Top Towns for 2022: Where to eat, stay and play in Lorne

Danielle Norton Danielle Norton
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With its laid-back vibe and location along one of Australia’s iconic coastal roads, there are many reasons that Lorne remains a perennial favourite. It’s not hard to see why it came in at no.30 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

A scenic seaside town on the world-famous Great Ocean Road, Lorne has a casual, coastal vibe with an emphasis on soaking up the good life. Whether it’s food, culture or the great outdoors, Lorne’s beachside restaurants, bushwalks and waterfalls will lure you back again and again.

Flowers in front of the ocean in Lorne.
Lorne is incredibly picturesque. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Eating there

Savour views of Louttit Bay and the hinterland from the beer garden at the Lorne Hotel, the beloved 146-year-old pub on the high corner of town. Order a satisfying steak or fish and chips, or dial it up a notch with a spiced lamb shank.

Enjoy seasonal Cantonese and Thai flavours at Coda upstairs. Sydney-based Merivale group has just bought the pub, so foodies have some new restaurants to look forward to. Cafes line the main street to fuel Melburnian coffee addicts.

People sitting on benches drinking at a pub in Lorne.
Not a bad spot for a refreshing drink. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Summer days are made even sweeter with handcrafted ice-creams and sorbets from Gelato Gelato. Feast on local calamari with beetroot tzatziki or a slow-cooked lamb shoulder with garlic labneh at Greek restaurant Ipsos. Save space for the patsavoura, a dessert of orange custard encased in flaky filo pastry served with masticha ice cream.

High shot of Greek food at Ipsos Lorne
Ipsos is a dining institution along the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Visit Victoria)

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Staying there

From backpackers, riverside campgrounds and caravan parks, to tiny eco houses, Airbnbs, standard motel accommodation, luxury apartments, tranquil cottages among the gum trees with a peek of an ocean view, and boutique five-star accommodation, Lorne has something for every style of traveller, and every budget.

The Lorne Mantra is the only beachfront property in town. With a gym, swimming pool, tennis courts and an Endota day spa, it’s great for conferences, weddings and larger gatherings.

Ocean House Accommodation Lorne
Stay overlooking the ocean in Lorne. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Playing there

You can immerse yourself in nature in Lorne, which is surrounded by the Otways National Park. When not swimming, surfing or fishing, walk to either Sheoak Falls or Erskine Falls. Tall ferns shade paths that lead through gullies and past cascading waterfalls.

Also tucked away in the hinterland is the Qdos fine art gallery, which hosts a rotation of curated exhibitions. The tranquil on-site cafe is bathed in light and looks out onto the forest.

Each year in January, the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club holds the pier to pub ocean swimming race, the largest event of its kind in the world. The 145-kilometre Great Ocean & Otway Classic Ride also passes through the town.

The vintage Lorne Theatre plays a combination of blockbuster and arthouse films. Kids will love the town’s imaginative playground, skate park and grassy foreshore area for picnics and playtime. Don’t miss Live Wire Park, home of Australia’s most extreme zipline, high ropes courses and rock-climbing walls.

People walking along ocean pools by Lorne Pier
Lorne Pier is a local attraction. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Explore more of Lorne in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
Danielle Norton
Danielle Norton is a freelance writer who has travelled since she was an infant. She loves to meet people and immerse herself in the destinations she visits. Her stories bring her readers along for the journey so they can experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the world too.
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

    Megan Arkinstall Megan Arkinstall
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    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.