We will be staying three nights in Melbourne, and are planning to do the Penguine Parade the first evening and then the next day head out to the Great Ocean Road. Is there somewhere we could stay after the Penguin Parade that would make more sense for heading to the GOR the next day than going back to Melbourne? We were thinking about staying in or around Portsea (at the Portsea Hotel?) and then taking the ferry to Queenscliff the next morning, but I am not sure how hard it would be to get there after the Penguin Parade. There appears to be a ferry crossing at Cowes, but I don't know when it runs or if the drive from there is a difficult one to do in the evening. Also, we will only have one night (two days) to do the GOR. Any advice on where to stay? We will be traveling with two kids. Lastly, I just realized that the weekend we will be there is the weekend befroe the Melbourne cup. How crazy will this be that weekend? Will it also be busy on the GOR that Friday before? Thanks

Stay on Phillip Island after seeing the penguins - there are lots of motels etc in Cowes. Then drive to Portsea the next day. I don't know if where the ferry from Cowes goes to. You could try www.visitvictoria.com.au or contact the RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) on www.racv.com.au who can also give you tourist information.<BR>The nicest place to stay on the GOR is Port Fairy (a little old fishing port) or alternatively at Warrnambool which is a reasonably big town with lots of accommodation choices.<BR>Cup weekend is a popular long weekend with Melbourne people and it would be wise to book ahead for accommodation.

Firstly - if the weekend you mean is the 2nd-3rd November you will need to book your accomodation NOW. Many melburnians go away for that weekend and take the Monday/ Tues as a holiday as well. I don't think fhe ferry from Cowes to Crib Point runs at night. But it would be a great idea to stay at Portsea/ Sorrento - as it makes the next day an interesting drive right from the start (rather than a very boring drive from Melbourne).- across on the ferry (which is fun), and then along the Bellarine peninsula to the GOR. In Portsea there's limited acocmodation - there is a block of apartments (I'll post it seperately when I remember what they're called). On the GOR I'd try for something at Appolo Bay. You can then spend your 2nd day drinving down to Port Fairy and then come straight back to Melbourne (about 3 hours drive along the highway).

The name of the apartments at Portsea is The Portsea Village Resort - it's very nice. The visitvictoria web site lists lots of accom for the GOR and if you got an early start you could make Port Fairy - in the first day but I'd suggest spending a bit more time looking at Queenscliff (where the ferry takes you to) and then aiming for Apollo Bay for your overnight stop.

Thanks for the info. THe Postsea Village resort looks nice, but I don't think we can get there at night after the Penguin parade, and if we stay in Cowes, we probably won't also stay at Portsea. If we started from Cowes, how far do you think we could get on the GOR? Any ideas of where to stay in Cowes with kids? Thanks