Revealed: Australia’s best road trip

By Kate Symons
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It’s right there in the name. Come to think of it, the name is somewhat of an understatement…

From Torquay to Allansford, a small town on the doorstep of Warrnambool, the 243-kilometre Great Ocean Road in Victoria is a highlight reel of dramatic cliffs, windswept beaches, lush rainforest, abundant wildlife and, of course, almighty views over the Southern Ocean.

A recent study by Youi has revealed it is the most popular road trip in Australia, with 39 per cent of respondents ranking it their favourite. Here’s a road trip itinerary to make the most of this great Australian icon.

Day 1: Torquay to Apollo Bay

Distance: 1 hour and 50 minutes/92 kilometres

A touch over 100 kilometres from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, Torquay marks the Great Ocean Road’s official launch point. But no need to rush. It would be remiss to leave without indulging in Torquay’s star attraction – its beaches. For a dip, hit up Front Beach or Jan Juc, or for a glimpse of an aquatic icon, head south for Bells Beach, host of the annual Rip Curl Pro.

Stretching 44 kilometres from Torquay to Aireys Inlet, the Surf Coast Walk is another way to take in this spectacular region. The multi-use trail has 12 sections for those not in the mood for a literal marathon effort. This map will help you find your preferred route.

Bells Beach Great Ocean Road

Hit the surf at Bells Beach.

For lunch, you’re in for a treat, but there’s a crucial decision to be made: seafood or Spanish cuisine. In Anglesea, a leisurely 12-minute drive from Bells, Fish by Moonlite, offers the freshest seafood you can find. Alternatively, tack on an extra 30-minute drive to reach Lorne, another picturesque seaside town (of course!).

The drive to Apollo Bay is a particularly impressive stretch of this famous road with wild beaches rollicking below your clifftop route.

Great Ocean Road Anglesea

Drive to Anglesea for fresh seafood.

Hint

If you’d prefer a more casual (yet entirely quintessential) lunch, grab fish ‘n’ chips and enjoy beachside in Lorne.

Must see

Perched 40 metres above Fairhaven Beach, about 15 minutes south of Anglesea, Pole House is an architectural wonder. Pull over for a cheeky look or, better still, add another day to your itinerary and stay the night.

the exterior view of The Pole House Fairhaven

Take yourself to the edge of Australia in this seemingly suspended house.

Where to stay

Seafearers Getaway – Stylish studios, units and lodges with a mesmerising beachfront location.

Chris’s Beacon Point – A sophisticated, not to mention convenient, choice after dining in the acclaimed restaurant.

Day 2: Apollo Bay to Port Campbell

Distance: 2 hours and 5 minutes/123 kilometres (including detour to Cape Otway)

Grab breakfast in Apollo Bay before starting day two on a high with a visit to the lush Otway National Park and the Cape Otway Lightstation. Built in 1848, the lighthouse is the oldest on mainland Australia and, on the other side of a 90-metre climb, offers commanding views of the Bass Strait and Southern Ocean.

Twelve Apostles Great Ocean Road

The Twelve Apostles are a geological marvel.

Back on the Great Ocean Road, it’s showtime as the Twelve Apostles come into view. These craggy limestone stacks, dramatically piercing the ocean, are a geological marvel, shaped by 20 million years of wind and waves. There are only seven apostles today, but the sight is still striking. There are numerous lookouts from which to snare a vantage point while the Gibson Steps will put you on the sand and under the towering formations.

Just a few minutes west, Loch Ard Gorge offers a network of walking trails to help further explore the coastal wilderness.

Loch Ard Gorge Great Ocean Road

Loch Ard Gorge offers a network of walking trails.

Must see

Impressive at any time of day, the 12 Apostles are particularly magic at sunrise or sunset.

Where to stay

Anchors – Three self-contained villas combining the tranquillity of a rural getaway with five-star touches.

Sea Foam Villas – Light and comfortable apartment-style accommodation a stone’s throw from the water.

Day 3: Port Campbell to Warrnambool

Distance: 62 kilometres

What is a road trip without a banging playlist? And what’s a banging playlist without a little Beyoncé? We recommend Queen Bey’s hit Formation as a fitting preparation for day three, which starts with more of Mother Nature’s grand rock monuments: The Arch, London Bridge and The Grotto.

London Bridge Great Ocean Road

London Bridge will leave you in awe.

Then it is on to the Bay of Islands Coastal Park, a 32-kilometre-long beauty starting just beyond Port Campbell at Peterborough. Although overshadowed by their famous neighbour, the Bay of Islands and Bay of Martyrs also inspire displays of towering limestone stacks.

The Great Ocean Road officially ends at Allansford, but extend the drive by just 12 minutes for the brighter lights of Warrnambool. If you’re travelling between June and September, be sure to head to the viewing platforms at Logans Beach for the chance to spot the migrating southern right and blue whales. With views to write home about (or, let’s be honest, brag about via Instagram), it’s got to be Simon’s Waterfront for dinner and a toast to this unforgettable coastline.

The Grotto Great Ocean Road

The Grotto is one of Mother Nature’s creations.

Hint

If time allows, a wee detour to Timboon will be much appreciated by any foodies in your touring party. Stop in at Timboon Distillery for lunch or dinner on the deck of a boutique distillery. Modern Australian cuisine and daytime cafe food served in a boutique distillery with deck seating.

Where to stay

Lady Bay Resort – Contemporary accommodation on the picturesque bay.

Quest Warnambool – Comfortable apartment-style hotel conveniently located on Warnambool’s main street.

Want to know more? Read our ultimate travel guide to the Great Ocean Road.

Kate Symons is a freelance writer with a particular passion for uncovering the people that make the place. On assignments near and far, she observes and absorbs, waiting for that satisfying moment when the story lede - the tale that is sure to entice - presents itself.
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A Great Ocean Road itinerary that’s not like the rest

    By Laura Waters
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    The Great Ocean Road is a Victorian icon. But there’s more to this stretch of coast than its famous rock formations, from volcanoes to hot springs and paddling with fur seals.

    Wind tugs my hair horizontal atop the crater rim. It’s a commanding outlook 240 metres above the volcanic plains that peers into a 90-metre-deep basin. Jagged nubs of reddish-brown scoria protruding through the grass are unyielding beneath my runners and not one tree marks the landscape, an expansive emptiness overhung by a vast blue sky.

    For a few fleeting moments, Mt Elephant in Western Victoria brings to mind the windblown Mongolian Steppe. But this hour-long walk is the first of many unexpected moments I’ll experience while exploring the Great Ocean Road with a friend over the next four days.

    I should probably know this place – I only live 90 minutes away – but, like many who visit the region, I’ve been distracted by the spotlight shining on its most famous drawcards, such as the iconic 12 Apostles. The Great Ocean Road is a state treasure, tackled by many as a day-long scenic drive punctuated with pauses at myriad lookouts, striking rock formations and idyllic beaches. But its lesser-known features can be unearthed when extending a visit over multiple days. Mt Elephant being a case in point.

    It was returned First World War servicemen who built the Great Ocean Road (largely by pick and shovel), creating simultaneously the world’s largest war memorial and a gloriously scenic drive that stretches 240 kilometres between the surf mecca of Torquay and Warrnambool.

    From craft breweries to hot springs

    the Noodledoof brewery and distillery, Great Ocean Road itinerary

    Noodledoof is based in Koroit and is both a brewery and distillery.

    We fast-track inland to Noodledoof, a craft brewery and distillery that makes for a convenient pit stop in Koroit. After devouring a pulled pork ‘sando’ with smoky apple rub and slaw, we head towards our next discovery. Victoria’s Western Volcanic Plains is the world’s third largest volcanic plain and the origins of Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve are abundantly clear from first sight. The small island of conical hills sits adrift within the crater lake of a larger volcanic rim, connected by a narrow isthmus and creating an almost isolated reserve for native Australian wildlife.

    two kangaroos are standing in the grass near the ocean at Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

    Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is home to many native Australian animals. (Image: Ben Savage)

    We’re barely parked before noticing a dozen people with their heads tilted towards the treetops and the koalas scattered there. One koala clings to a thin branch, unhurriedly plucking fresh gum leaves while its perch swings wildly in the 60-kilometre-per-hour gusts. Others are wedged in more solid forks, limbs dangling lazily. On the ground, a pair of emus pace slowly, feathered skirts lofting like flouncy tutus.

    the volcanic crater at Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

    The sanctuary sits in a large volcanic crater near the Great Ocean Road.. (Image: Ben Savage)

    Four walks here range from 30 minutes to an hour, tracing across remnant lava flow and around wetlands, lakes and craters. Echidnas, kangaroos, turtles and bird sightings are common.

    From up high, the distant big blue of the ocean beckons, leading us to Warrnambool and the Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs. There’s an immediate sense of calm to be found in the hotel’s seafront location, moments from coastal paths, boardwalks and the sheltered Stingray Bay.

    food and drinks on the table at Tides Cafe, Bar & Restaurant, Great Ocean Road itinerary

    Drift into Tides Cafe, Bar & Restaurant to enjoy nourishing dishes inspired by local produce.

    Even more calming is the outdoor bathing sanctuary, filled with geothermal mineral water pumped from 850 metres underground. We’re booked for a twilight bathing session, so a quick bite at the hotel’s Tides Cafe, Bar & Restaurant seems a good idea, but we soon lament not having more time (and belly room) to savour our whipped ricotta with charred sourdough, soba noodles and wakame salad, and chorizo and manchego arancini (or “balls of heaven” as our waiter calls them).

    a woman soaking in an outdoor hotspring at Deep Blue Hotel

    Soak in the outdoor hot springs while staying at the Deep Blue Hotel. (Image: Caitlyn Leggett/The Wanderlust Times)

    Really, we’re just swapping one delight for another though. Amid the landscaped maze of steaming pools and caves is a waterfall raining drops so heavy they make my scalp tingle, sending shivers down my entire body. In another pool I’m cradled, weightless and warm. As time passes, the chatter quietens as bathers slip into peaceful meditation.

    Seeing the 12 Apostles anew

    the iconic 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road itinerary

    The iconic 12 Apostles (of which seven remain) stand like sentinels in the wild Southern Ocean. (Image: Kirk Richards)

    Between the Bay of Islands and the 12 Apostles is where the majority of scenic lookouts are. And though stopping for every one of them requires pulling over what seems like every 10 minutes, all are eminently worthy.

    No matter how many times I see The Razorback, a sheer limestone wall rising from pounding seas, I’m in awe. Then there’s London Bridge, The Grotto, The Arch, Loch Ard Gorge (where the only two survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck crawled ashore in 1878) and many more.

    the Loch Ard Gorge, Great Ocean Road itinerary

    Loch Ard Gorge is on Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Mark Watson)

    I must have visited the 12 Apostles a dozen times, but this visit is different. Most witness the string of 45-metre-high water-bound limestone towers from an enormous cantilevered viewing platform – sunsets are especially captivating – but 12 Apostles Helicopters show me another vantage point, broaching the sheer fringe of the cliffs and out over the Southern Ocean.

    the 12 Apostles at sunset

    Seven of the original 12 Apostles are still standing. (Image: Adeline & Lumiere)

    Through a bubble front window, wrapping head to toe, the coastline is revealed in unfettered glory, its endless deep coves and rock formations nibbled by the eroding power of waves. In winter, whales might be spotted. “See that hole?” our pilot points to a sea-bound rock arch. “This chopper would fit through it, rotors and all.”

    Only by getting closer can we understand the scale of the place. A walk down the Gibson Steps leads us to a wild surf beach beneath 70-metre cliffs so sheer it’s as though they have been cut with a knife. For a while I sit on the sand and take it all in, the frothing surf and fragrant ocean mist; Gog and Magog, two rock stacks standing as offshore sentinels.

    To sailors in the 1800s and 1900s, this was an inhospitable coastline that wrecked hundreds of ships. But Port Campbell, set in a deep cove, feels like the haven it’s been for centuries. Now, its sheltered beach is accompanied by one main street and the scenic Port Campbell Discovery Walk, which eases over a suspension bridge and around the clifftops.

    The town is entirely walkable, allowing us to down car keys and surrender ourselves to the hospitality of Waves Port Campbell and its spacious spa suites (there are cliff views from my bed), a buzzing restaurant and bar. A minute’s walk away, the characterful Port Campbell Hotel entices for a cosy after-dinner vino and chat with the locals.

    The hidden side of the Great Ocean Road

    the exterior of Timboon Railway Shed Distillery

    Enjoy a tipple at Timboon Railway Shed Distillery. (Image: Tourism Australia/Cameron Murray)

    While this region of Victoria is synonymous with scenic drives, two-wheeled forays show another side. Stretching 20 kilometres between Port Campbell and quaint Timboon is the 12 Apostles Trail, an easy ride (especially with e-bikes from Ride With Us) through dairy farmland and scented forest, with Schulz Organic Creamery & Cafe lingering midway. Organic winery Babche, Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and the legendary Timboon Fine Ice Cream await at the finish.

    three people riding bikes from Ride With Us on a trail in the woods, Great Ocean Road Itinerary

    Hire a bike from Ride With Us to tackle the trail from Timboon to Port Campbell. (Image: Belinda Van Zanen)

    When we later explore some of the roughly 70 kilometres of mountain bike trails scribbled across Forrest in the Otway Ranges, with Michelle Davidson from Forrest MTB Hire, I’m expecting – somewhat presumptuously – another e-bike, but full leg power is required. Fortunately, the gears are so good and the trails so forgiving (plenty of switchbacks) that I’m soon grinning my way over gentle roller coasters between the tree ferns and grass trees.

    Tight turns have always been my nemesis, but Michelle’s an expert coach and advises to look beyond the apex of the bend and “lead with my belly button”. It’s an instant success. “Anyone can ride here,” she says. “The trails are wider and shorter. I’ve had women in their sixties learn here.”

    a lush tree canopy at Otway Fly Treetop Adventures

    Trek through the trees at Otway Fly Treetop Adventures. (Image: Mark Chew/Visit Victoria)

    Mountain biking aside, the Otways are also renowned for lush rainforest, waterfalls and walks. But nothing compares to the perspectives from Otway Fly Treetop Adventures, where a 600-metre elevated walkway enables a slow contemplation of rarely seen views.

    We come face to face with epiphytes and the mighty trunks of myrtle beech and blackwood, and peer over the circular crowns of tree ferns 30 metres below on the forest floor. Somewhere, a creek rushes; birds sing. It’s hard to tell whether the tree trunks are swaying or we are. I don’t want to come down.

    southern rock lobster on a plate at Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-Op

    Tuck into southern rock lobster at Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-Op. (Image: Adeline & Lumiere)

    Eventually we do, returning to the blue at the laid-back fishing port (read: seafood heaven) of Apollo Bay and its glorious three-kilometre beach. Our cabin at Marengo Family Caravan Park is a stone’s throw from coastal platforms and pools just begging to be explored. Offshore, roughly 200 Australian fur seals gather, which we encounter twirling beneath our boats the next morning on a paddle with Apollo Bay Surf & Kayak.

    the exterior of Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-Op, Great Ocean Road itinerary

    The co-op supplies some of Australia’s best restaurants. (Image: Adeline & Lumiere)

    I’ve gone from visiting the region in one day to exploring it over four, yet still wish I had more time. Not just to see more but to do less; all those beaches deserving of a solid linger. Next time…

    an Australian fur seal swimming in the ocean

    Spot Australian fur seals on a paddle with Apollo Bay Surf & Kayak. (Image: Tourism Australia/Cameron Murray)

    A traveller’s checklist

    Getting there

    A 90-minute drive west from Melbourne/Naarm leads to Torquay and the start of the Great Ocean Road.

    Playing there

    There are dozens of walks, beaches and coastal lookouts to explore. Aerial views with Otway Fly Treetop Adventures and 12 Apostles Helicopters offer a different perspective. The Forrest MTB Hire team are the experts on Forrest’s 70 kilometres of mountain bike trails. Apollo Bay Surf & Kayak enable close encounters with seals.

    Staying there

    the Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs near Warrnambool’s foreshore

    Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs is a stone’s throw from Warrnambool’s foreshore. (Image: Caitlyn Leggett/The Wanderlust Times)

    Hot springs are on tap at Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs. Waves Port Campbell has spacious suites (most with spa baths) and one of the town’s best eateries. For absolute waterfront, the campsites and cabins at Marengo Family Caravan Park in Apollo Bay can’t be beaten.

    Eating there

    a spread of food on the table at The Perch Lavers Hill, Great Ocean Road itinerary

    The Perch Lavers Hill adheres to an ‘eat well, feel well’ philosophy. (Image: Taryn Elder)

    Good food is plentiful, with notable options including The Perch Lavers Hill, beachfront Pavilion Cafe & Bar in Warrnambool, Port Campbell’s Grassroots Deli Cafe and Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-op.