- Duration
- 1 day on the first stretch of the road (≈ 4 h 28 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- drive
- Start
- Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie
- Finish
- Lorne
- Pace
- moderate pace
- Best time
- leave early: Lorne parking is gone by lunch
- Budget per adult
- the chocolate stop is freePrices as of: 13 October 2026
Getting there
This is a drive. There is no train along the Great Ocean Road. From Melbourne, allow about 1 hour 30 minutes to Torquay, about 2 hours to Lorne, and a little over 3 hours to the Twelve Apostles if you do not stop. From 16 October 2026 the lookouts and the car park need a booking on twelveapostles.org.au. That booking is free until April 2027, and a card is still needed to complete it.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie~50 min at the stop
A chocolate factory at 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae. Free entry: an indoor and outdoor café with handmade chocolates and desserts, plus chocolate-making classes. Pet friendly.
Tip: Every day 9:00 to 17:00, except Christmas Day. Phone 03 5263 1588. With children, make this the first stop, before the drive wears them out.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 15 min · 12 km
2. Bells Beach~30 min at the stop
The lookout above the surf break. The Rip Curl Pro is held here at Easter. This is not a beach to swim with children.
Tip: Even without a board, walk down to the platform above the break, then drive on.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 35 min · 36 km
3. Split Point Lighthouse~30 min at the stop
The white 1891 tower above Aireys Inlet. The ocean is in the view from the grounds. This is the lighthouse from the children's series Round the Twist.
Worth knowing: The 34 m tower has shone since 1891, automated since 1919. Australian kids know it as the Twist family home in Round the Twist, though the interiors were a studio set.
Tip: Tower tours run on weekends and school holidays: 9 am to 5 pm in summer, 11 am to 3 pm in winter, children 5 and over. Book at ecologic.net.au or on 1800 174 045. It's windy, bring a jacket.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 8 min · 5 km
4. Memorial Arch~15 min at the stop
The arch at Eastern View. It marks the road built by returned soldiers after the First World War.
Worth knowing: The road was built from 1919 to 1932, the world's largest war memorial, and was a toll road until 1936. The arch went up in 1939 and was rebuilt three times: in 1973, after the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires and after a 1990 storm.
Tip: A stop of a few minutes. Then go straight on to Lorne while there is still a kerb space.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 15 min · 12 km
5. Lorne~1 h 10 min at the stop
The day ends on Mountjoy Parade: shops, the beach and the pier. It is the sensible night if tomorrow is koalas and the Otways.
Tip: Swim between the flags. Erskine Falls is a short drive inland. After the January 2026 floods only the upper lookout is open. The steps to the base and the river track are closed. Check Parks Victoria before you go.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.