2 girlfriends and I will be travelling the Great Ocean Road early January. We've got 11 days to do it along with spending some time in Adelaide and Melbourne. Can anyone suggest some sights we shouldn't miss and perhaps some good places to stay. Also is better to hire a car from UK or wait until we get to Oz. We're also thinking of travelling by car from Townsville to Brisbane at beginning of February. Is this worth doing and if so what should we look out for. Any responses will be welcome. <BR>Many thanks in advance.

Harriet, January is high season summer holiday time and as the Great Ocean Road runs through all the popular beach resorts it is not easy to find accommodation. A good search engine for accommodation and car rentals in Oz is www.looksmart.com.au and also possibly www.travel.com.au <BR>

A friend and I did this trip a few years ago heading from Adelaide towards Melbourne. We traveled in January and had no problem renting a car at the last minute in Adelaide. We spent four days driving the Great Ocean Road with 3 stops along the way. The first stop is a blank in my memory but the second night we spent at a nice hostel in Port Fairy and the third we camped in Lorne. Lorne is worth a couple of days stay but is often booked with people coming up from Melbourne. Adelaide is lovely and really merits some time. A trip up to the Wine Country would be lovely. (Also beautiful Wineries in the Yarra Valley north of Melbourne.) We were in Adelaide for Australia Day (?) Jan 17 and had a blast at the beach. I would also highly recommend the trip from Townsville to Brisbane with stops (and perhaps an overnight sailing trip-easy to book at Airlie Beach) in the Whitsundays and Noosa. Absolutely beautiful. <BR>I loved all of Queensland. <BR>Have a wonderful trip!

Along the Great Ocean Road a really nice place to stop overnight is Port Fairy - there are lots of B&Bs, motels, etc. If you want to detour inland, the Grampians National Park has some beautiful scenery. Lorne and Anglesea are also good overnight places, plus Robe in South Australia. Be aware that accommodation can be difficult to get in school holidays - you may have to book ahead for the next night's accommodation. <BR>Queensland will be very humid in February but that shouldn't stop you having a good time. Lots to see between Brisbane and Townsville - the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, Fraser Island, Yeppoon near Rockhampton for nice beaches, Airlie Beach (the departure point for islands in the Whitsundays. <BR>Incidentally Australia Day is 26 January. Hope you have a great holiday.

You must see visit the 12 Apostles, near Port Campbell, take a bush walk at Erskine Falls (Lorne. January is the busiest time to be travelling along the Great Ocean Rd, so book everything in advance. I agree with the other responses that Lorne & Port Fairy are the places to stay, but can be pricey. Too bad your not here for New Years Eve - Lorne has a festival called Rock Above the Falls, where you can camp for 3 days and there's plenty of bands and people to meet.