is this considered Easter holiday?
 

Will be in Melbourne starting April 13 and plan to spend a couple of days there and also do GOR then head back towards Sydney along the coast. Will have rental car. Trying to decide if we should 'see' Mel first then do GOR, or reverse. Since it's near Easter, will we have problem finding accommodations without advanced reservations?
We typically just like to stop whenever /wherever we want. We are not on a tight schedule. Worried about advanced reservations at holiday times and not sure if these dates are holiday times?
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi, TAW!
School holidays in Australia vary slightly from state to state, and my information is only for the NSW (Sydney) part of your trip; I am sure others will chime in with Victoria (Melbourne) and South Australia (Adelaide).
Sydney school holidays for 2004 start with Good Friday (April 9) and finish on the Public Holiday for Anzac Day (April 26). During that period there will be a heavy demand on accommodation in NSW along the main highways. You are unlikely to find nothing at all, but you should certainly check into any unbooked accommodation around lunch time and do your sightseeing with the knowledge that your bed is secure. Just saying "It's 9 p.m. so we should start looking for somewhere to stay" is NOT a good idea in school holidays.

G'day Taw,
here is a listing of all Public and school holidays for you.
http://www.oztourism.com.au/ozhols.htm

Your time in Vic. and in NSW is during the Easter School Holidays and especially along the Great Ocean Road it's advisable to plan and to book your accommodation.

Cheers,
Mike

School hols in Victoria are from the 2nd - 19th April. You won't have a problem getting accom in Melb itself but you will need to book accom along the GOR pretty soon.

OK, any suggestions on accommodations along GOR? in the approx $100-$150 USD range? Self-contained or B&B...I don't care.