With any luck the weather along the coast will be relatively fine when you're driving the Great Ocean Road but, with your interest in things maritime you'll appreciate the fact that, with a latitude not far off the Roaring Forties and a fetch stretching as far west as Cape Horn, it's one of the highest energy coastlines on the globe. Not far from Loch Ard Gorge I've seen waves crashing just over the tops of the cliffs, which at that point are just on 100' high. Most impressive!

Enjoy!

Cheers, Rowan