How to Drive and Dine Your Way Along the Great Ocean Road

Head south-west out of Melbourne and in less than two hours you’ll be in Torquay, the gateway to something special. This is the Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s most iconic and rewarding road trips. Sprawling over 243 scenic kilometres (or 664, if you count starting from Melbourne), the journey winds along the coast to Warrnambool, passing glittering beaches, dramatic oceanfront cliffs, pretty seaside towns and rolling green countryside along the way. This is not a drive to be rushed; in addition to picturesque landscapes, there’s top-tier dining, wildlife-spotting and plenty of places to stretch your legs. Here are the best places to stop on your Great Ocean Road trip.

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Torquay

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Start in the breezy beach town of Torquay. Tackle a leg of the 44-kilometre Surf Coast Walk; the 1.6-kilometre section from Yellow Bluff trails past wind-lashed dunes to Point Danger. This charming town is the birthplace of Australian surf culture – make the pilgrimage to Bells Beach, a 10-kilometre drive further along the coast. The waves can reach spectacular heights and Bells Beach itself is unpatrolled, so you may prefer to watch the crashing waves safely from shore.

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Aireys Inlet

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About 25 minutes’ drive southwest from Torquay, this cheerful seaside town is home to the circa 1891 Split Point Lighthouse – you may recognise it from its star turn in beloved 1990s kids’ TV show Round the Twist. Climbing the 135 steps takes you to the top for an impressive 360-degree view, where you can scout for whales and dolphins frolicking in the water. Reward yourself with a Devonshire tea or an oozy toasted Reuben at the Lighthouse Tea Rooms, housed in one of the town’s old lighthouse precinct buildings.

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Lorne

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Meander into Lorne, a coastal escape with a glittering bay, plenty of cafés and an arty, bohemian vibe. Stroll across the swing bridge over the mouth of the Erskine River and along the beach, combing the rock pools for starfish and octopi. For those who prefer to keep their feet dry, there are 10 waterfalls within short reach of Lorne – Sheoak Falls is one of the prettiest and only 10 minutes’ drive south of town. Within a 10-minute walk from the carpark, you’ll see the cascade tumbling down a blackened rock face into a tranquil lake.

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Birregurra

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Taking a detour to Birregurra is essential for food lovers. Brae, a much-awarded farmhouse restaurant set on 12 hectares of Otway hinterland, gives you the opportunity to taste the terroir of the region (reservations are a must; bookings open two months in advance on a daily rolling basis). Arrange to stay in one of the six king-sized suites and make the most of Brae’s locally focused wine list with dinner.

At the Art Deco Royal Mail Hotel, a vine-covered courtyard is the ideal spot for exploring a menu of modern Australian fare. Think prawn and lobster ravioli or 24-hour braised beef cheeks in red wine sauce over parmesan mash.

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Kennett River

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The road between Lorne and Apollo Bay skirts the cliff-face through verdant farmland and the Great Ocean Road, making this stretch of coastline among the prettiest along the route. Bonus: this is koala country, so keep your eyes peeled. Kennett River also offers excellent surfing and if you’re travelling between May and September, make sure you scan the waves for whales, dolphins and seals.

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Apollo Bay

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Pretty Apollo Bay is a fishing port in the heart of the Great Ocean Road. It’s also home to the award-winning Chris’s Beacon Point, where owner Chris Talihmanidis has cooked for decades. While he’s looking for new owners ahead of his imminent retirement, prime your palate with house-made dips before diving into steamed mussels infused with tomato, fennel, olive and ouzo or fish of the day (often hapuka or blue-eye with peperonata), then retire to one of the comfortable self-contained villas or studios, each with sweeping ocean views.

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Great Otway National Park

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A 13-minute drive west from Apollo Bay will land you in an entirely different landscape. Follow one of the walking trails through the rainforest of Great Otway National Park, breathing in the clean, damp scent and passing limpid fern-fringed pools and impressive waterfall cascades. Time your visit for the evening, when luminescent glow worms add light to Melba Gully. As you approach, shine your torch away from these little creatures – they don’t like being disturbed – just switch off and enjoy the heavenly spectacle.

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Beech Forest

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Head off the road to explore the Gondwanan rainforests at Otway Fly Treetop Adventures. Guided tours teach high-flyers the basics of zip-lining then send them hurtling through the treetops. For a more relaxed activity, admire this remnant of prehistoric forest on the Treetop Walk, which meanders 600 metres off the ground through tree ferns, blackwood and mountain ash. A 10-minute drive away, you’ll find an atmospheric forest of striking Californian redwoods, planted in 1936 and now stretching more than 60 metres tall.

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Cape Otway Lightstation

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Located at the Great Ocean Road’s southernmost point, Australia’s oldest surviving lighthouse presides over the headland. Built in 1848, the lighthouse, known as the “Beacon of Hope”, was often the first glimpse of land in many months for immigrants sailing to Australia in the 19th century. The nearby beach at Blanket Bay is sheltered but unpatrolled, with great rock pools that are ideal for exploring.

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The 12 Apostles

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Just offshore of Port Campbell National Park, visitors can walk the marked 1.2-kilometre trail to Gibson Steps and descend to Gibson beach if tides allow (note: you can’t park on the Great Ocean Road adjacent to a solid yellow line; stick to official car parks). Prepare to feel very small as you gaze at the iconic limestone pillars rising from the surf while flanked by 70-metre cliffs and endless sea. In case you’re counting: only eight apostles remain.

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Loch Ard Gorge

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Just west of the Twelve Apostles is Loch Ard Gorge, named for one of the many ships that met its demise along the Shipwreck Coast. Two imposing limestone stacks are named after the ship’s only survivors: teenagers Eva Carmichael and Thomas Pearce. Just a seven-minute drive away, avid twitchers will enjoy the spectacle of Mutton Bird Island in spring and summer, when a colony of short-tailed shearwaters (mutton birds) make a noisy return at twilight to feed their hungry chicks.

The Great Ocean Walk

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The Great Ocean Road presents a multitude of opportunities to stop and spend more time exploring the region, visiting lesser-known sites and taking a break from the wheel. Stretch your legs along the Great Ocean Walk, a 110-kilometre trail that runs from Apollo Bay to Gibson Steps. The full walk takes about eight days but you can explore bits and pieces of the trek to punctuate your road trip. The Shelly Beach Circuit near Apollo Bay is a short 2.4-kilometre round trip from the picnic area that includes fern gullies, rocky platforms and a stretch of beach (recommended only at low tide).

Timboon

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From Port Campbell, head inland to the quaint dairy town of Timboon. The Timboon Railway Shed Distillery produces award-winning single-malt whiskies as well as gin, rum and liqueurs, but also offers a hearty lunch of decadent share plates with ingredients such as twice-cooked pork belly or pan-fried halloumi, paired with the distillery’s own offerings and local wines and beers.

The Bay of Islands

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At this point, the Great Ocean Road is nearing its end but there’s still more to see. You’ll want your camera in Peterborough, where Bay of Islands Coastal Park offers incredible ocean views and dramatic sheer cliffs covered by windswept heathlands. Just offshore, jagged rock stacks stand sentinel as the ocean gradually, imperceptibly, wears them down.

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Warrnambool

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It’s the end of the journey but this road trip has one last gift. Between June and October, southern right whales travel to the waters surrounding Warrnambool to give birth. They’re often so close to shore that there’s no need to charter a boat – setting up camp on Logans Beach will deliver a front-row view to the show. Wind up your holiday with a stay at Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs and let the geothermal waters soothe any tight spots as you explore bubbling springs, mineral baths and caves or opt for a sea salt crystal body scrub at the day spa.

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