Page 13 - Exhaust Notes November

November 2022 Exhaust Notes - Edition No 319 

previous arch was destroyed in the Ash Wednesday Fires in 1983. The
existing arch was erected after 1983. The second arch, constructed in 1936, was to
be demolished in 1970 because of road widening works, but public backlash denied
the demolition of this Arch. So, the task was left to a wayward truck which
severely damaged the Arch resulting in the replacement being erected 1972. This
was the arch destroyed by the Ash Wednesday Fires. The first official opening of
the road was held in March 1922. This was Fairhaven to Lorne, with the second
official opening being held in November 1932 celebrating the completion of
the Lorne to Apollo Bay section.
Originally it was proposed that the northern end of the road was to be at the
mouth of the Barwon River at Barwon Heads. Officially this end of the road starts
in Torquay at the big roundabout near the golf club. The opposite end is at
Allansford which is a “smidgen” east of the city of Warrnambool. That’s 243km of
riding pleasure. The road was finally completed by returned soldiers from the
Second World War, utilising approximately 3000 ex-service men working on the
road over the years. Consequently, the Great Ocean Road
holds the distinction of being the world’s largest
War Memorial in the world, and in 2011 the road was
added to the Australian National Heritage List.

The Great Ocean Road over the years has attracted
thousands of bikes. It also attracted the attention of the
authorities which were concerned about the number of
accidents along the road. Strict speed limits were enforced
and police presence was applied. This kept the boy racers
away and the accidents/ incidents decreased to
acceptable levels. There was one popular stop off point in
Lorne used by many motorcyclists called the Arab Café. At
any given time on a Sunday morning there would be 60 to
80 bikes parked out the front of the Arab, along Mountjoy
Parade in Lorne. Return an hour or so later and there
would still be 60 to 80 bikes parked there, but most of
the first lot had been replaced by newly arrived riders.
Over the years, even from day one to the present, the
Great Ocean Road has suffered many landslides, wash-a-ways and rock falls. This can be so severe that the road can be
closed for weeks. At any time you may experience a little rubble at the base of the cliffs. I have personally removed a
large rock from the road at the Mount Defiance car/bike park lookout. A couple of years ago the road was deteriorating to
such a degree that there was a whisper going around that the engineers wanted to close the road for twelve months.
Obviously, this did not, or could not happen, however, there have been major road updates being undertaken over the
last couple of years and these are ongoing. As I write, the bridge at Moggs Creek is being replaced. At the moment the
road is generally in good condition. When it was obvious some years ago that a dollar or two had to be spent on the road,
a councillor suggested the introduction of a toll. Wow, public outrage and his back peddling had to be seen!
Recently, in New Zealand, I met a young couple from England doing the big around the globe trip. The next day they
were flying out of Christchurch, landing at Melbourne Airport, and collecting their “rental vehicle” with their first stop being
the Great Ocean Road. That is the attraction to local, interstate, and overseas visitors. If you intend to ride or drive the
Great Ocean Road, please treat it with respect. If you get a bit “slack”, it will bite. Treat it with respect and it will repay
you with a great experience that will stay with you for many years to come.
MotoGP, and the Superbike weekends at Phillip Island, brings a big presence of bikes around our region, with, I suspect,
riders attending Phillip Island actually taking the long way round so they can ride the Great Ocean Road on their way to
the track. (Do you need an excuse to do that?) There are a variety of places to visit when on the Great Ocean Road. By all
means stop in the towns down the coast.
Spend a dollar, stop, have a look around, perhaps stay the night and continue the ride refreshed the following day. Not far
from Torquay you have the world famous Bells Beach. Technically it’s not on the Road but just a little detour, five
kilometres approximately. There’s nothing but the famous beach, because no development is allowed in the vicinity.
During the tourist season, which is nearly all the year round, tourist buses are restricted because of the large number of
visitors. You’ll have no trouble getting a bike in there for a visit. Another must-see just a little further on (about two

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