Three days on the Great Ocean Road

1. Chocolaterie~40 min at the stop

The first stop, at Bellbrae, before the road starts to wind.

Tip: Entry is free, 9:00 to 17:00, except Christmas Day.

↓ drive · 15 min · 12 km

2. Bells Beach~25 min at the stop

The famous surf break next to Torquay, Australia's self-styled surf capital. From the lookout above the beach you watch surfers ride the swell: it's a photo stop, not a swimming beach.

Tip: Twenty minutes is enough. The lighthouse is about 35 minutes further on.

↓ drive · 35 min · 36 km

3. Split Point~25 min at the stop

The white 1891 lighthouse above Aireys Inlet, the one from the children's TV series Round the Twist. The headland looks out over the cliffs and beaches of the Surf Coast.

Tip: Tower tours run daily every 30 minutes, weather permitting. Book at splitpointlighthouse.com.au; without the climb you still get a good view of the tower from the headland.

↓ drive · 8 min · 5 km

4. Memorial Arch~10 min at the stop

The arch for the soldiers who built this road 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 short pull-off. Do not park on the bend itself.

↓ drive · 15 min · 12 km

5. Lorne~1 h 30 min at the stop

Overnight in Lorne, the resort town where the ocean meets the Otways rainforest. Evening on the pier and dinner on Mountjoy Parade; in the morning drive up to Teddy's Lookout.

Tip: Lorne Hotel is on this same street. Find the car park as you arrive, not after dinner.

6. Kennett River~25 min at the stop

A hamlet at the mouth of the Kennett River, where the Otways forest runs down to the sea. Look for wild koalas in the gums above Grey River Road; a half-hour stop is plenty.

Tip: Look up into the forks of the branches. Don't feed the koalas or the birds. Coffee and toilets nearby at Kafe Koala General Store.

↓ drive · 30 min · 32 km

7. Apollo Bay~50 min at the stop

Lunch by the harbour and a short walk. You can sleep here, and keep the lighthouse for the late light, or drive on to the lightstation now.

Tip: Fish by the harbour. Stop in town before the lighthouse: there are few cafes after Cape Otway.

↓ drive · 15 min · 17 km

8. Maits Rest~40 min at the stop

A short boardwalk through rainforest: myrtle beeches and tree ferns. With a pram this is easier than a falls track.

Tip: Wear shoes with a grip. After rain the boards are slippery.

↓ drive · 25 min · 22 km

9. Cape Otway Lightstation~1 h at the stop

The 1848 lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. The tower is closed for conservation works, with no climbs or interior access, but the grounds and café are open and tickets are half the usual price.

Worth knowing: First lit in 1848, it is the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. In 1859 a submarine telegraph cable ran from here to Tasmania, and in 1942 the Americans built a radar bunker on the cape that you can visit.

Tip: The current ticket is A$11 for an adult, A$10 concession, A$5 for a child aged 5 to 16, free under 5, and A$28 for a family of 2 adults and up to 3 children. You buy it on arrival. Open Friday to Tuesday, 9:30 to 16:30, last entry 16:00. Closed Christmas Day. Closed Wednesday and Thursday.

10. Gibson Steps~25 min at the stop

Cliff steps down to the beach under the bluffs. With children you can stay at the top lookout and skip the descent.

Tip: Stay well back from the water. The swell here knocks people over. The steps are steep.

↓ drive · 2 min · 1.2 km

11. Twelve Apostles~1 h at the stop

The lookouts and the new Keerray Woorroong centre. The light is best in the hour before sunset, but the slot has to be booked ahead.

Worth knowing: The stacks used to be called the Sow and Piglets. The name Twelve Apostles was chosen to attract tourists, though there were only ever nine; after collapses in 2005 and 2009, seven remain.

Tip: From 16 October 2026 visits are by booking only at twelveapostles.org.au, covering the centre, the lookouts and the car park (about 600 spaces). Bookings are free until April 2027, when a fee is due to start. The centre opens daily, 8am–8pm in daylight-saving time and 9am–5pm in standard time. Allow 1–2 hours for the centre and paths.

↓ drive · 7 min · 6 km

12. Loch Ard Gorge~35 min at the stop

The cove where the clipper Loch Ard was wrecked in 1878. Two people were saved from the ship. Short paths link the lookouts.

Tip: Stay back from the cliff edge. With small children the top platform is enough.

↓ drive · 9 min · 10 km

13. Port Campbell~50 min at the stop

The one sheltered cove on this stretch of coast. Coffee, and the night, if you are not driving on to Warrnambool.

Tip: Waves is in Port Campbell. Deep Blue hot springs in Warrnambool run in two-hour sessions: A$35 on a weekday daytime, A$45 on weekends, school holidays and public holidays, from age 5. Evening sessions cost more and are from 16 years. Book on thedeepblue.com.au, phone 03 5559 2000.