Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is one of the most interesting and beautiful destinations in Australia. Most travel to the nine towns found along the road to experience the breathtaking views and scenery. Its coast is a haven of bays, rainforests and cliffs. Your Great Ocean Road travel guide for the best holiday begins here.

Explore the Coast

Driving along the expansive coastline presents many chances to explore Australia. Great Ocean Road is famously known for its enormous cliffs and ocean views. The 12 Apostles make exceptional sights. They protrude out of the water and overlook the coast like ancient giants. Rainforest teeming with life are also explored by guided tours.

Australia is a country of great mystery. It’s one of the best destinations to experience wildlife, the vast ocean wonders and natural adventures. You can find many of these features along Great Ocean Road. The Road is ideally located near a great number of wildlife refuges and national parks.

One place of interest is the Tower Hill State Game Reserve. Native koala bear and kangaroo live in this vast reserve. You can also see marine life in the waters near Warrnambool.

Wine Country

On both ends of Great Ocean Road lie two distinct wine regions. The vineyards and wineries in this region provide some of the country’s most delicate wine varietals. The lush green countryside and serenity of the bays make visiting these areas exciting and adventurous.

Dining

Dining options are numerous in the region. Finding a place to dine on your holiday won’t be a problem. The quaint cafes and elegant restaurants that line the bay provide freshly caught seafood, international cuisine and regionally prepared dishes. Contemporary choices at restaurants such as the Pettavel Winery and Restaurant in Waurn Ponds make great dining options. If you prefer to cook your own meals fresh produce, breads and seafood are found near the coastal markets.

Festivals and Celebrations

The Great Ocean Road leads to annual festivals and celebrations throughout the year. Geelong is known for its Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Wallington hosts an annual strawberry festival at one of its schools. Air shows bring excitement in Geelong. The road is a gateway to many Australian celebrations.

Great Ocean Road provides both action-filled adventures and quiet holiday retreats for you and thousands of other guests. Getting to Australia’s vibrant coast means looking for great travel deals. You can get a head start at Flight Centre and Student Flights. They offer cheap domestic flights for your travel plans.

Thanks Martin

Just back from my trip to Oz. I decided to fly to Melbourne and do trips from there so I could see the city as well. I loved the city, much more compact than Sydney. Saw the penguin parade which was lovely, shame I couldn’t bring one back. I took a coach trip to see The Great Ocean Rd which was good, quite spectacular but I think I would have enjoyed it more driving myself, as per original plan! It seemed very rushed to fit in a day in a big group. Still, there’s always next time.

Many thanks for your ideas and advice, regards,

Eileen

From: Tim Kottek

Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 10:48 PM

To: Eileen Hall

Subject: Re: June — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road contact form

Dear Eileen,

Booking after you arrive in Sydney makes absolute sense.  There is good reason to book online, so arriving in Melbourne or Avalon on the 21st and leaving from there on the 24 – late in the day leads to this possible itinerary

21st

Torquay, or Lorne, or if arriving later in the day Geelong Maroo Park Cottages – Just off the Great Ocean Road on the way to Anglesea.  Look at http://www.roamfree.com/AccommodationProviderDetails.aspx?cID=405&rID=373309&lID=390658&apID=103437&Duration=4&adu=2&WebID=14767

22nd and 23rd Apollo Bay from where you can visit the Apostles and drive into the hinterland Look at http://www.roamfree.com/Results.aspx?cID=405&rID=373309&lID=345116&sDate=22-Jun-2010&Duration=2&curID=1&WebID=14767

Enjoy your trip

Cheers

Tim

On 18/05/2010, at 6:36 AM, Eileen Hall wrote:

Dear Tim,

I am thinking of 21st June to 24th to do my Ocean Rd drive but will not book anything until I arrive in Sydney on 6th in case the volcanic ash delays my flight from the U.K. Suggestions re. accommodation would be very helpful and then I might sound a bit knowledgeable if I go to a travel agent in Sydney.

Many thanks, Eileen

————————————————–

From: “Tim Kottek” <tim@experiencetorquay.com.au>

Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 10:48 PM

To: “Eileen Hall” <eileen.hall@sky.com>

Subject: Re: June — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road contact form

Dear Eileen,

Short answer is yes.

Risks are:-

The driver as the spectacular parts require attention, BUT there are plenty of photo stops.

I would pre book accommodation, if you let me know how long you intend to spend in the area I can suggest some towns. On the site you will see buttons to book the popular towns.

Regards

Tim

On 10/05/2010, at 8:24 PM, Eileen Hall wrote:

Hi, Thank you for your answers. Sorry to be a pain, is this a safe road for a 60 something traveling alone?

————————————————–

From: “Tim Kottek” <tim@experiencetorquay.com.au>

Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 12:20 AM

To: “Eileen Hall” <eileen.hall@sky.com>

Subject: Re: June — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road contact form

Yes to both. Check out the hire car situation at Avalon with your favourite provider. Winter walks on the beach and hinterland are terrific.

Cheers

Tim

On 10/05/2010, at 6:08 AM, Eileen Hall wrote:

Is this a good road to drive in June? Is it possible to fly from Sydney to

Avalon? Thank you.

Hi Tim,

We’ve just returned on Saturday from the grand adventure and had a fabulous time! As everyone has said the weather sure is unpredictable, but overall we were pretty lucky with hardly any rain during the whole two weeks.

We first drove to Melbourne and had 3 nights there and did the touristy things like the new observation wheel and Eureka Tower, both being a great experience. Then we went on to Geelong and stayed the night there, would have stayed at Torquay but accommodation there was very expensive compared with Geelong. The morning of  5th Jan was pretty cold and as we drove into Torquay it certainly didn’t feel like summer! A quick stop at the surf shops and then we went to have a look at the beaches and stopped at the Nocturnal Donkey for lunch (crazy name for a café, but very memorable and excellent coffee there)!

I have to say Bells beach was a bit of a disappointment, I thought it was more developed and had shops and cafes along the road, but I guess its not a bad thing that its not very commercialised but the thing is that it was totally flat, there was barely a ripple! I spoke to one of the surfies there and he said that he’d been surfing there every day the past week and that was the flattest he’s seen it in a long time!

But the Great Ocean Road in general was amazing, certainly the most stunning scenery I’ve ever seen on any drive. From Torquay to Apollo Bay we were at times stopping every few hundred meters to take photos and enjoy the views. I went for a swim at Point Addis and was surprised at how warm the water was, better than in Sydney! We did the Otway Fly tree top walk, which was pretty nice, but that day was terribly cold, it was only 9C around the tree top area, amazingly cold and then later at Cape Otway lighthouse it was extremely cold, especially on top of the lighthouse where we experienced some of the strongest winds ever, certainly an experience! We also spotted koalas in the trees on the way to Cape Otway which was really amazing to see them in the wild.

Later in the afternoon when we arrived at the Apostles we had glimpses of sun and also strong wind, disappointingly in the evening it got more cloudy and we didn’t get to see the Apostles at sunset, likewise the following morning was very cloudy and we didn’t get to see a sunrise either, however the day warmed up beautifully and cleared, so later we went back and saw the Apostles on a lovely sunny day and the wind from the previous day was almost gone, and in its place the flies we’d been warned about were everywhere!!

The only thing that would have made the journey even better would have been
more time, if we had 2 nights at each stop to give us more time to relax
would have been great, but doing the GOR in 3 days 1 way is not too bad, we
stopped a lot and went to places along the way like the Apostle Whey Cheese
Factory and GORGE Chocolates which are absolutely amazing! We brought back
cheese and chocolate which survived the trip through SA and back to Sydney
via Mildura and still tastes just as good as when we tried it there.

This is certainly a drive that I will do again in the future, I think it’s a
road that you could never get sick of, without a doubt one of the most
amazing parts of our country.

Thanks for all your help. I am sorting through all our photos, if there are
any parts that you’d like to see please let me know and I’d be happy to send
you some, otherwise I’ll see if I can upload them to Flickr or something
similar and will be sure to send you a link.

Thanks again,
Mark

—–Original Message—–
From: Tim Kottek [mailto:tim@experiencetorquay.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 8 January 2009 10:19 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Great Ocean Road Information — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road
contact form

Looking forward to hearing how your trip went. You may like to consider
leaving Melbourne towards the EAST and getting the Sorrento Queenscliff
Ferry on your way to Torquay.
Regards
YvonneHunter & TimKottek
Experience Torquay
03 5261 9354; 0409 707 780

—–Original Message—–
From: Mark
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 8:08 PM
To: Tim Kottek
Subject: Re: Great Ocean Road Information — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road
contact form

Hi Tim,

Thank you for those ideas, that’s a great list, I just hope we have some
nice weather to enjoy the trip. I’ll let you know how we go.

Thanks again for your help.

Mark

—–Original Message—–
From: “Tim Kottek”
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 15:37:03
To: Mark
Subject: RE: Great Ocean Road Information — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road
contact form

Hi Mark,
The Great Ocean Road is well signed for photo opportunities,
Between Torquay and Apollo Bay I’d recommend:-
o A quick look at Bells Beach,
o Walking into the indigenous interpreted walk off the Point Addis Road
(after leaving Bells)
o Split Point Lighthouse at Aires Inlet – a very short detour.
o Teddy’s Look out in Lorne. Depending on your interests Erskine Falls is a
pleasant walk not too far from Lorne.
o An indulgent lunch at Chris’ Beacon Point Restaurant (for the view as well
as the food).
In Port Campbell see if you can book into Shearwater Haven which has
capacity later this month
o Cape Otway is a worthwhile visit – between Apollo Bay and Port Campbell
unless Split Point fills your need for Lighthouses.
o The tree top walk out of Apollo Bay may be of interest to you, loved by
some, seen as a bit commercial by others.
Let us know if there is more we can do for you
Regards
YvonneHunter & TimKottek
Experience Torquay
03 5261 9354; 0409 707 780

—–Original Message—–
From: Mark
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 2:03 AM
To: ‘Tim Kottek’
Subject: RE: Great Ocean Road Information — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road
contact form

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your quick reply and sorry I wasn’t very specific initially with
details. Basically I am interested in sightseeing, lookouts and open to
exploring any other interesting attractions along the way.

I would also like to see some of the national parks along the way and
hopefully some wildlife as well as the coastline, in general to get a feel
for the area. Basically places to visit or things to do that would take a
couple of hours to half a day or so would be ideal, so any recommendations
are appreciated.

We have adjusted our plans and agree that spending a night at
Geelong/Torquay is a good idea and will give us more time to explore and
make the trip less rushed.

I have looked into Bruce’s tours, it seems he specialises more in longer
tours of several days, so perhaps we’ll leave this for another time when we
have more time to spend in the area, but certainly seems like his tours
would be very interesting.

Thanks again for your help.

Mark

—–Original Message—–
From: Tim Kottek [mailto:tim@experiencetorquay.com.au]
Sent: Monday, 5 January 2009 5:34 PM
To: Mark
Subject: RE: Great Ocean Road Information — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road
contact form

Hi Mark,
I’d be able to give you better reply if I had a handle on your interests.
One way for you to come to grips with what’s available is to get the Torquay
to Apostles set of CD’s mentioned at

http://greatoceanroad-torquay.com.au/blog/audio-guided-tour-of-the-great-oce
an-road/ - they have good information.
A possible small change is to have night in Torquay rather than starting our
trip from Melbourne, it can make for a more relaxed drive from there to
Apollo Bay.
You can find accommodation for Torquay, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, as well
as points beyond at
http://greatoceanroad-torquay.com.au/find-a-room-on-the-great-oceanroad/ .
For a different experience make contact with Bruce at
http://greatoceanroad-torquay.com.au/blog/otway-eco-tours-a-hidden-jewel/ -
we have met Bruce but haven’t found time ourselves to take the tour but
would love to hear of your experience.
A really important note – January is very busy so for a hassle free trip pre
bok your accommodation.
Regards
YvonneHunter & TimKottek
Experience Torquay
03 5261 9354; 0409 707 780

—–Original Message—–
From: Mark
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 12:04 PM
To: tim@experiencetorquay.com.au
Subject: Great Ocean Road Information — Torquay on the Great Ocean Road
contact form

Hi Yvonne and Tim,

I came across your website while looking for things to do along the Great
Ocean Road. We are planning a drive down from Sydney to Melbourne and along
the Great Ocean road to Adelaide and I am wondering what are the main
attractions and things to do along the way.

Some local knowledge would be of great assistance so we don’t miss any
great spots or attractions. Also what would be the best towns to stay at
along the way, I was considering 1 night in Apollo Bay and 1 night in Port
Campbell, so that we could see the 12 Apostles both at sunset and sunrise
the next morning because from what I’ve read they are most spectacular
during these times.

Let me know what you’d suggest, we are planning on leaving in about a week
or so, so hopefully you will get my email before then.

Thanks in advance for your help, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Mark

This university has put together the best gateway to Australian Tourism Sites that we have seen.

Who will get value from this site?

The list below is by no means comprehensive,

• Overseas Visitors wanting to plan their Australian Tour
• Overseas Students wanting to plan their exploration of Australia

• The site is alphabetical so Australian Residents wanting to explore OZ can hone in on their area of interest.

Now if you are interested in tourism as a career, perhaps inspired by your own travels, then Charles Sturt has the Tourism courses you need to get your qualification of choice.

For non residents the courses are on this link

Two “discs” cover the Coast from Torquay to the Apostles, another two overlap from Port Campbell to Porland. The material in both sets is a very detailed map, with the locations of over 30 points of interest that have an audio description including clear directions.

Visualise your trip before you go – listen to detailed descriptions and live your experience before you get there. Listen to a sample

Again – select the mage above to purchase.

Places listed on the Torquay to Apostles Set:-

Torquay, Bells Beach, Point Addis, Anglesea including the Golf course famous (or infamous) for its Kangaroos, Aireys Inlet, five more and then Lorne, must see Teddy’s Lookout, six more to Apollo Bay, Cape Otway, the apostles to the bay of Islands including Port Campbell.

From: tim@experiencetorquay.com.au
Subject: Help me give you a good answer , Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:25:23 +1000
Dear Pia,
There is quite a lot to choose from so it will help me if you can let me know:-
o When and for how long you intend to come
o Something about your interests, e.g. outdoor activities, music, etc

Regards

The Final response

Thank you heaps for that! Its such a big help!
Yes your welcome to publish the question.

Thanks again

The Request

From: Pia
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 8:41 PM, To:Tim Kottek
RE: Help me give you a good answer
Thankyou for the qucik reply. I am planning a two night stay somewhere along the great ocean road. What i would like to know is what kind of outdoor activities there are to do…and some good places to see and do? I you could assist me in anyway that would be great!

The Response

From: tim@experiencetorquay.com.au
Subject: Things to do along Great Ocean road Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:42:43 +1000

Dear Pia
I’ll apologise in advance for the many links – however they do give you the information to put together a unique experience.
One item I’d put on my list (it is on ours – haven’t had time) is to get up close and personal with a platypus. Details at the Blog – Bruce is a really nice guy and the link will get you contact details.
Next you will want to sightsee at the Apostles coming at them from either Apollo Bay or Port Fairy. I’d choose one of these two towns as one of the overnight stops. Our experience is written up at the Blog with links to helicopter flights you can preview before travelling.

The spectacular drive is between Torquay (the start of the Great Ocean Road) and Apollo Bay. So our suggestion is to have Torquay or Lorne as the other town to stay in. You can find details of a compact walk that you will find time to do part of at the Surfcoast Page Link . I’d also try to fit a surfing lesson from Torquay Surf Academy or look at Big Stick adventures Finally choose your accommodation at Find a Room on the Great Ocean Road page where you will find buttons to all the popular towns.

Regards

YvonneHunter & TimKottek
PS – May I publish your question and my answer on our Blog, I’ll make sure you are not directly identified (not show your email or family name)

This started on December 20^th with a request from Arun in Hong Kong for accommodation at Wattle Court Retreat for two nights on 28^th of December.

Christmas, New Year and all of January is High Season. You can read the whole e-mail exchange, needless to say Wattle Court was not available. We pointed Arun at Find a room on the Great Ocean Road.

A telephone conversation followed and we responded to Arun with a three night four day itinerary.

• “Day one is a short drive from Melbourne airport to Queenscliff – a quaint holiday village on the Bellarine Peninsula.
• Day two is about 300 km to Warrnambool, but as you will be coming back you could do the Great Ocean Road in each direction, on the way down think of Lunch in Apollo Bay, then the Apostles and on to Warrnambool.
• Day three – take a trip to Port Fairy, Tower Hill if there is time and the Warrnambool waterfront is interesting in it’s own right.
• Day four, your return to Melbourne for New Year’s eve, focus on the Great Ocean Road between Apollo Bay and Torquay, if you can fit it in lunch at Chris’ Beacon Point Restaurant. It will be a long but great start to New Year’s Eve.”

By December 22^nd Arun had confirmed bookings in Queenscliff and near Port Campbell.Debriefing after the trip Arun confirmed that:-

• “…we enjoyed the great nature experience of this beautiful area, the only distraction was a big traffic jam before we got into Torquay, as there was no escape route ;
• Booking – after your guidance – was convenient
• The properties had been fine, except the difficulty to get them during the high season”

We invite your questions and will do what we can to ensure that your experience lives up to your expectation.

And remember – weekends, even off season are often fully booked two weeks or longer in advance.

TIP#1 – Distances

The Great Ocean Road fringes the coast of Victoria, which is the most southern mainland state of Australia. To give you an idea of size and distance, Australia could fit over the entire USA, and the State of Victoria is the same size as Great Britain.

When you are looking for accommodation, food or petrol, it is also important to keep in mind that there is a relatively sparse population outside of Melbourne and large towns such as Geelong.

The Great Ocean Road itself is 263 km long with steep inclines, blind hairpin bends and a quite narrow single lane each way. The views are spectacular and distracting if you are the driver. So you will be travelling slower than on a main road or freeway and you need to make allowances for the extra time.

TIP#2 – Choosing when to Travel

Any time is the best time to travel the road, especially before and after the long summer school holiday break (late December till end January). Our summers are long with daylight saving until the end of March, making travel into April extremely pleasant. Our winters are extremely mild by Northern Hemisphere standards and driving is easier because there is less traffic.

The famous Bells Beach professional surfing competition is always held at Easter for those keen on seeing the best surfers at work.

April the 25^th is ANZAC day, the day Australia stops to remember those killed in war. Point Danger at Torquay is the biggest rally outside of the capital cities providing a moving and memorable tribute as the lone bugle plays at sunrise. Everyone is welcome to join with the locals at a traditional sausage sizzle for breakfast.

TIP#3 – Safety on the Road

Driving the road is an exciting and spectacular experience. You will be able to stop frequently at designated spots to take photos while soaking up the views.

If you find yourself so besotted by the views that you want to drive slowly there are pull-out points to allow other drivers to pass. This is a great convenience on this narrow road for all travellers.

You will notice signs reminding drivers to keep to the left, and the speed limit is 80 kph (50 mph) along many stretches and during the summer additional speed restrictions apply.

TIP#4 – The Sun

The Australian sun can seem intense to visitors from the Northern Hemisphere, so remember your hat and sunscreen whenever you are outside.

When in England, we walked for a whole sunny day without sunscreen without getting sunburnt – here, an hour without sunscreen will be enough to leave your skin reddened and more could lead to a painful burn.

The late afternoon Western sun can also be a hazard if you are driving into it. Best to plan to be on a beach or in a café at this time of day.

TIP#5 – Book Ahead

Our peak summer period between Christmas and the end of January needs to be booked well ahead. And very few places have single nights available because holidaymakers book for longer periods at this time.

Being desperate for accommodation late on a hot day with the possibility of the nearest room being 200 km away is not pleasant when you have come all this way to see the Apostles.

We hope these tips will help you with your next trip to the Great Ocean Road.

A little aside in the Q & A Below:-

Hi Stewart,

So by the time we drive back to Apollo Bay and up into the hills to Forrest, it’s a late lunch for us. What we do know now is that in winter the one place you can grab a warm bite to eat after 2pm is La Bimba.

We have arranged to chat with Bruce Jackson at Otway Eco Tours on our way home. I have seen platypus at Healesville Sanctuary in the Dandenongs on the other side of Melbourne, but never in the wild.

So, here we are sitting on Bruce’s porch in Forrest, chatting about the wonderful wildlife that he regularly shows people in the area around his home.

Bruce and his family moved from Melbourne via Torquay – as a keen surfer he still visits Torquay often. He has a degree in biological science and chooses to utilise his knowledge by showing people the secret lives of our native animals.

While we’re with Bruce, we get to see both a male and female bowerbird – a thrill for me as I am mad about birds and didn’t even know that bowerbirds are common in the Otways. Bruce says we were particularly lucky to see the male as he is quite shy and there are fewer males around.

We make plans to return to Forrest with our family in the summer to paddle along Lake Elizabeth and see the platypus.

Around 4pm we’re on the road again, in an attempt to reach Birregurra before the shops close. There are two shops I particularly want to visit: Chez Georgie and Mr Ted and The Birregurra Bower. Don’t worry boys, there is a good café and a bookshop too!

This is real country driving and it’s essential to follow the map and the signs carefully. This tiny town once had one of the most famous country restaurants run by George Biron at Sunnybrae – one of our favourite haunts. George only runs occasional events now, and we always try to book because his style of cooking relates so strongly to place, so the food is always fresh and beautifully presented. Get in touch with us for more information if this sounds like your kind of thing.

An hour and a half of clothes and handbag shopping later, I am very happy and Tim has been engagingly entertained by another George, the dress shop owner’s husband, with good coffee and chat.

Our final leg home is in the dark and takes us another 45 minutes.

Along with some special purchases, we have brought back to Torquay a fresh appreciation of the wonderful area we are privileged to live in. This is why we have chosen to devote ourselves to showing visitors the real experience of the Great Ocean Road, not just a fleeting view of the sights from the window of a bus.

While this is a great two-day tour, it really isn’t long enough. If you are coming a long distance to see this wonderful region, we advise staying an extra day or two. Start out with us in Torquay and take your time exploring the region with day trips out of Torquay, or a 2-4-day tour of the road, returning to Torquay for a few more days of R&R at the end.

If you can spare no more than a day, you could drive from Torquay to Apollo Bay and fly over the Apostles before driving back. But staying a while is far more preferable. We can help with bookings for accommodation, meals and tours – just get in touch to discuss your requirements with us.

This is the point where we learn that, even in the off-season, it’s a good idea to book ahead as Port Campbell is quite isolated – two hours’ drive either way to Apollo Bay one way or to Warrnambool or Port Fairy the other.

We call Chris at Shearwater Haven who is unfortunately booked out but graciously invites us to view the lovingly built B and B that she and her husband, Hans, have now run for eight years.

We would love to have stayed at this comfortable place with its picturesque views of the valley where birds can be seen quite close up in the splendid native garden.

The place recommended by Chris and Hans is fully booked too (we’re talking a Thursday night mid-winter!), but we finally find a self-contained apartment and eat at the pub.

The pub is reasonable value at $20 for a generous meal. While breakfasting the next morning at Waves, we figure we would have preferred their menu to pub food for dinner too, but it depends on your taste and budget.

Our second day brings Southern Ocean wind and cold rain showers. The weather seems most appropriate for the Shipwreck Coast, where so many old sailing ships perished in the ferocious gales this coast is known for – much worse than we are encountering today.

The rock formations along this coast that are responsible for the wrecks are nevertheless a dream for photographers.

These are the famous formations by name:

The Arch
The Grotto
Bay of Islands
Bay of Martyrs
London Bridge
Loch Ard Gorge
The Apostles

This time we don’t visit the Loch Ard Gorge – where the two sole survivors of a famous shipwreck were found. It is an inhospitable place, and a truly remarkable story – worth absorbing, especially on a stormy day, to allow your imagination run riot with sheer melodrama.

Instead, we pause at the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge for some misty yet atmospheric photos and lots of beautiful fresh air! On a clearer day we would have taken a flip over the view with 12 Apostles Helicopters ($90 for 10 mins and $195 for 30 mins).

Next post: Back to Torquay via The Otways