We love this place and even bought one of their horses a few years ago! Loch Iel (Pink Lake) The inland Melbourne to Adelaide drive takes around 5.5 hours from the Grampians. Children: $99 $94 (3 - 15 years) Minimum age 3 years. The Great Ocean Road in Victoria is a world-famous, Australian National Heritage-listed site along the Sydney to Melbourne drive. Please note: this popular area is big and therefore the tour involves quite a lot of driving. Although i highly recommend visiting Warrnambool, you may not have the time to spend there. The Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most stunning coastal drives, winding along Australia's southern coast in Victoria (Australia).The undisputed highlight of the drive is the Twelve Apostles, but the Great Ocean Road leads past many more sights of interest, from bustling coastal towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay to the lush rain forests of Great Otway National Park. TheKennett River Koala Walkis the perfect place to get your fix. It can get quite chilly in winter and autumn, bring your warm clothes and it is always quite windy so keep a windcheater, scarf or cap handy. If you want to travel by bus, know that there are plenty from Geelong to Apollo Bay, Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland,all travelling via the Great Ocean Road. You will want to try and get ahead of as many tour buses as you can. Find out more, Along with so many natural attractions to experience, the Ocean Road also has activities to keep visitors on a self-drive tour busy for days. They finish at either the 12 Apostles or Warrnambool, and then drive back to Melbourne. Director, editor and producer of feature documentary about animal welfare in farming. Finally, we made it to Bells Beach in Torquay, the end point of the Great Ocean Road. Join the adventures on our YouTube channel! Yes, you can. You can also carry a pair of flip flops or sandals if you wish to dip your feet in the ocean at Loch Ard Gorge or any other beach enroute. If you arent restricted to only 1 day, give yourself at least 2 days to do the Great Ocean Road drive. The Memorial Arch (youve probably seen photos of people standing underneath it) symbolises the start of the road. To drive direct from the Melbourne CBD to Torquay, where the road officially starts, is 104km, or 1 hour and 20 minutes. Quest Warrnambool is the perfect place to do just that. Respect the speed limit. Visit some of the valleys most impressive wineries, go on a skydiving experience and simply kick your heels and relax. 6 Melbourne: Werribee Open Range Zoo Admission Ticket. Lorneis the closest town from the arch and a great spot to grab some lunch atBottle of Milk, use the facilities and continue on towardsKennett River. The area has a forest of gum and eucalyptus trees which are the main food source of koalas. 375km of scenic winding roads along the southern ocean will take you through some of the countrys most beautiful UNESCO-listed landscapes. The drive home will take you inland on country roads (be careful of any cattle or wildlife on the roads) before you hit the highway back to Melbourne. The Ultimate Guide To Watch Phillip Island Penguin Parade. ULURU: In our Guide to Uluru and Kata-Tjuta, learn how to get here, what to do, and how to plan your time. It takes 3 day to drive through the Great Ocean Road and to see all the attractions on the way. Our website uses cookies. Planning a trip to Australia? Just prepare yourself for a full day with an early start and late(ish) finish. Road trip: Melbourne to Great Ocean Road 277km Beach Culture Benefit Slip on your driving gloves and set off for a run down one the world's most celebrated and breathtaking roads. Although you could go through the city of Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, there's no need to as the Freeway Extension bypasses it, thus speeding . 639. The first stop when driving the Great Ocean Road will beGeelong. Includes: 4 nights' accommodation, 5 days unlimited km use of a compact sized car, continental breakfast in Barossa Valley and fully detailed itinerary with local and regional maps. The starting point of the Great Ocean Road that's closest to Melbourne, Torquay, is 64 miles (103 km) from the city. Most people start the Great Ocean Road drive from Melbourne to Torquay. If you fancy trying your luck to spot some wildlife head out to nearbyLake Elizabeth. Lorne Seabaths, Gym, inground Trampolines for kids, and more. These tours are crafted to help you cover most of it in a short span of time, something you may not be able to do as a tourist in the city. We would appreciate some advice for an itinerary driving from Melbourne to Cape Jervis via the Great Ocean Road visiting Phillip Island and Kennett River where we may hopefully see some Koalas, on the way. Theyll even show you how to throw a Boomerang and spear! This is one of Victorias best bush and ocean walks. Next, we got off the beaten track, taking an unnamed dirt road towards the shoreline. We had a villa, a small, two bedroom cabin with a kitchen and ensuite bathroom. Visit surf beaches, seaside towns, and national parks; and see rain forest, wild koalas, and towering waterfalls. Your story was very useful for us to plan our one day trip in March 2020 just before the corona virus outbreak. While your stop here signals the end of your epic 3 day Great Ocean Road itinerary, youre now on to new and exciting things. You also get to enjoy free WiFi onboard, tea and snacks and relax in comfort between spots. It has great local produce, excellent surf beaches, and play parks for the kids to burn off energy. The road driving distance between Melbourne to Portland via Great Ocean Road is 446 Km. Although most Great Ocean Road tours offer snacks they might be limited and since you are in for a long day its best to stock up on extra snacks and beverages for the road. Some of the beautiful coastal towns you will come across during your drive are Apollo Bay, Cape Otway, Port Campbell, Torquay, and Lorne. This is the start of their Great Ocean Road drive. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. Kms. It is summer and it is simply beautiful on the road! So you may get lucky to lay your eyes on some of these cute local beach dwellers. How long does it take to drive the Great Ocean Road? From AUD$940.00* per person, based on [] Getting stuck behind tour buses will add to your travel time. TheForeshore Promenadeis a great place for a stroll as well and stretches on for about 6 km. Day 3: Warrnambool to Port Fairy then Melbourne (or Adelaide) Distance: 30km to Port Fairy, then 312km to Melbourne. However, when the winds pick up it is best to stay above the Grotto. Drive Time: 30 minutes to Port Fairy, 4 hours to Melbourne. Now youll be able to find the wreckage in shallow waters, which makes it great for divers to explore. Melbourne To Phillip Island Tour: A Complete Guide For A Perfect Day Trip, We've served 15 million+ guests and we are here for you, All You Need For An Epic Great Ocean Road Tour From Melbourne, Happy customers across 10,000+ experiences, 5,000+ verified reviews with 90% excellent score, Featured and recommended by the best brands, Have a question? Explore the cool temperate rainforest of the Great Otway National Park, waterfalls on Great Ocean Road, best viewpoints, koalas, and wildlife. While it is possibe to do most of these in a day with an early start and quick pitstops at every location, you should factor in a 2 day trip for a sedate trip. all things travel. Great Ocean Road Tours that offer the best itinerary and great sights within a day from Melbourne. Many travelers continue on to Warrnambool and Adelaide or up to the Grampian Mountains while others are returning to Melbourne. We could not get too close to the edge or else we would risk being pulled into the ocean by a rogue wave. Victoria is the second-smallest state in Australia but packed with abundant natural beauty, all of which is easily accessible on quick day trips from Melbourne. It is a popular stop for photographs with the name of the road and the plaque. Here's all you need to know about taking a Great Ocean Road Tour From Melbourne - itinerary, best tours, highlights and quick hacks. The waves here were big, similar to US east coast waves just before a hurricane. DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD: For more places to visit around the world, check out our Destinations page. From Portland, we drove 2 hours (160 km) to get to Port Campbell, the start of the Great Ocean Road. 52 Great Weekends > No 3: Portland No 3: Portland Located a little over 4hrs Melbourne, Portland is well worth the drive. A Melbourne road trip to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road can be done over 5 days, easily seeing the best of the Ocean Road highlights. - See 1,941 traveler reviews, 942 candid photos, and great deals for Melbourne, Australia, at Tripadvisor. You can buy Great Ocean Road Tours online which would cover your itinerary and tickets for attractions. The Twelve Apostles are giant limestone stacks jutting out of the ocean that form one of the most recognizable landscapes in Australia. The Email id you have Entered is not Registered With us. We have been travelling the world together since 2008, with a passion for adventure travel and sustainable tourism. You can also find the distance from Portland Ln to Mildura VIC 3500 using other travel options like bus, subway, tram, train and rail. The four of us made our way over to the cave, dodging waves washing up onto shore with approaching high tide. GREAT OCEAN ROAD Routing: Melbourne to Adelaide Duration: 5 Days Code: M01 From AUD$685.00* per person, based on standard double/twin share accommodation. If you want to get the most of a day trip down the Great Ocean Road but do not want to self-drive, a bus tour will be the perfect option. We drove from Adelaide to Portland, spent the night in Portland, and then drove the Great Ocean Road. For a shorter track check outMaits Restwhich will take you through a beautiful section of rainforest. Truly a paradise, the area is a popular destination for water sports and recreation activities. Depart from Melbourne in the morning, and begin your Great Ocean Road journey. Day 2 - Pinnacles Walk in the Grampians National Park and drive to Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Road to stay overnight. The Grotto is multiple geological formations rolled into one and is one of the most spectacular points to view the coast. 1. Stevenson Falls, Triplet Falls, Little Aire Falls, andHopetoun Fallsare just a few of the many highlights here. A staircase leads you to view it at the eye-level and is best experience at low tide at sunrise or sunset. The colors are vivid, the sun is out and the water is ideal for water sports and activities, but it is also the busiest time of the year. You could drive the main highlights of the Great Ocean Road (from the Bay of Islands to the Twelve Apostles), and then drive to Melbourne on highway A1. However, the Great Ocean Road is a hit at any time of the year and here is why . Seeingthe Twelve Apostlesfor yourself should be at the top of your Australian Bucket list, no matter the weather. A dormant volcanic crater, Tower Hill is full of Australian wildlife (koalas, kangaroos, emus to name a few) and has lush wetlands and bush. . Made famous for theRip Curl Prohosted every Easter, Bells Beach is not only beautiful but a huge part of both Australian and surf culture. The first to know about trending destinations, travel deals, tips and It was in this area that we were treated to stunning views. Hello Ive so enjoyed the magnificent stories of your world tours and the stunning photos. Here we are, at another beach, and we have it all to ourselves. The main issues can be poor visibility due to fog, slippery roads in wet weather, and traffic from vehicles and pedestrians in the busy sections. Road Trip from Port Campbell to Melbourne, wine tasting in Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, 5 Amazing Things to Do on the Tasman Peninsula, Australia, The Great Barrier Reef: Cruising to Lady Musgrave Island. Fabulous horse riding through the forest or down along a long golden beach. There is also a plaque on the left side of the road which serves as a memory for the soldiers. 5 Day Great Ocean Road Itinerary: Day 1 - Melbourne to Lorne Setting out on the first section of the Great Ocean Road will take you from the Victorian capital of Melbourne to the coastal town of Lorne. A sandy trail took us down to a beach. There are also speed traps to catch those not sticking to the limits with fines up to (and above) $300AUD. December to February is summer, March to May is autumn, June to August is winter and September to November is spring. Soaring high above the limestone stacks youll get the best views of Victorias Shipwreck Coast. Recommended Experiences Yarra Valley Full Day Gourmet Tour Skydive Yarra Valley Tandem Freefall. Phillip Island: Penguin Parade Afternoon Wildlife Tour, Autumn (March to May): Cooler weather and fewer tourists, Winter (June to August): Whale watching season, cheaper accommodation and few tourists, Spring (September to November): Flowering season, perfect for visiting the Otways, mild weather and fewer crowds. 2 From Melbourne: Great Ocean Road and Wildlife Tour. The Great Ocean Road is a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Melbourne with dual lane highway conditions for most of the journey and excellent signposting. Along the way be sure to stop off at one of the small towns for a late afternoon-snack or coffee, or you can take a detour up to Ballarat for the night to learn about the gold rush. Thats the word that can truly capture the essence of the Great Ocean Road in Australia. 3. From AU $1625 to AU $1895 3 days ex flights. . Located just outside of Geelong and only 45 minutes from Melbourne CBD, Avalon Airport is the closest airport to the start of the Great Ocean Road, being only a 35 minute drive from Torquay. Cruising the Great Ocean Road is ranked amongst the top things to do in Australia. Or Warrnambool, Camperdown, Geelong, Melbourne. Deep lush valleys, sky-high rainforests, stunning waterfalls and tons of walking tracks make it a great spot to get off the beach and still be in nature. After the gorge youll pass the town of Port Campbell. We enjoyed our travels on the Great Ocean Road, the area of Port Campbell National Park being the highlight of the day. Well, at least until the constant winding roads started making Kara nauseous, giving her a front seat in our car and a dose of dramamine. What used to be a swamp was reclaimed and turned into these pretty gardens in 1858. You can spend more time at each location and engage in activities like trekking, swimming and adventure sports. The Cape Otway lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Australia and was rightly known as the Beacon of Hope. Passing the iconic 12 Apostles and other amazing natural features carved into the expansive coastline the Great Ocean Road is a road trip to remember. Melbourne Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges Gippsland Great Ocean Road Phillip Island Attractions More top attractions Sovereign Hill History & heritage Strike it rich with a day out in 1850s Ballarat and pan for gold, ride in a horse-drawn carriage and relive the Eureka Rebellion with sound and light. This is the most common Great Ocean Road route. There were no surfers, really there was no one else here other than a few curious people like ourselves. For those who love to drive and are comfortable in driving outside the city and through a variety of terrain it is a paradise waiting to be explored. Hi Tracy, November is a beautiful time to travel the Great Ocean Road. This will help you make the most of your time so you can see the things that matter to you. Conveniently located a little ways from Port Campbell, these serviced apartments have great rooms, a gorgeous pool area and make for a great stopover. It has some of the best park guides in the area to teach you about the history of the volcano as well as local Aboriginal history. Check out our Great Ocean Road tours. The Great Ocean Road offers amazing scenery, unforgettable natural features and quaint towns making it a unique vacation spot. Always hustling towards the least trodden path, she has encountered some wonderful people during her escapades and if you ever meet her, she won't stop gushing about them. Find out about other waterfalls in the Otways. Turn off for this road just before you reach Apollo Bay. Other options include coming from Adelaide, so if this is you, just read the itinerary backwards. Apollo Bay is a gorgeous seaside village, located at the entry to the Otways, and without a doubt is one of the most scenic and picturesque stops on our Great Ocean Road drive. For most people, the trip willstart in Melbourneand can be done in a loop or a return journey. You can also find the distance from Melbourne to Portland via Great Ocean Road using other travel options like bus, subway, tram, train and rail. The road starts in Torquay, and finishes in Allansford. It takes about 75 minutes to drive to, depending on the traffic leaving Melbourne. Check our. Starting and finishing in Melbourne is how most people do the Great Ocean Road drive in 1 day. A road trip along the Great Ocean Road & Grampians National Park is a trip where you feel small in the universe. Home to some of Australia's best-known surf beaches, Torquay marks the official beginning of the Great Ocean Road. But if you are driving under the speed limit and following protocols, it could be one of the best drives of your life given the amazing view throughout the drive. It's also possible to travel from Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great . ThePort FairyBotanical Gardensare a lovely spot for an afternoon walk and to admire the plants and flowers. To do this, leave Melbourne before 8am as most tours leave Melbourne city between 8am and 9am. However, if you only have 1 day to work with, then here are some suggestions to save yourself time. Route: Melbourne-Twelve Apostles return, via B100 (Great Ocean Road) Highlights: Torquay, Bells Beach, Lorne, Apollo Bay . The beaches on the Great Ocean Road are fantastic for swimming, especially in the summer. Bells Beach is a paradise for surfers; it is the location of the legendary annual Rip Curl Surfing competition. Iconic Animal Sightings. Starting from Torquay, this route takes you through beautiful seaside towns and rain forests as you follow the winding road along the exquisite coastline. Best Great Ocean Road Tours Save AU$10 on your Great Ocean Road Bus tours with this promo code. Plan ahead and give yourself at least 1 full day. Built in honour of the 3,000 soldiers who worked on this stretch of road after WWI, there is now also a sculpture there to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arch. For a great post-drive meal check out theGeelong Boathousefor a classic fish & chips by the sea.