If you love road trips and stunning ocean side views, then you definitely should do a road trip on the Great Ocean Road in Australia. This drive is considered one of Australia’s best drives and is a must do if you are in the state of Victoria. This post covers everything you need to know about spending one day on the Great Ocean Road in Australia.
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Table of Contents
What and Where is the Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is a 240+ kilometer stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia. The road starts in the town of Torquay and ends Allansford, Victoria. This beautiful stretch of coastal road was actually built by World War I veterans and is dedicated to soldiers killed during the war.
How to Visit the Great Ocean Road
Technically you can visit the Great Ocean Road in one day. It will a very long day but it is still possible. If you like to travel slow, consider making it a longer trip with some over night stays.
Most people visit the Great Ocean Road when they are visiting Melbourne. There are many tours that start early morning in Melbourne and drop you off in the evening. Most tours take around 12-14 hours, so like I mentioned above, it definitely is a long day. You can also visit the Great Ocean Road, independently and drive on your own. I have listed some pros and cons of both for your consideration.
Tour
- You don’t get to stop at places you want to
- Pre-fixed itinerary
- Long day from Melbourne
- Don’t have to worry about driving on winding roads (especially if you are not used to the driving on the left)
Self-Drive
- You can stop at any place you want even beyond the usual spots offered on tours
- Allows for spontaneity
- Can stay overnight if needed
See below for rental car options!
Where to Stop and What to See
Prepare to see limestone stacks of all shapes and sizes rising from the water as well as caves, grottoes, arches and beaches on your Great Ocean Road trip.
Most tours do not go past a sight called the Razorback, however, there are lots of places to see beyond the Razorback and even a little beyond the town of Port Campbell. Do not worry though as you will still some amazing beaches and rock formations on even the one day tours of the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne. The highlight of the road are the Twelve Apostles (there are only 8 now) and this is usually where you will also see the most amount of crowds.
Here are some places you will see on tour:
- The Twelve Apostles
- Gibson Steps
- Lord Ard Gorge
- Razorback
- The Bakers Oven
- Teddy’s Lookout
- Lorne Beach
- Apollo Bay (for lunch)
- A rain forest walk
- Kangaroo and koala spotting (if lucky!)
Here are some additional places you can visit if you self-drive. Note that these are all close to each other and very close to the Twelve Apostle so you are not adding that much more time by visiting.
- The Arch
- London Bridge
- The Grotto
- Bay of Martyrs
- Bay of Islands
As I said before, don’t worry if you cannot self-drive! As long as your tour covers the Twelve Apostles, which I think is the absolute highlight!
Most tours will also add on some other places in addition to the sights on the ocean.
Reverse Itinerary?
Consider visiting the Twelve Apostles first. To do this, you can actually take a short cut taking the A1 and taking an inland road, which comes out very close to the Twelve Apostles. Why do this? It avoids crowds, especially in the mid afternoon. From here, you can drive the short distance just beyond Port Campbell to see some of the other sights listed above and then make your way backwards towards Melbourne.
Recommended Tours
Regular Tour:
This highly recommended tour takes you through the coastal road, going through the sights in order. They offer pick up and drop off to and from your hotel which is a nice touch.
Reserve Itinerary:
This is the one I did and I really liked it! We were picked up from a central place in Melbourne and then we were taken straight to the Twelve Apostles via the A1. From there, we then proceeded to enjoy the rest of the sights on the Great Ocean Road. We even saw koalas and kangaroos both in the wild, which was a dream come true for me!
Where to Eat
Most people will eat either in Apollo Bay or in Port Campbell. There are lots of seafood places in both towns. But, you may also want to bring snacks for the road trip. If you are doing the reverse itinerary and looking for a sweet treat at the end of the day, stop at the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery! I have never seen such big scoops of ice cream in my life!
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