Honestly, same.
The trademark story is the real surprise. If you see a Hungry Jacks in Australia, you are looking at a Burger King. Mind blown.
Yes you read that right.
12pm: The Flight Home
The flight was 12pm. Back to Singapore.
The trip is over. The 15 days are done. For the full trip recap with the cost math and the wins + lessons learned, see the 15 Days From Sydney to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road quick guide.
Loti asked on the way to the gate, “can we do this again tomorrow?”
MeiMei fell asleep in the car seat box before we even boarded.
Dabao dinner, $13+ for 1 x Beef hor Fun and 1 x Sweet and Sour Pork Rice.
Shiok lah!