It’s the simple pleasures that make this seaside town a family favourite and romantic escape for couples, says Laura Waters. Here, find the attractions that put it at no. 43 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.
Three hours west of Melbourne, Warrnambool is on the rise. The town is growing with city folk arriving in search of a sea change, but it’s at that sweet spot where you can still enjoy a relatively undeveloped seaside town as well as a little luxury and a decent meal. Come here to inhale the ocean air and relax.
Inhale the ocean air in Warrnambool.
1. Water and whales
Everyone gravitates to Warrnambool’s coastline, whales included. On Logans Beach, a viewing platform overlooks a nursery where southern rights have brought their calves for centuries. From June to September, they can be seen lolling about as little as 100 metres from shore.
Southern right whales have brought their calves here for centuries.
Logans is good for a surf, too, while the gentle arc of Lady Bay is patrolled for safe swimming.
Perhaps most idyllic are the rockpools, white sands and shallow turquoise waters of Stingray Bay, at the mouth of the Merri River.
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2. Hot springs
In the late 1800s, Warrnambool was renowned for its ‘therapeutic’ heated seawater baths, drawing visitors from far and wide. Now, spa wellness is undergoing a revival at Deep Blue Hot Springs .
Immerse yourself in Deep Blue Hot Springs.
Soaking in its 15 open-air bathing pools filled with geothermal waters pumped from 850 metres underground is divinely rejuvenating, not to mention the indoor bathhouse and spa. It all adjoins the impressive seafront Deep Blue Hotel.
Soak in its 15 open-air bathing pools filled with geothermal waters.
3. Wonderful walks
There are kilometres of paths to explore, from the paved Foreshore Promenade Walk to an undulating coastal track around the cliffs via Middle Island (made famous in the movie Oddball, where maremma sheepdogs guard a colony of penguins) to Thunder Point.
Set in the crater lake of an extinct volcano, Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve has a maze of trails where you’re guaranteed to see an emu and maybe a koala and kangaroo, too.
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4. Lake Pertobe
Families flock to this 58-hectare reserve encompassing wetlands and three lakes. Apart from birdwatching and walking trails, there’s a massive adventure playground featuring a maze, flying fox, giant slides and gas barbecues.
Most popular are the colourful motorboats, which anyone over the age of 12 can captain.
5. Maritime history
This is the gateway to the shipwreck coast and there are more than a dozen shipwrecks in Lady Bay alone; interpretive signage along the foreshore tells their stories.
The Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village is a step back in time.
To fully understand the lives of sailors and survivors in those times, visit Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village , a recreation 19th-century village complete with volunteers in costume and an evening sound and light show.
Laura is a Melbourne-based writer, speaker and author with a passion for adventures in the great outdoors. Her memoir ‘Bewildered’, about hiking the length of New Zealand, won Best Travel Book at the 2021 ASTW Awards and she has also penned the popular Ultimate Walks & Hikes Australia.
Beyond the winding bitumen and coastal views lies another side to Victoria’s most famous route.
There’s something hypnotic about this stretch of Victoria’s coast. Maybe it’s the way the road hugs the ocean so tightly, or how the cliffs catch the sun in colours you can’t name. Or, for local Victorians who drove this route as kids, maybe it’s the memories of winding through the impossibly tall trees as they seemingly guide you on your journey like wooden guardian angels. Most travellers know it for the 12 Apostles, but there are plenty of alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road equally as worthy of your time.
So, next time you’re in that neck of the woods, park that car, stretch those legs and try these experiences.
1. Discover living culture at Budj Bim
Walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Breakaway Creek’s Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is a masterclass in educational storytelling. Join a guided tour with Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism to walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system, where the Gunditjmara people built sophisticated eel traps and stone channels more than 6,000 years ago.
Budj Bim’s aquaculture system predates Egypt’s pyramids by roughly 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest examples of human engineering on Earth. If that’s not enough to get your history-loving family members involved in this road trip, we’re out of ideas.
2. Unwind in the hot springs at Warnambool
Let mineral-rich water heal you.
If your legs need a break after a long drive, Deep Blue Hot Springs is your remedy. The geothermal pools sit just metres from the coastline, filled with mineral-rich water that bubbles up from deep underground. Move between open-air baths, waterfall pools and quiet zones made for meditation.
The water in Deep Blue’s geothermal pools comes from an ancient aquifer nearly 850 metres below the Earth’s surface, which, in non-scientific terms, means it’s far more likely to have healing properties than the mineral water you’d find at the supermarket.
3. Take to the air at Princetown
See an icon from a different view.
You may have seen the Twelve Apostles from the trusty viewing platform, but a helicopter flight with 12 Apostles Helicopters shows you just how sprawling and rugged this coastline really is.
The trip covers everything from Port Campbell to London Bridge (not to be confused with the UK’s own), giving you a rare chance to watch waves carving the limestone cliffs from above. It’s worth noting that the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles are said to erode by roughly two centimetres each year, so the longer you leave it, the less of the Apostles you’ll see.
4. Step into the past at Flagstaff Hill
Visit a time of yore.
Continue the tour through Warnambool at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Museum , a recreated 19th-century port town. Hear stories from the days when shipwrecks were as common as seagulls, with an astounding 180 ships believed to have sunk along the Shipwreck Coast in less than five years.
The night show, complete with lights, sound, and sea spray, brings the coastline’s most dramatic stories to life.
If you’re staying the night, Simon’s Waterfront offers relaxed dining with fresh local seafood and oceanfront views. Order the catch of the day and toast to the sailors who never made it ashore.
5. Learn to surf in Torquay, Lorne, or Anglesea
Learn how to hang 10. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Whether you’ve surfed before or can barely stand on a board, Go Ride A Wave will have you upright in no time. Torquay’s calm beaches are ideal for first-timers, while Lorne and Anglesea bring a bit more energy for those unafraid to get dunked.
Bells Beach, just down the road from Torquay, has even hosted the world’s longest-running professional surfing competition since 1962. So, for those eager to have a gander at pros using surfboards like they’re an additional appendage, the competition usually runs sometime in autumn.
6. Tackle the trails in Forrest
Hire a bike and explore MTB trails through the Otways.
Forrest is a haven for mountain bikers thanks to an expansive network of trails through stunning natural scenery. The Forrest trail network has almost 100 kilometres of singletrack across 36 trails, so there’s something for every level of rider. That’s including more than 60 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails winding through the Otways’ dense forest. Cycle through ancient myrtle beech trees and towering tree ferns, with smaller ferns and soft mosses forming a carpet at your feet.
Hire a bike from Forrest MTB Hire and take your pick from easy, scenic rides to more challenging singletracks, such as Red Carpet or Rollercoaster.
7. See wildlife up close in Apollo Bay
Get help spotting the locals. (Image: Doug Gimsey)
If spotting koalas and kangaroos in the wild feels like winning the lottery, Wildlife Wonders gives you guaranteed sightings without cages or crowds. Every visit to the sanctuary helps fund the Conservation Ecology Centre which supports endangered species across the Otways, so your business is appreciated by humans and animals alike.
The guided walk takes you through protected Otways habitat where you might spot potoroos (or joey lookalikes for those unfamiliar with a potoroo), wallabies, and sleepy koalas lounging in the trees.
8. Visit the Cape Otway Lightstation
Delve into the tales of Cape Otway Lightstation.
Towering over the sea on a cliff above the Southern Ocean, Cape Otway Lightstation has been guiding ships since 1848. Before the lighthouse was built, Cape Otway was one of the most treacherous points on the Victorian coast, with dozens of shipwrecks occurring in its surrounding waters. Pick the right day, and you may bump into a local willing to tell you about the wreck of Eric the Red .
While at the Cape Otway Lightstation, explore the keeper’s quarters, walk the coastal trails, and take in views that only stop short at the horizon.
And no, contrary to popular belief, the Round the Twist lighthouse is actually located in Split Point, just shy of two hours in the direction of Melbourne. Nothing’s stopping you from embarking on a lighthouse crawl, though.
