Inspiring travel through photography

You are here: Home / Travel / Oceania / Australia / Highlights of our Great Ocean Road Self Drive in Australia

//  87 Comments

Billed as one of the world’s most spectacular road trips, the Great Ocean Road runs from Torquay to Allansford along the southern coast of Australia in the state of Victoria. Despite its name and impressive coastal views, much of the drive is inland through temperate rainforest, offering wildlife spotting opportunities. Unlike many of the long stretches of Australian roads, the Great Ocean Road self-drive should be savoured, drank slowly like a fine wine.

We took two days, stopping to see each of the Great Ocean Road highlights below.  If you don’t have a car, don’t worry, GetYourGuide can take you from Melbourne.

⇒ Check availability of The Great Ocean Road Adventure Day Tour from Melbourne 

Key Stops: Great Ocean Road Victoria Australia

Day 1: Torquay to Apollo Bay

Bells Beach (Australia’s Famous Surf Beach)

Easter weekend brings the world’s best surfers to Bells Beach for the annual Rip Curl Pro. However, on the calm day that we visited it was difficult to imagine that this is one of Australia’s most famous surf beaches. The annual surf event has been held here since 1961, converting to a professional competition in 1973.

Bells Beach was the first stop on our Great Ocean Road self-drive adventure. From the carpark, we had two options: Bells or Winkipop Beach (another of the popular Great Ocean Road beaches).

Bells Beach the most famous of the Great Ocean Road Beaches in Victoria Australia
Bells Beach, home to the annual Rip Curl Pro surf competition
Over 100 steps lead down to Bells Beach.
There are about 100 steps down to Bells Beach

Views From the Boardwalk at Point Addis Marine Reserve

The short boardwalk at Point Addis leads to expansive views of the Point Addis Marine Reserve. This protected reserve covers 4,600 hectares of ocean and extends from Bells Beach to the town of Anglesea.

View from the end of the Point Addis boardwalk on the Great Ocean Road drive
View of the Point Addis Marine Reserve from the boardwalk

Split Point Lighthouse

There is something romantic and quaint about a lighthouse, and the one at Split Point was no exception. It was built in 1891 in an area originally called Eagles Nest Point.

Split Point Lighthouse on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria Australia
Split Point Lighthouse
View from Split Point Lighthouse in Victoria Australia
View from behind Split Point Lighthouse

Memorial Arch at Eastern View

Possibly the most important, yet probably the most obscure fact about the Great Ocean Road is that it is the world’s largest war memorial. It was built between 1919 and 1932 by returned soldiers to honour their fallen comrades. The Memorial Arch at Eastern View is a tribute to the soldiers who constructed the road.

Memorial Arch at Eastern View on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria Australia
Memorial Arch at Eastern View

Lorne Australia: Erskine Falls and Teddy’s Lookout

There are two must-see stops in Lorne, Erskine Falls and Teddy’s Lookout. Lorne, an artist community, is a popular place to stop for the night.

⇒ Click here to compare accommodation prices at Hotels Combined  

While Erskine Falls can be seen from the lookout point, walking the 200+ steps to reach the bottom is well worth the effort. The power of the water cascading 30 metres over one of the Otway’s highest points can’t really be appreciated from the top. I used a tripod to create the flowing water effect in the image below.

Erskine Falls in Lorne Australia
Erskine Falls

Read next: How to Photograph Waterfalls 

St. George River outlet seen from Teddys Lookout in Lorne, Australia
St. George River outlet viewed from Teddy’s Lookout in Lorne.

Sunset

Views while drving the Great Ocean Road between Lorne and Apollo Bay, Australia
We enjoyed the sunset as we drove, finally stopping to capture this shot between Lorne and Apollo Bay.

Great Ocean Road Accommodation

We opted to stay in Apollo Bay. If you are travelling in winter, you can fairly easily take the gamble that you will find accommodation wherever you find yourself at sunset. However, in peak season you will probably fail if you try this. There are several great options ranging from resorts to hostels. We highly recommend booking ahead if you are travelling the great ocean road in spring, summer, autumn, or during Australia school holidays.

⇒ Find the best prices for Great Ocean Road accommodations at Hotels Combined 

OR

⇒ Check pricing and availability at Booking.com

Day 2: From Apollo Bay to Point Fairy

If my photos from the first day of our Great Ocean Road self-drive adventure didn’t inspire you to hop on a flight to Australia, perhaps the next portion of our journey will. Day two took us from Apollo Bay to Point Fairy, just beyond Allansford, the end of the Great Ocean Road.

Maits Rest Rainforest in Great Otway National Park

Maits Rest rainforest walk in Great Otway National Park Australia
Maits Rest in Great Otway National Park is named for the area’s first forester, Maitland Bryant, who rested his horses here between his patrols.

Wild Koala spotted from the road to Cape Otway Lightstation

Wild koalas live in the eucalyptus forest lining the sideroad from the Great Ocean Road to the Otway Lightstation. As Jeff drove, I kept my eyes peeled on the trees. They are not easy to spot, but so exciting to see when we were successful. In total, we were able to spot five wild koalas on this portion of the drive, all from a distance.
TIP: Bring binoculars. It makes the search for the koalas much easier. 

Koala seen from the Great Ocean Raod
Koala spotted from the road to Cape Otway Lightstation

Read Next: Kangaroo, Koala, Platypus and Other Australian Animals

The Twelve Apostles in Australia

Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park are a quite impressive collection of limestone stacks rising from the sea. They are the most famous site on the journey, however, they were not our favourite. Once called the “Sow and Piglets,” some say the name was changed to increase tourism. I guess it works. This was by far the most crowded destination we came to along the Great Ocean Road.

Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park Australia
Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park
Looking east from Twelve Apostles in Australia
The view to the east from Twelve Apostles lookout

Loch Ard Gorge

The Loch Ard Gorge was named after the clipper ship Loch Ard that ran aground at a nearby island in 1878.

Razorback

It was impossible to capture the true magnitude of the Razorback. According to the signage, the sharp edges and bumps along the back are caused by wind-blown spray. It was one of my favourite stops on our Great Ocean Road self-drive. The Razorback along the Great Ocean Road in Australia

The Arch

The Arch along the Great Ocean Road in Australia
The Arch is another site worth hiking down to see.

The Grotto

The viewing platform is a 350-metre walk from the carpark, but the real magic of the Grotto is seen from down at sea level. There is a labyrinth of stairs and walk paths to bring you there. The Grotto is a sinkhole (although completely different from the sinkhole we saw in Oman). Once at the bottom, it was my favourite of the rock formations we saw on the day.

The Grotto along the Great Ocean Road in Australia
View from the Grotto viewing platform
The Grotto along the Great Ocean Road in Australia
The Grotto from sea level.w

We went beyond Allansford, the westbound end of the Great Ocean Road to the charming fishing village of Point Fairy. We spent the night nearby in a converted old convent.  From there we turned inland to the Grampian Mountains. Then we completed the loop heading back to Melbourne after a quick tour of an insane asylum.

Read Next: The Grampians to Melbourne: Kangaroos, Skinks, Waterfalls and More

Where is the Great Ocean Road in Australia?

Great Ocean Walk – One of the Great Walks of Australia

If you are into hiking and outdoor adventure, perhaps you should try the 7-day, 104 kilometres Great Ocean Walk. Walking 10 to 15 km per day and sleeping in hike-in campsites, you will travel from Apollo Bay to the Glenample Homestead (near the 12 Apostles, Victoria). The walk meanders through the Otway National Park along high cliff tops and sandy beaches.

Do it yourself, or go with a guide. For an even bigger, yet more luxurious adventure, check out this guided Great Ocean Road Walk including eco-luxe lodging and meals. You’ll walk from Apollo Bay to Cape Otway Lightstation in only four days and be rewarded with a helicopter ride over the 12 Apostles, Australia at the end of the tour.

⇒ Check the itinerary and availability of the 4-Day Twelve Apostles Walk

Practical Tips on the Great Ocean Road Self Drive

  • As a straight drive, one could travel from Torquay to Allansford in about two hours, but you will miss some of the best scenery in Australia. Our advice, don’t try to do a Great Ocean Road day trip. Instead, stay at least one night. There is a full range of options in the area.

⇒ Compare prices at Hotels Combined OR ⇒ At Booking.com

  • Stop often and be prepared to walk. We easily walked 10-15K steps each day.
  • Bring insect repellent. Lots of it.
  • Bring a light jacket, the weather is very changeable.

Want it all, but don’t have a car?

⇒ Check availability of The Great Ocean Road Adventure Day Tour from Melbourne 

If you enjoyed this Great Ocean Road itinerary, please share it on social media including Pinterest:
Bells Beach (Australia's Most Famous Surfing Beach), one of many sites along the Great Ocean Road in Australia. Twelve Apostles is one of several stunning sites along the Great Ocean Road in southern Australia

 

What’s your favourite spot along the Great Ocean Road?

Sharing is Caring

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. What magnificent views! I’ve seen photos of the 12 Apostles, but I had no idea that the road was so beautiful and had such a fascinating origin. I hope to make it there sometime.

    Reply

  3. My favorite photo is the one of Erskine Falls — I love that slow shutter speed effect. What a memorable drive with stunning coastline views! The memorial arch history was especially fascinating to me.

    Reply

  5. This would be a bucket list item for me. Stunning photos of stunning scenery – how about that Erskine Falls? wow. And the koala, too. Looks like it was a fantastic trip and doing it in 2 days would be preferred.

    Reply

  7. I love Great Ocean Road – went on a day trip from Melbourne many years ago during my uni days (I was studying in Adelaide). It’s great that you went on a self-drive for a few days because there are so many places en route to the Twelve Apostles to see and enjoy. Great photos, love it! 🙂

    Reply

  8. I did a day tour of the Great Ocean Road while I was visiting Melbourne one weekend and had such a great day. It’s just a stunning part of the country! Your post brought back some fantastic memories. Thank you 🙂

    Reply

  10. This one road trip I really want to do, the scenes look incredible. It’s interesting that you said a lot of the drive is inland through rainforests, I didn’t realise that.

    I can’t believe you got to see five wild koalas as well, now I am jealous.

    Reply

  11. Australia’s landscape looks like a combination of Coastal California and Hawaii. If I were to look at any of those pictures and guess, I would say one or the other of these two states. At any rate, the Great Ocean Road looks absolutely spectacular and I can only hope to be able to do it someday.

    Reply

  12. It’s my dream to do an Australian road trip one day! I love a good ol’ pack your bag and hit the road trip-especially along a coast as gorgeous as this! Looks like a blast!

    Reply

  17. All your pictures are so stunning! Driving along the Great Ocean Road must be so breathtaking! Can’t wait to go there one day.

    Reply

  18. When we visited Australia many moons ago with my family (we picked up my brother from school at Melbourne and traveled for two weeks) we decided against doing the Great Ocean Road. Gah. So sad to have missed it. It is definitely everything I would love to see. Unique rock formations set in a brilliant blue sea PLUS KOALAS?!? Oh my goodness. I love this post so much. Beautiful and great tips. Cheers from the other side of the world!

    Reply

  19. I stupidly done the Great Ocean Road in a day. We left at 7am and got to the 12 Apostles just in time for sunset! Which was stunning, but then we had a 2 hours drive back home in the pitch black which probably wasn’t ideal for my friend. I eally wish we had done it over a weekend like you suggest, but okay well. Live and Learn! I absolutely loved Lorne, I don’t know why, it was just so quaint, and the Erskine falls were beautiful

    Reply

  21. Stunning captures and I couldn’t stop admiring the beauty. The apostles, the arches, the beach – everything was beautiful. I would love to take up the 7 days walk maybe one day in life.

    Reply

  22. WOW! Those sites are gorgeous. You certainly have an eye for a great picture! I love the Loch Ard Gorge. Wonder how many years the water was bangin’ up against that rock to make it like that… THANKS FOR SHARING!!!

    Reply

  26. I hear you on the slow, savored road trip. No better way to do it Rhonda. Unless you drive through relative wasteland it feels more fun to slow down, calm down and soak up the experience. Eye-popping images as always.

    Reply

  30. How beautiful, it’s really amazing how those rocks form and created a mesmerizing view and deeply impressive shots of photos Rhonda.

    Reply

  31. We sadly had to cut the Great Ocean Road from our itinerary when we visited Australia. So much to see; so little time! This is the 3rd Australian road trip post I’ve read this week, and I think I’ve now figured out that I need to drive around the ENTIRE continent. Erskine Falls is so pretty, especially since what I was expecting was just ocean photographs.

    Reply

    • Thanks, Michele. Driving in Australia is very slow. The country is quite vast and there is quite a bit of nothing between each site. I don’t think would drive the entire country in one trip. But, it’s easier for me as it’s just across the Tasman Sea.

      Reply

  40. Awesome photos again, Rhonda! I drove the great ocean road last year on the first day it was reopened after the big fires in the area. We didn’t stop as much as you guys did apart from camping in the area and visiting the obvious twelve apostles. I wish we had done a bit more hiking though! We also had the joy of meeting a sleepy koala who walked on the road and made the traffic stop for 10 minutes while everyone were trying to calm themselves while enjoying their first encounter with a wild koala.

    Reply

  48. Beautiful photographs Rhonda! Travelling along the Great Ocean Road is up very high on my wish list!! I live in Brisbane but have been to Melbourne and the Dandenongs but not yet The Great Ocean Road or the Mornington Peninsula – both areas I really want to visit. One day soon I hope!!

    Reply

  52. This brings back soooo many memories, you wouldn’t believe it. I used to live in Melbourne and went to Torqay, Bells Beach, GOR, Apollo Bay, the lighthouse, Erskine Falls etc. etc. many, many times. And loved it every time. Well, except for when there were so many (Asian) visitors that it was hard to get a glimpse 🙂 But all was and is good. Thank you for the memories brought by your wonderful photos.

    Reply

  54. Your photos are awesome, as usual! We drove the Great Ocean Road on a trip to Australia a few years back and it was super crowded. We must have picked the absolute worst time of year. We did not, however, stop at Erskine falls, gorgeous! #wkendtravelinspiration

    Reply

  56. Wow you’re pictures are amazing. I did part of the drive a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I would love to go back and do the whole thing. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard

    Reply

  58. The Great Ocean Road is one of those epic road trips that everyone visiting Australia should do. I have done the trip twice and could still return again and again. There are eye popping scenes at every corner. Lovely photo Rhonda.

    Reply

  62. These photos are amazing. I can see why this is one of the greatest coastal drives in the world. The place has a mix of a lot of things I enjoy in road trips (great beaches, waterfalls, etc.). #TPThursday

    Reply

  63. I’ve been to the Great Ocean Road twice, but missed the Eskrine falls both times; argh! Next time I’m there, I’ll definitely have to make sure to see it (:

    My favourite icon there is The Grotto, though. Have you seen it? It’s one of the rock structures in the sea (like the 12 Apostles, but better imo. lols). It’s such a gorgeous coastline!

    Reply

  64. Some great shots as always. I’ve always wanted to visit Australia, but I’m sure I’ll never make it there. We just aren’t the world travelers that you two are.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    Reply

  71. Hi Rhonda – gorgeous photos … and it’s an area I’d love visit. I wrote about it a few years ago on another blog – I probably need to rescue it – it had a different take (ships foundering and rescues) to your wonderful images … cheers Hilary

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

shares