By air
Melbourne (MEL), Torquay is ~1.5 h by road
Australia & New Zealand · Australia
Great Ocean Road, Australia
Coastal cliffs and the Twelve Apostles
Getting there
Best time to visit
November to April — warmer days for the coast
Don't miss
The Twelve Apostles
Loch Ard Gorge
Bells Beach
The Otway Ranges
Things to do
A road trip from Torquay to Port Campbell
Rainforest walks in the Otways
Surfing Bells Beach
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Leonard Koh · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers and a windproof jacket, walking shoes
A quieter corner
Kennett River, where koalas sit in the gums beside the road
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to drive the Great Ocean Road?
November to April, when the days are warmer for the coast. Bring layers, a windproof jacket and walking shoes.
Where does a Great Ocean Road trip begin?
Fly into Melbourne (MEL); Torquay is about 1.5 h by road, and the road trip runs from Torquay to Port Campbell.
What are the must-see stops on the Great Ocean Road?
The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and Bells Beach, where you can surf, plus rainforest walks in the Otways. Look for koalas in the gums beside the road at Kennett River.
What should I eat along the Great Ocean Road?
Fish and chips in Apollo Bay, and Otways cheese and wine.
About Great Ocean Road
- Coastal
Where it is
The Great Ocean Road runs for about 240 km along the south-west coast of Victoria in south-eastern Australia, from Torquay near Geelong to Allansford near Warrnambool, between the Southern Ocean and the forested Otway Ranges.
History
The Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar peoples are the Traditional Owners of this coast. The road was built between 1919 and 1932 by returned servicemen as a memorial to those killed in the First World War, and it is often called the world's largest war memorial. Its wild shipwreck coast had claimed many vessels, among them the Loch Ard in 1878.
People
Coastal towns such as Lorne, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell live from tourism, fishing and farming, and English is the everyday language. The Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar peoples share their culture on guided walks, and Bells Beach hosts one of the longest-running professional surfing contests in the world each Easter.
Known for
- The Twelve Apostles
- Loch Ard Gorge
- Surfing at Bells Beach
- Rainforest walks in the Otways
- Koalas at Kennett River
Did you know?
Despite their name, the Twelve Apostles probably never numbered twelve; the sea keeps carving and toppling these limestone stacks, and one of them collapsed in 2005.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.