Great Ocean Road Trip | Australia

After a busy week of sightseeing and socialising in Melbourne, I was headed out to see more of Victoria for the weekend. The Great Ocean Road is one of the most famous road trips in Australia. Think winding drives, beachside towns and iconic rock formations, set alongside a dazzling blue ocean. The Twelve Apostles are the most popular, but there are plenty of other spots to see as well! While there are tours taking you from Melbourne and back in the same day, I opted to self-drive and spread it over two days. I broke up my trip with an overnight in Apollo Bay along the way. So, here’s my weekend Great Ocean Road trip itinerary!

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Day One

The Inland Route

Now, in a fit of poor timing, I was taking my Great Ocean Road trip on a public holiday weekend so everywhere was very busy! In an attempt to race the crowds to the most popular area, around the Twelve Apostles, I decided to drive out using the inland route, and would then make my return journey on the actual Great Ocean Road. The inland road follows a straight, easy motorway until wherever you are branching off. The road then turned narrow and windier as I headed south to the coast, before eventually joining the Great Ocean Road along the coast. It took me a little under 3 hours, joining near Gibson Step.

Unfortunately, I also got delayed at the car rental pick-up in Melbourne, which was very understaffed for a weekend morning. I left the city almost an hour later than planned, just after 9am. This meant it was close to noon when I reached the Twelve Apostles car park and it was packed to the gills! Since I’d be passing it again on my way back to Apollo Bay for the night, I opted to skip it now and try again later.

Loch Ard Gorge

Just a little further west, the next major rock formation is known as Loch Ard Gorge. I had to circle the car park a few times until I grabbed a space as someone was leaving. My entire day was coloured somewhat by the intense crowds making me grumpy – but I’ll try not to dwell on that any longer! Anyways, heading down the walking trail to the Gorge, I got my first real view of the area.

Luckily, the sun was out and I was met with a dazzling turquoise ocean flowing into the gorge as I looked down from above. Sandy coloured rocks surrounded and stuck out of the water, forming the cliffs of the coastline. The waves are rough here, crashing and swirling through and against the rocks, millennia of erosion creating the shapes left behind. The trail down to the beach here is closed due to rockfall, but the clifftop tracks were open. There are a few tracks that crisscross the area, all fairly short and easy. Wandering along them, I encountered numerous viewpoints, some of the gorge itself and others of more cliffs and rocks along the coast.

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London Bridge & the Grotto

My journey continued west, in search of some rock formations with interesting names on the map. Of course, these are European names, not those belonging to the Aboriginals of this area, the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung peoples. London Bridge was up first, and the name kind of gives it away what this one looks like. A long finger of rock sticks out from the coastline, flat on top and worn away in its centre to leave behind a smooth arch resembling a bridge. It actually used to connect to the mainland coast, until the first arch eroded to the point of collapse. Now only the second remains, a little island on its own. Such a distinctive shape makes this one very photogenic!

Nearby, I also checked out the Grotto, a name which conjures up images of fairies and the little folk! It was hard to see what the view was at first, as the path takes you down stairs in the rock face. It’s not too far to descend thankfully, and it all makes sense when you reach the bottom. Standing in a small hollow, you’re met by a portal, like a window, offering a picturesque view out towards the sea. It’s so perfectly formed, that it does almost look a little surreal or magical! While not as large or majestic as some of the other sights on my list today, the Grotto was so pretty and memorable in its own way.

Bay of Islands

I whizzed further along the coast yet again. Once you pass Port Campbell – more on that below – it’s a little less busy with visitors. My next stop was the Bay of Islands – not to be confused with New Zealand’s version. Following the walking trail, I came to the edge of a wide bay, with a sandy beach inside it. Dotted around the bay and along the surrounding coastline, tall rock stacks emerge from the water. Many were rather thin and spindly, almost like willowy sprites or water nymphs (can you tell the Grotto has my imagination going still?). They were all isolated from each other and from the mainland but they don’t seem lonely when there are so many of them. This was maybe a slightly less spectacular spot than some others, but I appreciated the peace and quiet, away from the bigger crowds.

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Port Campbell

Retracing my route back east again, I made a stop in Port Campbell this time around. It was well past lunchtime, as I’d delayed eating while trying to race the crowds to the car parks! The downside of that plan was a lot of cafes in Port Campbell close by mid-afternoon. So, I had to be quick and managed to grab one of the last pies in stock. The town had some construction work going on around the main street and beachfront, so it was a little less scenic than hoped. It’s a nice little beach area though, tucked into a cover protected from the wildest of waves.

The Twelve Apostles & Gibson Steps

Then it was time to try my luck at the big-ticket stops again. The number of cars parked along the road didn’t bode well, but there were several empty spots inside the actual car park by now! It was definitely super crowded with people though. Since this is such a heavily trafficked site, they’ve built platforms and boardwalks to take everyone under the road and out to the viewpoints.

The sun was setting behind the Twelve Apostles this late in the afternoon, casting a different lighting on the scene. The vast, wide rock stacks stretch up the coastline into the distance and it’s certainly a pretty view. The sheer size of them, dwarfing many of the other formations up the coast, definitely adds to their splendour. To the other side, the beach at the base of Gibson Steps lay below me, the ocean shining a bold turquoise in the sun. There are two more rock stacks here, and I think I preferred this side of the view! That might have been mainly because of the lighting and direction of the sun, since these stacks weren’t cast in shadows.

I picked my way back through the crowds again to head towards Gibson Steps. Rather than shift the car, I opted for the 20-minute walk over the clifftop. Followed by the descent down eighty or so stairs cut into the incredibly steep cliff side. Standing on the beach at the base, gazing up at those same towers of rock, really puts their size into perspective. They seem so much bigger from down here! I took a gentle stroll along the beach and back again, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Then it was time to finish today’s journey to Apollo Bay.

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Day Two

Apollo Bay

Having arrived in Apollo Bay when it was already dark last night, I didn’t do much exploring. The drive there took me through Great Otway National Park, a very twisty road slightly further inland through the forest. It was quite the contrast to the coastal scenery earlier in the day! I’d considered heading back that way for a forest walk this morning, but decided to skip extra driving in the end. Plus, the coast was the priority this weekend – it’s the Great Ocean Road after all!

I woke to a rather rainy morning so took it easy in my room until check-out. I had to be at the airport for my flight to Sydney this evening, but overall, today was a much more leisurely place. This half of the route doesn’t have the same ‘must-see’ stops so tourists are a bit more spread out. I set out for a bit of a drizzly walk through town. It’s fairly small, but a popular overnight stop for Great Ocean Road-trippers, so there are plenty of motels and dining options. I headed along the beachfront, the sun slowly starting to peek out.

Kennett River Nature Walk

Today’s drive truly felt like what I expected of the Great Ocean Road. Even yesterday, driving between the rock formations, the road was a ways back from the cliff edge. Whereas today, it curved right along the coastline, following every twist and turn for an undulating drive alongside dazzling ocean views. There are various viewpoints you can pull into, but most are on the left side for people driving out from Melbourne. Making it difficult to pull across the opposite lane when I can’t see what’s coming around the corner! I did manage to pop into a couple of spots to snap pictures of the views though.

Anyways, for the first leg, I drove about half an hour to stop off at Kennett River Nature Walk. This is an easy riverside walk with heaps of wildlife-spotting opportunities! I went as far as the forest that appears as you head upstream when the path started getting a bit overgrown and slippy. There are plenty of information boards around to tell you about the local flora and fauna. I sighted lots of freshwater birds around the river, though I couldn’t tell you exactly which species.

On the opposite bank, there’s a large, open meadow. I had to squint to spot them, but sure enough, several kangaroos were lying down lounging in the grass. The photos aren’t the clearest, but trust me! What everyone comes here looking for though, is koalas. As luck would have it, some other women had just spotted one and pointed it out to me, hiding high in the treetops. Of course, I’d already seen a wild koala back on Kangaroo Island, but they can be pretty tricky to see in the wild. So to find two on my trip was amazing!

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Lorne & Split Point Lighthouse

I’d decided on Lorne for my next stop for lunch. There’s a great viewpoint in town as well, which I headed to first, driving up a scarily steep road to get there! Teddy’s Lookout faces west, back along the coast I’d just come up. The road takes a great sweeping curve below, beneath a vast hill, so it was very cool to see that I’d successfully driven that. Especially as a notoriously nervous driver in the past!

I drove back downhill to the town centre, which was the busiest place I’d seen so far today. I had to circle a few times again to get a free parking spot. Then I browsed the various cafes and food stalls along the main street, picking up lunch to take down to the beach. Since I wasn’t staying too long, I didn’t go into full beach-mode with swimming or sunbathing. But it was a nice spot to eat and chill out for a bit, this long stretch of sand and gentler ocean than yesterday.

After Lorne, my next stop was near the small town of Aireys Inlet. Here you’ll find Split Point Lighthouse, another popular Great Ocean Road stop judging by the full car park! It’s then a short walk to the base of the lighthouse, a tall white beacon on the clifftop. There are tours available inside, but I opted for the free walking trails along the cliffs instead. From here I could admire the lighthouse and surrounding coastal views, which were just as beautiful as every view this weekend! Seriously, you’d think it would get boring, but it’s a truly stunning piece of coastline all the way along.

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Bells Beach & Torquay

I was slowly approaching the end of the Great Ocean Road, though I’m not sure where that officially is! There was time for a few more stops first though and next up was Bells Beach. This is known to be a great surfing beach, something I had yet to see given it’s such a quintessential Australian activity! Turns out, there was plenty to come in the next few weeks as I journeyed up the East Coast. But for now, I stood on the platforms high above the beach, watching the surfers amongst the waves below. Some trying their luck on a particular wave, others drifting and waiting for the perfect break. With the sun getting low, it was a peaceful, scenic stop.

Last up was Torquay, where I suppose we can say my Great Ocean Road trip ended. It seemed like a bigger town than many others, but I didn’t have too long to see what was on offer. After a quick refuel of the car, I had just enough time for a walk along the Esplanade. This park sits above Torquay Beach, dotted with sculptures and playgrounds. It’s like the best of both worlds, trees and greenery alongside yet more ocean views. After one last look to soak in this fantastic coastline, it was time to leave the Great Ocean Road. I travelled north to Melbourne Airport, and onwards to the iconic city of Sydney.

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Great Ocean Road Trip

My weekend along the Great Ocean Road was as stunningly beautiful as I’d hoped. Helped by near-perfect weather no doubt! I’m not typically one for road trips, as too much driving exhausts me. Despite the fact I’ve taken many in the last year of my travels! But this one isn’t too long, relatively speaking, so I had lots of time to break up the drive with sightseeing stops. You could even extend this over more days and really take your time over it.

It was definitely very busy, especially around the Twelve Apostles of course. They were certainly a stunning sight, but I felt like lots of the other places I saw were just as nice – and much less crowded. So my recommendation would be yes, go see the Apostles for sure, but make sure to factor in time for other locations too. It’s a great road trip for a few days out of Melbourne for a break from the city, with such breathtaking natural scenery just a couple of hours away.

There’s lots more coastal views to come on the rest of my Australia travels, as I head to the East Coast next!