Great Ocean Road Travel Guide

Australia's greatest scenic drive, the Great Ocean Road is a coastal route that stretches from Geelong and heads west to Nelson all the way to the South Australian border. Home to a number of famous natural and tourist attractions, the Great Ocean Road was hand built by returned WWI soldiers in memory of their fallen comrades. Beginning in Geelong, the Great Ocean Road winds its way through spectacular coastal scenery and through the towns of Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, Warrnambool and Port Fairy. The Great Ocean Road continues west to Portland and Nelson on the South Australia border. Along the way you'll spot many famous attractions including a well-signed shipwreck tour and the famous Twelve Apostles.


Accommodation

Stretching from Geelong all the way down to the South Australian border, there are a huge range of Great Ocean Road accommodation options scattered along this scenic coastal drive. A major tourist attraction, the Great Ocean Road offers accommodation to cater to all travellers and budgets and can be found in some of the routes most popular towns and stop over destinations including Torquay, Lorne and Warrnambool. Boasting a comfortable range of room types and a full range of onsite facilities, these Great Ocean Road accommodation options are ideal for overnight stopovers or extended stays as you explore this iconic oceanside drive.


Holiday Packages

Great Ocean Road holiday packages are the ideal way to experience this amazing scenic route and are the best value for money option when it comes to seeing as much of this iconic tourist attraction as possible. With so much to see and so many places to visit along the way, Great Ocean Road holiday packages cut through the confusion and make planning your holiday seem much less overwhelming. Saving you both time and money, these Great Ocean Road holiday packages combine all your holiday needs into one discounted package. Offering a coordinated approach to your plans, these packages bundle together everything from accommodation to flights or car hire, transfers, tours, meals and even travel insurance, ensuring everything is taken care of before you hit the road.


Great Ocean Road Attractions

Along the scenic coastal route of the Great Ocean Road, there are a number of popular attractions to be found. Beginning in Geelong, you'll quickly discover the many ships that have been wrecked along the rugged coastline battered by the Bass Strait with Torquay's Historic Shipwreck Trail. Also home to famous Bells Beach, Torquay soon gives way to Anglesea and then Lorne, where you'll find the Angahook-Lorne State Park and further along, Apollo Bay. As you pass through Princetown and Port Campbell you soon arrive at Peterborough and perhaps the Great Ocean Road's most iconic attraction, the limestone stacks known as the Twelve Apostles. Continuing along the route you'll arrive in Warrnambool, home to attractions such as the Flagstaff Maritime Museum, 2 functioning lighthouses, a small passenger steamer and the breeding grounds of Southern Right Whales. Further on in Port Fairy, the historic stone and timber buildings are truly a sight to see. Finishing up in Portland and Nelson, heritage buildings, Battery Point and the Cape Nelson Lighthouse offer stunning views of the coast.


Getting to the Great Ocean Road

Conveniently located two hours out of Melbourne, getting to the Great Ocean Road is easy. There are two main routes, an inland itinerary that follows the Princes Highway from Geelong past picturesque country towns and rich farmland to Warrnambool. Alternatively, you can cross the West Gate Bridge to Geelong and either enjoy the stunning Bellarine Peninsula or start with Torquay along the Surf Coast Highway. For those planning on flying into Melbourne, the Avalon Airport is the closest airport to the Great Ocean Road and makes a more convenient alternative for arrivals. There are also some excellent public transport options from Melbourne including the V/Line service that departs Southern Cross Station to Geelong and Warrnambool and coach services from Geelong to Apollo Bay, Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland. A ferry service also runs between Queenscliff, the Bellarine Peninsula, Sorrento and the Mornington Peninsula.