Torquay is where the Great Ocean Road begins, or ends, depending on which way you ride. It is a town of about thirteen thousand people on the edge of Bass Strait, and it has a reputation that has little to do with motorcycles: this is the capital of Australian surfing. Bells Beach, a few minutes down the coast, hosts one of the world's oldest surf competitions, held every Easter, and the town gave birth to brands such as Rip Curl and Quiksilver that have since gone global. Surf World, the museum in town, tells the story with boards, photographs and a lot of sun-bleached nostalgia.
Coming back to Torquay at the end of a day on the coast is a pleasant thing. The town has everything a rider needs: fuel at several stations, supermarkets, cafes, and motels and holiday flats in all sizes. Its main street has surf shops and bakeries, and the esplanade lets you wander along the beach with a coffee and watch the surfers in their wetsuits. Jan Juc, a few kilometres away, is another surfing village that is quieter and more residential.
The riding into Torquay depends on the direction you travel. From Anglesea the road runs through low coastal scrub and heath, with the sea on one side and a few breaks in the vegetation where beaches appear. It is a fine road on a good day, but the traffic is thick at weekends, and the surface can be sandy where drifts cross it. Coming from Melbourne, the main road passes Geelong and the long suburban fringe, which is not exciting but is fast. The key is to avoid peak traffic on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
Weather is changeable, as in all of Victoria, and the wind is a factor. The water is cold, even in summer, and the surf breaks come from big Southern Ocean swells. Sunset over the bay, with the light turning pink on the cliffs, makes a decent end to a ride. Have a meal, take the gear off and leave the road until tomorrow.