Great Ocean Road - 3 Day 2 Night Road Trip Itinerary
intro
The Great Ocean Road is an absolute must-do road trip when in Victoria. It’s an Aussie National Heritage listed stretch of road along the coast starting at Torquay, winding through Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell ending all the way at Warrnambool. The area is well-known for its beaches & views and is a popular spot for locals to getaway. Along this road, there are so many places to see, as well as plenty of towns to call your home! For our recent road trip, we decided to base ourselves in Port Campbell and come for the sightseeing (12 Apostles and nearby coastal lookouts). If you’re keen on coming for the sights, then I super recommend staying in Port Campbell as it’s minutes from most of the major sights. Plus, it’s the coziest little town away from the hustle and bustle which I just love.
Just follow our 3 Day 2 Night Great Ocean Road itinerary and you’ll be set!
In this itinerary I try to arrange things so that you’re visiting the more popular sights at quieter times during the day to skip the crowds. We take the coastal route on the way there, and head inland to explore The Otways on the way back.
DAY 1
Drive: Melbourne > Geelong > Lorne (2-2.5 HRS)
It’s time to head out! Our road trip starts in Melbourne and our first destination is Lorne but since that’s a little far, let’s make a stopover in Geelong on the way. The drive from Melbourne to Geelong is just over an hour (depending on where you live) and Geelong is a great place to fuel up, have a toilet break, pick up some snacks or come by for brunch.
If you’re looking for a good place to do all of that, you can put in Geelong West Woolworths as a starting point - they have a clean public toilet block, there’s a Woolies and there’s also a petrol station nearby as well.
Onwards to Lorne! Just another hour or so will get you to our first spot, Teddy’s Lookout.
DESTINATION 1: TEDDY’S LOOKOUT
Teddy’s lookout is a gorgeous spot in Lorne to stop and stretch your legs. There is a small car park that leads you on a short walk to the upper view point. Here, you’ll find a few picnic tables along the path if you want to have some food. However do note, there aren’t any toilets (but plenty in Lorne itself). The lookout area is provides sweeping coastal views of the Great Ocean Road from high up above.
DRIVE: TEDDY’S LOOKOUT > ERSKINE FALLS (15 mins)
DESTINATION 2: ERSKINE FALLS
Just 15 mins from Teddy’s Lookout is the gorgeous Erskine Falls, one of the most popular waterfalls in the area. There are two lookouts here, the upper lookout is just a few minutes from the car park providing a beautiful view of the waterfalls from above (and afar). If you have time, the 240 steps down towards the lower lookout at the base of the waterfall is well worth it! Here, you can see the 30 metre falls from up close amongst the tree-fern gully.
On busy days the carpark will be full and you’ll have to park further up on the road.
Drive: ERSKINE FALLS > Apollo Bay
Onwards to Apollo Bay! This drive will take you around 1 hr.
Lunch @ APOLLO BAY
Apollo Bay is one of the most popular coastal towns to stay on the Great Ocean Road (mental note to stay here for a few days next time). But today, we’re just here to grab lunch. This coastal town is known for its seafood but there are plenty of options here with a large shopping strip filled with restaurants and cafes to choose from. We headed to Apollo Bay Seafood Cafe for some grilled fish & chips and couldn’t resist stopping off at Apollo Bay Bakery who do an amazing scallop pie. If you haven’t had scallop pie before, you absolutely must try it out! The other place we really wanted to check out was Apollo Bay Fisherman’s Co-op however unfortunately it was closed!
Drive: Apollo Bay > Port Campbell
With our bellies full it’s time to head on for the last part of our drive to Port Campbell. It’s a 1 hr 20 min drive - If you need to break it up, you could stop off at Lavers Hill.
Check in @ Port Campbell
Port Campbell is a tiny town and basically everything in town is within 10 mins walking distance making it a really easy place to base yourself. Our accommodation in Port Campbell was The Port O Call - a cosy little place right on the main street. It’s got the most beautiful, relaxing decor and each room has a little shared deck & garden perfect for relaxing. The rooms are spacious with large bathrooms and there’s also a small carpark perfect for all you road-trippers! The owners Jarryd & Sofia are super lovely as well - we most definitely loved and recommend this place!
Dinner @ Real Pizza & Pasta
Hungry yet? Luckily dinner’s only three doors down! Head down to REAL Pizza & Pasta, previously known as Nico’s. Here you can satisfy all your pizza and pasta cravings. The menu offers a build your own pizza / pasta option where you can choose your favourite toppings to create your own customised pizza or pasta which is what we did.
Do note that if you’re visiting during peak travel periods it’s best to make a booking as the restaurant / town is small. Otherwise, you can always grab takeaway - just call ahead before hand in case there’s a wait!
DAY 2
Breakfast: Grassroots Deli Cafe
Start your day off with a quick bite at Grassroots Deli Cafe again, just a few doors down from The Port O Call. They do yummy breakfast made using local produce and have both indoor and outdoor seating. Definitely recommend sitting outdoors under the sun on a nice day! Again if you’re visiting Port Campbell during peak travel periods, I suggest booking ahead for all your restaurants / cafes.
12 Apostles
The beautiful 12 Apostles is probably the most popular sightseeing spot out of them all so we’re going to head here in the morning when it’s still quiet as most people come visit first thing when they arrive in the afternoon. If you can hack it, you can also go sunrise but don’t worry if that’s too early as the viewing area is extremely large with multiple viewing platforms that I think you would still have a peaceful experience any time in the morning.
The 12 Apostles is around a 10 minute drive from Port Campbell. When arriving, do note that the car park is on the inland side of the road which can be really confusing (given The Apostles are on the coastal side of course). So do make sure you turn off onto the inland road when you see the sign instead of what we did which was drive past it twice because it couldn’t possibly be inland! Once you park your car, follow the signs pointing to the pedestrian underpass that goes under the road and takes you to the boardwalk and various viewing platforms at The 12 Apostles. It’s a beautiful, large area so do take your time in to soak in all the sights from every angle!
Thunder Cave
After visiting the 12 Apostles, sneak in a short drive to Thunder Cave. It’s a little lookout point near Loch Ard Gorge (don’t worry we’re saving that for later!) and includes a nice walk through the coastal shrubland. It’ll take you maybe 10-15 mins (its 500m one way) to walk to the point - a scenic cave lookout with crashing waves. It’s quite unique compared to the other limestone formations and comes with a relaxing walk as well. If you want to go further, you can also check out Sherbrooke River which is also along the same track but we didn’t end up going!
Lunch: Port Campbell
We had leftover pizza from the night before in our fridge and plenty of road trip snacks left to consume so skipped lunch in favour of some chill time on the lawn outside our room. I was deep-in a novel on my e-reader. However, there are plenty of options to check out in town.
The Grotto
Round 2 of sightseeing begins! We’re headed west of Port Campbell this time to see a few spots in Petersborough. Again, it’s only 15 mins max drive from Port Campbell. The first stop will be The Grotto, which is actually a sinkhole. There are beautiful rock formations here and is a nice and relaxing stop over.
London Bridge
Just a few minutes drive from The Grotto and in the direction back to Port Campbell is another lookout point - London Bridge which I always remember because my dad once told the story that back in the day he once walked across a (now broken) bridge that connected the mainland to the London Bridge! This section collapsed in early 1990 leaving the sight we now see today.
The Arch
After London Bridge, you can check out The Arch. This is a quick stopover with a couple of small viewing platforms of this arch by the sea sculpted by erosion by the sea & winds.
Dinner: 12 Rocks beach bar
Back to Port Campbell for an afternoon siesta followed by an early dinner? Sounds great to me! Make a booking at 12 Rocks Beach Bar for some yummy bites by the water.
Gibson Steps
Fancy a sunset stroll? Take a short drive to Gibson Steps (10 mins) to enjoy the last rays of the day. From here you can marvel at the two limestone stacks by the water, as well as the beautiful cliff-line.
Note it’s best to visit the beach at Gibson Steps only when it is low tide. Do not visit when it is high tide the waves can reach the bottom of the stairs.. So do check tide levels for the day you plan to visit and schedule an appropriate time during the day accordingly. This beach is also not safe for swimming, just sightseeing please.
DAY 3
Breakfast: Forage on the Foreshore
Our last day! Start the morning off at Forage on the Foreshore, a popular beachside cafe in Port Campbell focusing on fresh, locally sourced produce. Pictured below is the lobster omelette + Barongarook pork sausage.
Check out
It’s time to check out, bye Port O Call! PS I told you this place is cute!
Loch Ard Gorge
But that doesn’t mean the sight-seeing has to end. We’re going to make the most of this peaceful morning with our first stopover at Loch Ard Gorge. There are numerous trails and lookouts heres but Loch Ard Gorge itself is popular spot on the Great Ocean Road so we’ll start with this first! Down the stairs you’ll see the famous Gorge as well as a couple of limestone caves.
Tom and Eva Lookout
In the same area, just down a different path is Tom and Eva Lookout. It’s a pretty and peaceful spot and well worth checking out! The two limestone stacks here actually used to be an arch, but it eroded away.
The Razorback
Just a bit further up on the same trail is The Razorback. This is probably one of my favourite lookout points on the Great Ocean Road as it offers a beautiful panoramic view of the ocean. The Razorback is the narrow limestone stack that you see below.
Island Arch Lookout
Island Arch Lookout is also on the same trail as the previous two lookouts and provides you with a view back at Loch Ard Gorge. It is here that you can also see the exact point of the Loch Ard shipwreck which occurred in the 19th century.
Drive: Port Campbell > The Otways
It’s time to head back home. On the way back, we’re going to take the inland route to visit The Otways. The drive from Port Campbell to The Otways region is around 1 hr.
Otway FLY Tree top ADVENTURES or Forest Walk
There are various forest walks and waterfalls to visit in The Otways to enjoy this special coastal rainforest area. Choose as you wish one of each. We decided to visit Otway Fly Tree Top adventures to do their tree top walk pictured below. However there are also free walks in the area such as Maits Rest Rainforest walk. Waterfalls you can check out if you have time include Triplet Falls, Hopetoun Falls and Beauchamp Falls.
Drive: The Otways > Melbourne (2 hr 30 mins)
Back to Melbourne now and I hope you had a wonderful few days away! As always, a stopover in Geelong for petrol, bathroom and food is always a good idea before heading back to Melbourne.
I hope you enjoyed this Great Ocean Road Itinerary!
Next time I’m back in the area, I’d love to base ourselves in Apollo Bay, Lorne or another coastal town to better explore those areas as well!