My husband and I wanted a few days away for our honeymoon, and decided that the Great Ocean Road was the place we wanted to visit. We spent quite some time looking for the perfect place, and just happened across "Manta Ray One". We immediately fell in love with the house, and loved the location even more. It's right on the beach, and close enough for us to take a visit to Forrest to check out the Platypus in Lake Elizabeth.
The house was well stocked with wood for fires, perfect for the colder weather, and it was nice and clean for our arrival.
We spent most days watching the beach goers and waves roll in and out, and were fortunate enough to see many rainbows out of those gorgeous windows. We had grand plans to go into Apollo Bay to go out to eat, but found we were happiest staying in. The kitchen amenities were fantastic - sharp knives and all of the kitchen comforts I'd have at home - a welcome change from some other places.
However the best part about the house? It's dog friendly. It means furry little companions can join in, too - being able to spend time on the beach and cozy up by the fire. The backyard is secure with ALL the water bowls and a couple of dog kennels for them to go into when they're spending time exploring outside. Just note that dogs aren't allowed on the furniture, which makes perfect sense, as they want to keep it in good quality (without fur and dander), so make sure you have a nice doggy bed for your furry companions. It's also good to note that the beach isn't "dog friendly" year round, it appears (from signage), but during the winter, there's a near constant stream of dogs visiting (although all owners were respectful and kept their distance from each other)
We loved our stay so much that we're already talking about when we can have ANOTHER visit.