Great Ocean Road is Australia’s one of the most visited vacation destinations, and why not, the long stretch of road has scenic views & is dotted with amazing attractions you will fall in love with! Great Ocean Road covers a huge area, so it is possible that you won’t be able to explore everything on your first visit, but you don’t have to. You can always keep a few spots tucked away for your next visit.
A car rental is the best way to do the trip. First of all, you will be covering a big stretch of road, which means planning it with public transport in mind will be really hectic. In order to make this trip more than just schedules and constant change of buses, it will be best you rent a car. A car rental will allow you to move with peace of mind & will give you the freedom to decide where to go and when. Most people pick their rental cars from Melbourne airport or Melbourne downtown.
Day 1 Arrive in Melbourne & spend a day exploring its marvels
Most of the people arrive in Melbourne a day before starting their Great Ocean Road trip. A day spent exploring Melbourne’s many attractions will be the best way to start the trip. Moreover you will get a day to relax and have some fun before the drive.
Places to see in Melbourne
- Flinders Street Railway Station
- Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
- Queen Victoria Market
- Eureka Skydeck
Where to stay in MELBOURNE?
City Square Motel & The Great Southern Hotel are two highly rated accommodations that you can consider for your stay in Melbourne.
Day 2 Start your Great Ocean Road Drive
It is advised that you start early because the drive from Melbourne to your first stop on the Great Ocean road, London Bridge or London Arch, will take you about 3 hours via M1. It is located in Port Campbell National Park and is a result of erosion caused by the sea. This natural bridge is named after the UK’s famous London Bridge.
Loch Ard Gorge
Our second stop for the day is Loch Ard Gorge, which is 14 minutes drive by car via Great Ocean Rd/B100. Also part of Port Campbell National Park, Loch Ard Gorge was named after a clipper ship called Loch Ard that sank near Muttonbird Island in 1878 after a 3 months journey from London to Melbourne. The name was given by the two survivors – Tom & Eva. The views along the coast are just breath-taking.
12 Apostles
Next are the 12 Apostles, or technically speaking 8 apostles; now only 8 out of 12 are still there. It is just 4 to 5 minutes drive from Loch Ard Gorge. 12 apostles are limestone gigantic formations that line the shore of Port Campbell National Park. Though, it is undoubtedly Great Ocean Road’s best attraction, we suggest you spend an hour or so and drive towards your next stop – Wreck Beach.
Wreck Beach
Wreck Beach is pretty close to the 12 Apostles. As the name suggests, the beach is home to the anchorages from shipwrecks that can still be seen at low tide. They belonged to ships Marie Gabrielle and Fiji that suffered shipwreck in 1870 & 1890 respectively.
The anchors are embedded in the reef which is about a few hundred meters towards the right-side of the beach. You will be able to park your car in the car park; from there you will have to climb 400 steps to reach the beach. Spend 1 or 1.5 hours exploring this beautiful beach and the anchor.
Cape Otway
Next stop is Cape Otway, which is about 55 minutes drive from Wreck beach via Great Ocean Rd/B100. On the way to Cape Otway, you will get ample opportunities to spot koalas and kangaroos, so if you feel like, you can stop the car anytime you feel like and observe them. After a short stay at the lighthouse, head towards Apollo Bay, a small fishing village. Spend an hour and head towards our last stop for the day – Lorne.
Where to spend the night in Lorne?
Grand Pacific Hotel Lorne and Mantra Lorne are some of the highly rated budget accommodation options that you can use for your night stay in Lorne.
Day 3 Split Point lighthouse
Have an early breakfast in Lorne and start your day 3 with Split Point lighthouse which is 24 minutes drive from Lorne by car. HAH Lorne Beach is a good option as it opens at 8 AM.
The lighthouse gives splendid views of the sea and the coastal area. The lighthouse has a café where you can sit for a while, enjoy the views, have coffee or even breakfast in case you choose not to eat in Lorne.
Bells Beach
After a relaxing start, next head towards Bells Beach – it is Australia’s finest surfer beach and the spot for the Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival – world’s longest-running surfing competition.
Torquay
Spend an hour at Bells Beach and then head towards the beautiful surfer village of Torquay; it is located 7 km away by car. The village has some of the best surfer shops in the country. Next drive towards Queenscliff, it is 31 km by car. There are a lot of great places that you can visit in Queenscliff like The Bellarine Railway – Queenscliff Station, Fort Queenscliff Museum & Queenscliff High Light. Spend a few hours and head towards Penguin Parade on Phillip Island.
You can reach Phillip Island by car as well as through a ferry. If you don’t want to take the ferry, you can take the road via Geelong to reach Phillip Island. In case, you are ready to board a ferry, just park your car and go ahead; there is one more place you can visit before Phillip Island and that is Sorrento.
A tip for the penguin parade: Buy any ticket that you can afford, no matter the cost of the ticket, you will be able to see the penguins waddle from the sea.
Where to stay the night in Phillip Island?
Whether you visit the Phillip Island via car or ferry, we advise that you stay the night at the island only. Ramada Resort & Glen Isla House are two great budget stay options on the island.
Day 4 Spend the day at Sovereign Hill
The drive from Phillip Island to Sovereign Hill is 3 hours long via car; therefore, it is best to start early. Sovereign Hill is known as a museum city that has been built to look like a gold mining town. There is so much to see here from shops to activities like gold panning, you can easily spend the whole day here. The gold museum and the guided tour of an underground gold mine are some of the highlights that you must not miss at any cost.
In case you are visiting between 29th June & the 21st July, you will be able to experience Christmas early on at the Sovereign Hill’s winter wonderland.
Where to eat in Sovereign Hill?
Sovereign Hill Café is the best place to have lunch and early dinner; the place shuts down at 5 PM. Its menu offers a variety of hot meals and other savory treats like fresh sandwiches and pastries.
Where to stay the night in Sovereign Hill?
Sovereign Hill Hotel is the most recommended accommodation option available.
Day 5 Drive back to Melbourne
On your last day, drive back to Melbourne; it will take you 1.5 hours to reach Melbourne. On your last day have a relaxing time visiting Bridgton. It is Melbourne’s finest neighborhood and is quite famous for its colorful beach huts.
Queen Victoria market
After a relaxing start, next head towards Bells Beach – it is Australia’s finest surfer beach and the spot for the Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival – world’s longest-running surfing competition.
Join a walking tour to cover Melbourne’s street art; note that for that you need 2 to 3 hours. After that end your day with a boat ride. You will be able to find a lot of boat tours along Yarra River.