This dive spot is actually a ship that was wrecked off the eastern beach in Port Fairy in 1849.
Made famous for theRip Curl Prohosted every Easter, Bells Beach is not only beautiful but a huge part of both Australian and surf culture. How far is the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne? You can see our detailed GOR self-drive itinerary below. The cottages are quite close together, so if you take a bath with the blinds up, you do have to trust your neighbours wont walk in front of your cottage (we had no issues). Stay the night in Warrnambool or head back towards Melbourne. We want to book accommodation as we go . The cottages are modern and stylish with big windows to make the most of the views of the rolling green hills and ocean beyond. travelers and answer their questions about Melbourne! After passing through Port Campbell, youll pass by The Arch and London Bridge. For a view worth getting out of the comfort of your car for, your next stop is Point Roadknight in Anglesea. (I would have liked to stay longer but we were getting hungry for lunch as it was after 2pm).
A Great Ocean Road Backpackers Guide: Lorne to Port Fairy To drive direct from the Melbourne CBD to Torquay, where the road officially starts, is 104km, or 1 hour and 20 minutes. Journey Time: 7 minutes from The GrottoStop Time: 20 minutes.
Learn a little about the surfing history of the town at the Surfworld museum, and if youve brought your board along with you a paddle at Famous Bells Beach, home of the Rip Curl Pro, is a must do. Another worthwhile detour on the way to Port Campbell is Wreck Beach, but we didnt have the energy to stop. Port Fairy. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Both are natural, offshore stone archways. Book Lover's Guide to the Great Ocean Road - Babbling Books Loch Ard Gorgeis the first attraction on the way, just a stones throw from the Twelve Apostles.
Our last full day was dedicated to the Port Campbell National Park.
We saw an adorable mother and baby koala! . Visit 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge. You can tackle the Great Ocean Road in one long day, or break it up over a few days, which is what we suggest doing.
hi guys my husband and l are going to drive the great ocean road in early November. .
We walked all of the trails except for the furthest section between Broken Head and Sherwood Estuary and walked a total of 6km (3.7 miles). Deep lush valleys, sky-high rainforests, stunning waterfalls and tons of walking tracks make it a great spot to get off the beach and still be in nature. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products, and regularly review these. They are famous for their scallop pies but have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Stop 3 Otway Harvest Trail
The best way to get around is to rent a car and explore on your own!
Get the reverse directions for a You will pass the Twelve Apostles on the way to Port Campbell, but its very crowded mid-afternoon so we left it for the next morning. But no need to rush. It would be quieter in the morning. The best Great Ocean Road stops are in the Port Campbell National Park (including Twelve Apostles) so focus your time here. Plan your journey with our route planner. There are several veggie options and the lentil burger was decent, if nothing special.
Not too far down the coast is an iconic must-visit stop on any of the Great Ocean Road drives,Torquay, known for its epic surf beaches.
Enter a city to drive through, or find all. Lorne to Melbourne drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip. Bells Beach (4 mentions) On a clear sunny day and depending on the tide you can get pretty close. You can hike, surf, ride helicopters, follow gourmet food trails, wander seaside towns, and much more.
Journey Time: 40 minutes from LorneStop Time: 15 minutes. nev-tagAustralianev-tagMelbournenev-tagVictoria Erin, Heading on a road trip along the Great Ocean Road soon, so great article to read.
Theres also a cafe if you just want a coffee or one of the tasty looking cakes.
We chose to drive back from Port Campbell to Melbourne via the inland route (3 hours) rather than continue on for the final section of the Great Ocean Road that ends just before Warrnambool. Picking up and dropping off the car was quick and easy, and they are near Queen Victoria Market where you can pick up supplies for the trip. The Grotto is one of the most impressive sections of the coastline, and essentially a sinkhole. Takinga surf lessonis a sure-fire way to have you feeling confident on the board and in the water if you havent tried the sport before.
We left at 10am and arrived in Port Campbell at 2.45pm. 375km of scenic winding roads along the southern ocean will take you through some of the countrys most beautiful UNESCO-listed landscapes. You can also walk down the steps and along the beach but as it was raining we skipped that. Hi David and Marg, thanks so much for your comment. Its a beautiful drive but slow going. If you had plenty of time, you might want to spend a night here as there are some beautiful beaches and waterfalls nearby.
The total driving distance from Adelaide to Melbourne is almost 1,000km along the coastal route, so the Great Ocean Road is actually only a small part of the journey.
Many people also continue inland to the Grampians National Park, a fantastic hiking and wildlife location, before returning to Melbourne via the old gold mining town of Ballarat. You could also fit them in on the previous day. To get you fueled up for your last day head toBohemiaCafe & Barfor a takeaway coffee or a wicked and delicious breakfast. If you are looking for other ideas on places to visit in Victoria, see our guide to the best day trips from Melbourne. Gradually caves were formed, then arches, and when they collapsed the rock stacks stood alone, isolated from the shore. .
FromWarrnambool Breakwaterall the way toLogans Beachthis is a great spot to take in the coastal views and even pass a little penguin breeding ground. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Weve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planets best destinations and adventures. beaches and quaint towns including Lorne or Apollo Bay.
Its part-archway, part-cave with a serene pool of water in contrast to the powerful waves beyond.
Now youll be able to find the wreckage in shallow waters, which makes it great for divers to explore. So you may get lucky to lay your eyes on some of these cute local beach dwellers. We personally stayed there when we travelled across Australia, and highly recommend it. If youve hired a car youll most likely collect it at the airport.
You are free to wander around the farm to try to see koalas and wallabies or head down to the lovely private beach for a walk or surf.
There is a walking track around the island and on the most westerly point youll find a lovely little lighthouse and a pretty viewpoint too. Beach. 11:00 am start in Melbournedrive for about 30 minutes, 11:30 am eat at Shadowfax Wines We were finished by 10.30am and returned to our hotel for a break before going out for lunch. Expect to see beaches, waterfalls, forests, lighthouses, limestone formations, koalas, and if youre lucky, whales. Search for more options in Port Campbell here. - along with all the incredible attractions and things to do . It's okay, you can start planning your RACQ's Trip Planner allows you to find places, get directions or plan your next road trip. Please read our disclosure for more info. Just around the corner is Timboon Fine Ice Cream where you can choose from a huge selection of unusual flavours including a whisky cream made with the drink from next door.
3 must-do stops on a Melbourne to Lorne road trip - Mantra Your stop times will varywe tend to walk fast but take a lot of photos. DestinationsPhotographySustainable TourismAdventure Travel, Adventure ToursStart a BlogTravel TipsSitemap, 2023 NOMADasaurus | Peak Evolution Media, The PERFECT Great Ocean Road Drive Itinerary (2023). The huge natural limestone arch was formed by erosion and you can see the power of the waves that caused it. We chose to drive back from Port Campbell to Melbourne via the inland route (3 hours) rather than continue on for the final section of the Great Ocean . You can try chocolate buttons for free as you enter and then browse the massive selection of treats including lots of unusual flavours. .
Despite staying close to Apollo Bay, we loved our cottage so much that we didnt visit the town until our way out. who wants the trip to end? We didnt do this but tours take place every half an hour from 11am until 1.30pm for 3045 minutes and cost $10.
Last on the Great Ocean Road Backpackers Guide is the quaint little town of Port Fairy. We recommend Rental Cars, which has the largest range of vehicles for the best value on the market. Our first stop was just outside Torquay and was a slight detour off the Great Ocean Road. There are beautiful countryside and ocean views and all the comforts you need including a well-equipped kitchen, spa bath, and gas log fire. Our final stops in the area were on the food trail. Train operators V/Line Bus operators Gull Airport Service Public Transport Victoria V/Line Other operators Jayride Want to know more about travelling around Australia However, the views arent affected by the bigger cityscape.
Answer 1 of 3: Hi - I'm on a tour of Melbourne with 3 seniors and one 4 year. We had two partly rainy days and the rest were sunny with varied temperatures. You can sometimes see whales here in winter. We rented a car from the local company Advance Car Rental in Melbournea Toyota Corolla cost us $158 for six days. Great Ocean Road (6 mentions) The Arch is a giant archway in the ocean, and London Bridge is the same but is more square instead of arched to it looks like a bridge. And sadly our Great Ocean Road trip was over. Other good breaks in addition to Bells Beach includeSan Juc, Winki Pop, Bird RockandSparrowsjust to name a few. We liked the brie and pepper havarti (sadly they dont have storage space for cheddar).
Via: Where should I stop along the way? The ocean views from almost everywhere in the cottage (including the bed) were just amazing.
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you book accommodation, tours or buy a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Cape Otway Lightstation is a 15-minute (each way) detour from the Great Ocean Road and is the only place we visited with an entrance fee ($18.50), but its well worth it. Distance from Lorne: 45.5 km Estimated total driving time from Lorne: 54 minutes Activity length: 3 hours Another excellent spot for the best coastal views in this Melbourne to Adelaide drive is Apollo Bay. We had no idea what it was at first although its spikes made us guess it was a porcupine. We spent four days self-driving the road from Melbourne, but you could follow our Great Ocean Road itinerary in two or three days if necessary (we had a fair amount of relaxation time). Our personal recommendation for where we stay in Apollo Bay every time is The Apollo Apartment. Before making your way onto day number 3 of your adventure-packed Great Ocean Road trip youll be looking for a place to catch a good nights sleep.
to each other and sharing tips and advice. Languages. We were also planning to stop at Teddys Lookout on the way out of town, but visibility was so low we didnt bother. Itll take longer than you think due to the many curves and places youll want to stop to take a photo or visit an attraction. Even better, its a non-profit enterprise that provides training and employment opportunities to people with mental and physical disabilities.
The only exception is if you only have one day for the drive, which I explain below. Both are amazing expressions of natural beauty and are worth checking out. Its a hub for the local food scene with a small shop selling cheese, wine, beer, condiments and other products made in the area. If you time it right, there are also history and bush tucker talks. If youre looking to do a bit of waterfall chasing, this is a great place to find them! Plan your journey with our route planner.
Highlights include the Telegraph Station, World War II Radar Bunker, whale viewing platform (we had no luck), and the lighthouse itself, which you can climb. We arrived in Port Campbell at 2.45pm and had a few hours rest before heading out to see the sunset at London Bridge, which is a quieter alternative to the Twelve Apostles.
Jarryd, thank you for talking us along the Great Ocean Road, we are coming down from Brisbane mid April 2023 and plan to self drive it. Make sure you visit first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon for the best koala viewing times. Its not the best quality chocolate, but we still enjoyed it. They are a beautiful sight amongst the dramatic cliffs and crashing waves as they change colour throughout the day. Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation Its most popular in summer (December to February) when you can enjoy the beaches.