How long is the Great Ocean Road: 10 Days Around Victoria's Wild Coast route?

This route takes 10 days taking in 7 stops.

Where does this route start and end?

The route runs from Melbourne, Victoria to Melbourne, Victoria in Victoria, Australia.

When is the best time to travel this route?

The best time to travel this route is March to May or September to November.

How active is this route?

Activity level: Active. Moderately active — expect some walking and light physical activity.

What transport do I need for this route?

This route works best with a car or a campervan.

What budget do I need for this route?

Mid-range spending — expect comfortable accommodation and a mix of dining options.

What type of accommodation suits this route?

Mixed accommodation works well along this route.

What is the pace of this trip?

Balanced — a good mix of sightseeing and downtime.

What type of trip is this?

This route is well-suited to: Scenic, Coastal, Nature, Classic road trip, Culture.

Great Ocean Road: 10 Days Around Victoria's Wild Coast

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The route · 7 stops

6 overnight bases · 1 stop on the way

Melbourne

2 nights

Victoria's capital is the natural starting point and a destination in itself. Spend two nights exploring the laneways, the coffee-roaster culture, and the Queen Victoria Market before collecting your hire car and pointing south towards the coast.Victoria's capital is the natural starting point and a destination in itself. Spend two nights exploring the laneways, the coffee-roaster culture, and the Queen Victoria Market before collecting your hire car and pointing south towards the coast.

Recommendations

1h 30m · 105 km drive to Torquay

Torquay

1 night

The official start of the Great Ocean Road and Australia's surfing capital. Bells Beach, 6 kilometres south of town, has hosted the Rip Curl Pro contest since 1961, and the Surf World Museum in town traces the full history of Australian surf culture from the 1950s onwards. The 'Start of the Great Ocean Road' memorial arch makes a solid first photo stop before heading west.The official start of the Great Ocean Road and Australia's surfing capital. Bells Beach, 6 kilometres south of town, has hosted the Rip Curl Pro contest since 1961, and the Surf World Museum in town traces the full history of Australian surf culture from the 1950s onwards. The 'Start of the Great Ocean Road' memorial arch makes a solid first photo stop before heading west.

Recommendations

1h 10m · 45 km drive to Lorne

Lorne

2 nights

A compact coastal town squeezed between forested hills and the beach, Lorne rewards two nights. The Erskine Falls walk takes around 90 minutes return through tall mountain ash forest to a 30-metre waterfall. Fifteen minutes north of town, the roadside grey gum trees at Kennett River are one of the most reliable spots in Australia for wild koala sightings.A compact coastal town squeezed between forested hills and the beach, Lorne rewards two nights. The Erskine Falls walk takes around 90 minutes return through tall mountain ash forest to a 30-metre waterfall. Fifteen minutes north of town, the roadside grey gum trees at Kennett River are one of the most reliable spots in Australia for wild koala sightings.

Recommendations

1h · 45 km drive to Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay

1 night

A working fishing port at the foot of the Otway Ranges and the last sizable town before the road climbs into the rainforest. Walk up to Marriners Lookout for a wide view over the bay, then take the 50-minute detour south to Cape Otway Lightstation. In operation since 1848, it is Australia's oldest surviving lighthouse and sits at the tip of the Otway Peninsula, surrounded by koala habitat. On the return leg, the short Maits Rest rainforest walk loops through ancient myrtle beech trees.A working fishing port at the foot of the Otway Ranges and the last sizable town before the road climbs into the rainforest. Walk up to Marriners Lookout for a wide view over the bay, then take the 50-minute detour south to Cape Otway Lightstation. In operation since 1848, it is Australia's oldest surviving lighthouse and sits at the tip of the Otway Peninsula, surrounded by koala habitat. On the return leg, the short Maits Rest rainforest walk loops through ancient myrtle beech trees.

Recommendations

1h 45m · 100 km drive to Port Campbell

Port Campbell

2 nights

A small town with outsized neighbours: Port Campbell National Park begins at the edge of town and gives access to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto, and London Bridge within a short drive of each other. The Twelve Apostles, a row of limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean, glow orange at sunrise and sunset. Loch Ard Gorge, 10 minutes further west, is named after the wool clipper wrecked here in 1878 and many visitors find the narrow inlet more dramatic than the Apostles.A small town with outsized neighbours: Port Campbell National Park begins at the edge of town and gives access to the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto, and London Bridge within a short drive of each other. The Twelve Apostles, a row of limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean, glow orange at sunrise and sunset. Loch Ard Gorge, 10 minutes further west, is named after the wool clipper wrecked here in 1878 and many visitors find the narrow inlet more dramatic than the Apostles.

Recommendations

1h 15m · 90 km drive to Warrnambool

Warrnambool

1 night

Victoria's largest regional coastal city serves as the western anchor of the Great Ocean Road. Between June and September, southern right whales come into the shallows at Logan's Beach to calve and nurse their young, and a purpose-built viewing platform gives a clear sightline over the water. Year-round, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village tells the story of the Shipwreck Coast, and Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve (15 kilometres east) occupies an extinct volcano crater with reliable sightings of emus, kangaroos, and koalas.Victoria's largest regional coastal city serves as the western anchor of the Great Ocean Road. Between June and September, southern right whales come into the shallows at Logan's Beach to calve and nurse their young, and a purpose-built viewing platform gives a clear sightline over the water. Year-round, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village tells the story of the Shipwreck Coast, and Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve (15 kilometres east) occupies an extinct volcano crater with reliable sightings of emus, kangaroos, and koalas.

Recommendations

On the way

Melbourne
3h 15m · 265 km
The return to Melbourne via the inland Princes Highway takes around three hours and crosses the flat volcanic plains of the Western District, a quiet contrast to the dramatic coastline just left behind. Use the evening to revisit a favourite neighbourhood or restaurant before dropping the hire car the next morning.The return to Melbourne via the inland Princes Highway takes around three hours and crosses the flat volcanic plains of the Western District, a quiet contrast to the dramatic coastline just left behind. Use the evening to revisit a favourite neighbourhood or restaurant before dropping the hire car the next morning.
Recommendations

Great Ocean Road: 10 Days Around Victoria's Wild Coast