Best Of The Great Ocean Road – From Wild Koalas To The 12 Apostles!
As the last part of our Australia Appreciation Month, we travel along the glorious Great Ocean Road! This 243 km long stretch of coastal road covers some of the most beautiful countrysides you can find in Australia. Built by returned soldiers from World War II in honour of their fallen comrades, the Great Ocean Road is the longest war memorial in the world, reaching from Torquay to Allansford. Apart from its historical significance, it is - hands down - one of the most scenic drives in Australia! Join us today as we visit some of the amazing places and sights along the Great Ocean Road. Let's take you from quaint seaside towns, stunning natural sights to the best place for spotting koalas in the wild! Come along for the ride!
During my time in Melbourne, driving down the Great Ocean Road up to the 12 Apostles close to Port Campbell was one of my favourite past times. The landscape is just breathtaking with rugged cliffs, the wild Southern Ocean and indigenous forests along the Great Otway National Park. You pass through beautiful little villages and towns which are offering cute restaurants with delicious food and outstanding coffee. The stunning sea views and hidden beaches along the way make you stop every so often to take it all in. It’s therefore crucial, I believe, to plan enough time and a few overnights into your trip to really enjoy this amazing stretch of road. Do not just rush through the landscape to the 12 Apostles and back to Melbourne. It can be done, but it would be a sin to race past all the beauty this area offers. It’s the ideal slow travel territory where the road is the destination!
What on earth are the 12 Apostles? It’s the iconic collection of yellow limestone rocks sticking out of the rough Southern Ocean! If you have seen any marketing material from Tourism Australia for Victoria, you will have seen pictures of the 12 Apostles. Located close to Port Campbell this stretch of coastline is also home to a few other unique rock formations such as Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto and the London Arch. Thanks to the natural erosion the rocks change and at some stage vanish from the landscape. Therefore, don’t wait too long with your trip to the 12 Apostles!
How to Best Travel the Great Ocean Road?
To be 100% flexible, you have to do the Great Ocean Road with your own set of wheels. You need to be able to go as fast or slow as you like, stop where you want and how long you want. It’s essential, I believe, to fully enjoy the road in all its glory. Rent a car and overnight along the way in a few of the small towns. No matter what your jam is – cosy B&B’s, Farm Stays, Airbnb’s or boutique hotels – you can find it all along the Great Ocean Road. If you have read one of our latest posts Road Tripping New South Wales, you know about travelling in campervans! The Great Ocean Road is ideal for a campervan trip with great campgrounds all along the way. Stop if you see a great spot, get out your camping chairs and enjoy an impromptu picnic! Campervans also have the ideal size for the at some stretches narrow road. If you choose a much bigger vehicle it becomes a hassle to drive and maneuver around the scenic yet small road. Let’s discover the 7 Best Spots along the Great Ocean Road!
If you really want to feel alive don’t make any forward bookings but see where the road takes you. If you want to avoid hassle and possible disappointment, I would recommend planning your overnights and booking them beforehand. Especially during the Australian summer months from November to March, it tends to get very busy around here as well as during the school holidays. If you don’t want to have to sleep in your car, do a bit of research and book your accommodation or campground ahead! It usually also saves you quite a bit of money and you might even snatch up a special rate!
#1 - Torquay
Leaving Melbourne and having passed Geelong, your first stop and the Gateway to the Great Ocean Road is Torquay. It’s a beautiful seaside town with lovely beaches and near-vertical cliffs, making this landscape so unique.
Torquay is a surf mecca and extremely popular by Melbournian’s, who saved enough money to escape the rat race and now settle in this surfer’s paradise! Everything in this town is set up for surf enthusiasts – find some cool outfits and gear in the many brand name surf shops or even visit the surf museum. The area around the beach is well set up with cute, casual restaurants and cafes. Kick back and have a lovely meal, enjoy some drinks and soak up the atmosphere. Around the beach and the cliffs, you’ll find walking trails overlooking the coastline and the sea. Make sure to take a walk along here. If you always wanted to give surfing a try, this is your chance! There are plenty of surf schools taking you out into the surf, teaching you the ropes. No matter if you are surf-mad or not, make your first stop of the trip at Torquay! Spend the night and make the most of your time here shopping, exploring the beaches and cliff trails and enjoying the good life! For more information on what to do in Torquay, click here!
If Bells Beach, Australia rings a bell, you probably watched the classic 1990s movie Point Break! Located just outside Torquay, Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze made this unassuming surf spot famous way beyond the borders of Australia! It’s worth checking it out by taking a walk along the beautiful cliff path if you are not busy facing the storm of a century on a surfboard. Cook up some popcorn and watch the movie, it’s a classic!
#2 - Lorne
Having stopped at the iconic Bell’s Beach and a possible coffee or snack in the lovely seaside village of Anglesea, Lorne should be your next significant stop. Since it’s only about 45 km between Torquay and Lorne, you have plenty of time to stop to your heart’s content. You come past some of the most stunning ocean vistas and viewpoints so make sure to take your time and enjoy the ride! A definite Must-Stop is the Memorial Arch at Eastern View, a wooden arch spanning across the road, commemorating the Victorian war veterans who build the Great Ocean Road. There is plenty of parking, so why not pull in to have a closer look at the statue and information on the memorial.
Lorne, I think, is my favourite village along the Great Ocean Road! Lorne is simply the perfect little beachside village with the ocean on one side and fairy-like forests on the other! Topped off by cute restaurants and cafes, it makes for the perfect road tripping stop that makes you want to linger longer. I would suggest spending a night here to thoroughly enjoy the area, go for walks, dive deep into the great cuisine here. Just keep an eye out for the cockatoos trying to steal your food. They are surprisingly cheeky and surprisingly big! You have been warned! Within 10 km of Lorne, you have 10 waterfalls to discover and a total of about 60 km of marked hiking trails! Lorne offers you the perfect mix for being active and indulging in the finer things in life. The perfect overnight stop! For more details have a look here!
#3 - Kennett River
Didn’t I promise you Koalas in the wild? You don’t believe me? Wait until you get to Kennett River! The place is so small that if you blink you might miss it. Seen from the road, it’s not much more than a stunning beach with an inlet, a campground and a few local houses set back against the hills! Only about 23 km west of Lorne, you have to keep your eyes peeled for the turn-off sign to Kennett River. Driving into the hamlet, follow the bird noise close to Kafe Koala, from where you start the walk up Grey River Road, a small dirt road between the cafe and the campground. The road winds up a mountain, where you should focus on the branches of the resident eucalyptus trees for koalas. It’s near guaranteed to spot a few of these elusive marsupials. They are not easy to spot, but once you get the hang of it, walk further and try to see some more. I was so lucky to spot koalas every time I went to Kennett River! Most Australians will tell you that they have never seen a wild Koala in their life. It is, therefore, a special experience, not just for tourists but for locals too! Have read here for more detailed information.
#4 - Apollo Bay
Leaving the koalas at Kennett River behind (yes, they are cute, but you are not allowed to take them with you), it’s yet another 23 km until you reach Apollo Bay. I am not sure what it is, but Apollo Bay is probably my least favourite of all the Great Ocean Road villages. Maybe it’s because it is bigger than the other villages or because it is one of the main stopover points for the Great Ocean Road tourist tours.
Nevertheless, Apollo Bay is still a lovely place with a long sandy beach, plenty of restaurants overlooking the beautiful beach and even a few more shops and convenience stores. Apollo Bay offers quite a good selection of hotels, B&B’s as well as self-catering chalets, in case you want to stay longer. If you are travelling in a campervan you’ll find a big campground right next to the town, an ideal base if you are looking to explore the Otway National Park a bit more!
#5 - Great Otway National Park
At Apollo Bay, you leave the coast for a while and drive inland. What a change of scenery! Leaving the rugged cliffs and beaches of the surf coast to the lush green pastures and dark mystical forests of the Otways. Take a little detour through the Great Otway National Park, all the way down to Cape Otway. Visit the historic lighthouse for some dramatic views of the so-called shipwreck coast and walk along some of the beautiful trails in the park! If you are travelling by campervan and longing to stay in pure nature you will have to stay at one of the Aire River Campgrounds. Set at an estuary, these campgrounds offer the perfect base to go canoeing, SUP (Stand-Up Paddle boarding) or go hiking. It is a beautiful tranquil place, perfect to enjoy the best the Otways have to offer! Choose your campsite depending on your personal preference and your plans. The Aire River Campsite West is flat, open and bigger than the more sheltered Aire River East Campsite. If you are planning on staying in the area, pre-bookings and payments are necessary here.
#6 - 12 Apostles, Lochard Gorge & Port Campbell
But now to the crown jewel of the Great Ocean Road – The 12 Apostles! Located in the Port Campbell National Park, these beautiful limestone pillars were once connected to the mainland. Now rising out of the ocean, it’s a beautiful natural highlight in the area. Erosion is responsible for the existence of the 12 Apostles but erosion is also destroying these fragile rock formations. The best example and one of the most iconic of the limestone rocks is the so-called London Bridge. This particular rock formation looked like an arch, which was connected to the mainland. In January 1990 the bridge connecting the arch to the mainland collapsed, leaving two tourists stranded on the rock in the sea. They were stuck there for a good few hours until they got rescued by a helicopter. These days, the rock formation is called the London Arch since it’s no longer a bridge!
Another highlight to visit in Port Campbell National Park is Loch Ard Gorge. The site is named after the ship that famously crashed into Mutton Bird Island and sank here in 1878. It’s still a stunningly beautiful bay, definitely a must-visit when in the area.
There is accommodation in the National Park available and in close-by Port Campbell town. If you stay overnight, you can visit the penguin colony, which can be seen at dusk when the penguins return to the beach. Another once-in-a-lifetime experience is a helicopter flight over the 12 Apostles! If you really want to do something special, this is it!
Otherwise, enjoy this incredible area hiking and enjoying the different views and lookout points!
#7 - Allansford - Cheese World & Museum
Allansford is located about 10 km outside of Warrnambool and is the official endpoint of the Great Ocean Road. The one and only attraction Allansford has to offer is the Cheese World. Adorable!
I was so lucky to have visited Allansford’s Cheese World, the one and only attraction in town. That is not counting the not-so-mighty Hopkins Falls! No offence!
Cheese World offers a wide array of locally produced cheeses, oils, butter, all sorts of chutneys and even wine. You can peruse the aisles for some cheesy goodness and souvenirs. Afterwards, you can visit the attached museum showcasing objects related to the dairy farming industry and cheese production. Yep, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Finish your big adventure with a stay in Warrnambool, a holiday destination for the region with a stunning long beach and the Thunder Point Coastal Reserve. If you are looking for something really picturesque, drive a little further to Port Fairy! It’s the most beautiful little village I have seen. This is how I picture an Irish seaside town in good weather.
And with this our Great Ocean Road trip comes to an end. I hope you had a good time and got some inspiration for your next road trip in this part of the world. There are so many beautiful and unique places to visit, you shouldn’t miss out on going for a drive here.
Our Australia Appreciation Month also comes to a close and we will move on next week to a whole different continent. If you want to find out where we slow travel next, join us again next week.
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Have a great week and until next time.
