The Great Ocean Road is one of the world's great scenic drives. It is a major coastal highway in the South West Coast region of Victoria, Australia. Other states of Australia do not have their coastal roads as well situated as this one - with either the views, the access, or the length and variety of environments. To travel from Melbourne along this route, even only in sections if restricted by time or budget, is an experience that has an impact on most travellers.

It was built by around 3,000 soldiers returned from World War I to keep them in some form of work after the war, and then envisioned as a war memorial. Construction began in 1919, with much of the work done by hand rather than using machinery. It was partially completed in 1922, and fully opened in 1932 but tolled. Even then, it was considered to be the world’s largest war memorial. The toll then stopped after it was handed over to the Victorian government.

By the 1960s the road was starting to be considered as “one of the world’s great scenic roads.” While there were improvements to the road, it was still considered a challenging drive. Today, the Australian National Heritage listed road is well-loved by tourists and locals alike.

- Wikivoyage