The Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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  • sakmr
    Thane, India21 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD & THE 12 APOSTLES
    Beautiful Drive. We hired a car, that's the best way to explore the road. We didn't stay en route.. but you can take a 2 days tour as well, spending the evening in Leone. or Apollo Bay We had the most delightful lunch at Leone at Captain Hooked restaurant, serving lobster & crabs. the drive to the 12 apostles is just as beautiful as the destination itself. Some guides have suggested reaching 12 apostles first and then driving down the Great Ocean Road, however to note, is that the banks for parking are all on the left... so its easier to park the cars while driving towards 12 apostles. Be sure to view the apostles from different points including Gibson Steps
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 21, 2023
  • krocchi
    Singapore, Singapore1,430 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must visit in Melbourne
    A must visit to the great ocean road if you’re in Melbourne. Lots of beaches and places to look at and take photos. Recommended to spend a day or two to explore the area. Rent a car and you’re ready to go! The drive is about 3 hours from Melbourne. Be prepared to do a lot of walking as some of the places require some walking.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 23, 2023
  • Traveller
    Melbourne, Australia15,759 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the most famous places in Australia
    My wife and I drove along various parts of the Great Ocean Road recently during our holiday where we stayed for 2 nights at the Great Ocean Road Resort in Anglesea and another 2 nights at the RACV Resort in Torquay. This was the ninth time that I had driven along the Great Ocean Road over the years. By now, we have seen all the various highlights all the way from Torquay to Warrnambool from all our trips, most of them several times. We plan to visit again either next year, or the following year, as the views are spectacular.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 23, 2023
  • mary O
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This Californian loved The Great Ocean Road Tour
    Never heard of The Great Ocean Road before but because of Camille with Go West Tours, so many memories from our day exploring the Surf Coast, the Green Coast, and the Shipwreck Coast! Such a rich history in this part of Australia. Thank you Camille for a wonderful day…this trip is a must for those visiting Melbourne who want to get out of the city!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 15, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Zahed P
4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Despite being absolutely busy my point is about the views. The photos and ads show a lot but in fact the reality is different. The road takes 1:30 min on the map but in fact it is close to 2 h and the only duration you can see the ocean is totally 5 min in bits and piece unless you get off the car in every look out and see the ocean and the view. All of the ocean side of the road’s view has been blocked by dry or fresh tall bushes or trees so you can not see anything and just drive a road and come back. The points of interest are worthy of seeing and being knowledgeable about your country but you can see the same or better ones in other places in NSW too.
Written January 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mary O
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
Never heard of The Great Ocean Road before but because of Camille with Go West Tours, so many memories from our day exploring the Surf Coast, the Green Coast, and the Shipwreck Coast! Such a rich history in this part of Australia. Thank you Camille for a wonderful day…this trip is a must for those visiting Melbourne who want to get out of the city!
Written December 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NTXTravelBug60
Dallas, TX145 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We spent a fair amount of time studying up on the GOR. We finally decided to rent a car in Melbourne and spend 2-3 days on/around the GOR. Day 1: We left Melbourne, not too early, and drove "across" to Otway National Park--Otway Fly Treetop Adventures. Not super easy to find but Google Maps took us there--not a ton of signage, at least coming in from the north. We did the Treetop elevated walk, which I thought was amazing. But it is a fair amount of walking, some uphill on a trail to reach the actual treetop boardwalks. They also have a zipline experience. We didn't see any animals, but we had toured the rainforest in Queensland, so we knew a bit about what we were looking at--though this one is cool, not tropical. In October, the weather was fine and there were no insects to speak of. Not sure what other seasons are like.

We then drove down, thinking about going to the Otway LIghthouse, but it was getting late in the day. We arrived at Gibson Steps and were able to walk down to the beach. It was beautiful at 5pm (in October). But there are a lot of steps down, and I understand you can't walk down at high tide, so worth checking ahead if that is on your list. (I didn't know about it, so we were just lucky.) Stopped at Twelve Apostles (from the kiosk/walkway to the beach), and it was great, but the sun is better in the morning. Spent the night in Port Campbell.

Next morning, back to Twelve Apostles for amazing morning photos. It is really stunning. Then backtracked to the Otway Lighthouse, where we climbed the lighthouse, attended one "lecture" (one of the employees gave an engaging talk about people arriving at and living at the Lighthouse before there were any roads), and poked around. Then we went back west, stopping at Lock Ord and London Bridge, both beautiful. We finished that day in Portland, which is a quirkly little town.

Our third day, we actually drove west from Portland, which is technically past the end of the GOR. We visited Cape Bridgewater. The Blowhole Overlook was amazing, but the wind was probably blowing 40 mph. I don't think this is usual but may be common. The we drove around the Cape to where the Seal Colony is, but decided it was too windy and a long walk down to the boat and to ride over there (if it was even running, which I'm not sure about). We took the Sea Cliff Walk (I think that was closer to the Blowhole); this was a 1km walk (2km total) out and back. The forest part was a little buggy. The sea cliff was pretty, but it was very windy. I probably wouldn't do that again.

I'll skip the rest of that day and the drive inland back to Geelong for the third night, except to say those particular inland roads (through Hamilton) were quite rural. Not crowded, which was helpful, but one paved lane and not for nervous drivers.

After overnight in Geelong, we had a cool rainy day to kill before our 3pm flight from Melbourne, so we drove down to Angelsea and then to Lorne. It was a beautiful drive, and there is a Memorial Arch over the road in Lorne that makes a nice photo. This is the "beginning" of the GOR coming west from Melbourne.

I think the day trips from Melbourne would be fine for most purposes. It would be nice to have someone else driving, and I think they hit the highlights. However, it would be a longish day, and I don't think they visit the lighthouse (maybe they do?), certainly not the Otway Fly, and probably don't have time to go down the Gibson Steps, all of which we enjoyed. We probably could have done one less day if we knew better what there was to see and where...but can totally understand how some spend days just stopping and enjoying the area.

One other note: Our experience was not luxury hotels and dining along the way. The towns past Geelong (which was hopping!) are quite small, and in October some of the establishments are not fully open for the season. I imagine that in summer it is busier, for both better and worse experience.
Written November 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mallo_Pahanen
Helsinki, Finland616 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
Coastal road in the Australian model. Lots of nice things to see and sometimes you can see the beaches well just driving. Remember to stop in the cities and take photos from the best places on the trip. There aren't too many of them, and this clip isn't really great compared to the best.
Written October 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Traveller
Melbourne, Australia15,759 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
My wife and I drove along various parts of the Great Ocean Road recently during our holiday where we stayed for 2 nights at the Great Ocean Road Resort in Anglesea and another 2 nights at the RACV Resort in Torquay.

This was the ninth time that I had driven along the Great Ocean Road over the years. By now, we have seen all the various highlights all the way from Torquay to Warrnambool from all our trips, most of them several times.

We plan to visit again either next year, or the following year, as the views are spectacular.
Written October 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SOH KIEN PENG
Singapore, Singapore6,662 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Friends
Our friend's son drove us from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles and then to the London Arc at Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Road before turning back to Melbourne.

We started our journey at 9 am from our apartment at Sanctuary Lakes, arrived for our lunch at Apollo Bay and eventually reached the Twelve Apostles at about 2 pm. The whole journey took about 5 hours and it seemed to me very hectic with little time for exploration.

Our first stop was at Anglesea for a 10 min short toilet break. That was where I approached the tourist information kiosk for a map of the Great Ocean Road. The 2nd stop was at the Memorial Arc at Eastern View. I came to know that the Great Ocean Road was constructed by the hard labor of returned soldiers from the World War 1. We took photos with the iconic digger sculpture. Deep in my heart, I had full admiration and respect for these pioneers who created history so that the subsequent generations could enjoy the stunning beauty of the coastline.

At noon, we reached Apollo Bay and had our lunch at the Apollo Bay Seafood Cafe. We ordered Fish & Chips and had mussel noodles and in less than half an hour, we were on our journey again.

The Twelve Apostles was the climax of the day, and we were all delighted taking photos of the fascinating rocks from the wooden platform. From far, it is hard to determine the number of apostles still in existence. I heard that they are left with fewer than 10 due to the erosion from the sea waves. The afternoon sun rays fell directly and harshly on the rocks while the shimmering sea waves continued to spread their hands threatening their existence.

The London Arc was our final destination, and I found this rock formation unique and more beautiful as the rocks were nearer to the viewing platform and brightly crimson under the late afternoon sunlight.

My friend's son took another 2 hours or so to drive back to Melbourne taking the short cut. The whole journey was very hectic and long. It is like driving to Ipoh and back. He only took less than an hour rest while we were exploring at the Twelve Apostles. On our way back, we had our seafood dinner at Geelong and arrived at our apartment at 9 pm.

I am really appreciative to my friend's son who was so patient and skillful in his driving and untiringly accompanied his parents and us to complete the long drive. It was a memorable trip, and I would say that you have not been to Melbourne if you had not travelled the Great Ocean Road.


Written September 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

krocchi
Singapore, Singapore1,430 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
A must visit to the great ocean road if you’re in Melbourne. Lots of beaches and places to look at and take photos. Recommended to spend a day or two to explore the area. Rent a car and you’re ready to go! The drive is about 3 hours from Melbourne. Be prepared to do a lot of walking as some of the places require some walking.
Written September 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mrc282
World8,028 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Solo
the great ocean road extends from torquay to warrnambool. the road does not always hug the ocean coastline, it appears that 40% of the time, driving is inland.

not sure how some could do this as a day trip, but i think it's worth spending 2-3 days minimum to absorb the sights along the way

SIGHTSEEING HIGHLIGHTS
1) torquay
- australia national surfing museum
- front beach, back beach /surf beach, bells beach

2) anglesea
- point addis marine national park
- point roadknight
- urquhart bluff
- split point lighthouse

3) lorne
- great ocean road memorial archway
- swing bridge
- lorne beach
- teddy’s lookout to st george river inlet
- lorne pier
- detour to waterfalls (sheoak falls, phantom falls, erskine falls, henderson falls, lower and upper kalimna falls)

4) kennett river
- wildlife viewing at caravan park (crimson rosella, cockatoo, koala, etc.)

5) grey river
- shrapnel valley is home to koalas
- carisbrook falls

6) cape patton lookout

7) apollo bay
- cable station and museum
- mariner’s lookout
- harbor

8) cape otway
- maits rest rainforest walk
- cape otway lighthouse station

9) melba gully
- glow worms

10) gibson steps
- steep path down to the beach
- low tide for better walking

11) twelve apostles
- preferably visit during sunrise or sunset
- during sunset, the sun will be shining at you when looking at apostles

12) loch ard gorge
- probably my favorite stop along great ocean road
- razorback
- tom and eva
- mutton bird island
- island arch

13) bakers oven
- another favorite

14) sparks gully

15) port campbell
- 12 rocks beach bar cafe serves pretty good fish and chips

16) london arch
- london bridge no longer

17) the grotto
- window to the sea

18) bay of martyrs

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- areas 3) to 8) represent the best opportunities for wildlife viewing
- spotted wallabies at the hill next to st george river inlet, around 4 pm
- saw koala walking on the turn-off road leading to cape otway lighthouse station, around 10 am
- tower hill wildlife reserve also come highly recommended to me, an area which supposedly hosts emu, wallaby, kangaroo, koala. but this requires a 2h detour from the terminus of great ocean road
Written August 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tracy H
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
Absolutely stunning!! One of the best things journeys I've ever taken in Australia! all the towns along the way had excellent cafes and sights to see! This is a must do if you are in Australia!
Written July 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sakmr
Thane, India21 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
Beautiful Drive. We hired a car, that's the best way to explore the road. We didn't stay en route.. but you can take a 2 days tour as well, spending the evening in Leone. or Apollo Bay We had the most delightful lunch at Leone at Captain Hooked restaurant, serving lobster & crabs. the drive to the 12 apostles is just as beautiful as the destination itself. Some guides have suggested reaching 12 apostles first and then driving down the Great Ocean Road, however to note, is that the banks for parking are all on the left... so its easier to park the cars while driving towards 12 apostles. Be sure to view the apostles from different points including Gibson Steps
Written June 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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