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Limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles rising from white surf beside towering golden cliffs under a moody sky

Victoria · Gateway MEL

38.66° S, 143.10° E

Melbourne's tables, then the coast road west.

When to go

OCEAN ROAD

The Great Ocean Road and Melbourne

Melbourne is a city to eat in. Give it two nights, then drive west slowly: the surf towns, the Otway rainforest, the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles at the last of the light. Leave time for Budj Bim, where the Gunditjmara built eel traps older than the pyramids.

Right season
Nov to Mar
Nights we'd give it
4 to 6
Fly into
Melbourne (MEL)
From Sydney, approx.
1h 20 in the air · 710 km

Lorne is about two hours from Melbourne by road; the Twelve Apostles about four.

Month by month

When to go

Compare every region
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
  • The right season
  • Good
  • Possible, with trade-offs
  • Out of season
  • This month

Nov to Mar

Summer. Warm, long evenings, the coast at its busiest. Book early.

Apr to May and Sep to Oct

Mild and quieter, with big seas some days. Good driving months.

Jun to Aug

Cold, wet and dramatic. Southern right whales off Warrnambool in winter.

Aerial view of the Great Ocean Road winding along the coast between forested hills and rocky surf
Hosier Lane in Melbourne, its walls covered floor to roof in colourful graffiti and street art
Soft sunrise light over the Twelve Apostles, with waves rolling onto the beach below the cliffs

What we'd do

What we'd do

  • Melbourne's laneways and tables

    Two nights, a long lunch and a dinner we've booked well ahead.

  • The Twelve Apostles at dusk

    After the coaches leave. Or from a helicopter at sunset.

  • The Otways

    Cool temperate rainforest, waterfalls and glow worms at night.

  • Budj Bim

    A World Heritage aquaculture system, guided by Gunditjmara people.

  • The Great Ocean Walk

    Two or three days of the coastal path, with bags moved for you.

  • Koorie Heritage Trust

    Aboriginal art and walks in the middle of Melbourne.

Limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles rising from white surf beside towering golden cliffs under a moody sky
Aerial view of the Great Ocean Road winding along the coast between forested hills and rocky surf
Hosier Lane in Melbourne, its walls covered floor to roof in colourful graffiti and street art
Soft sunrise light over the Twelve Apostles, with waves rolling onto the beach below the cliffs

Whose Country

Whose Country

Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation (Melbourne); Wadawurrung (Torquay to Lorne); Eastern Maar (the Otways and the Twelve Apostles); Gunditjmara (Budj Bim)

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019, for aquaculture systems built by the Gunditjmara thousands of years ago.

Aboriginal-owned and -led operators we'd book

  • Budj Bim toursGuided tours of the eel traps and stone housesGunditjmara-run
  • Koorie Heritage TrustGallery and walking tours in MelbourneAboriginal community-controlled

Ownership details are being confirmed with each operator.

Visiting respectfully

At Budj Bim, stay on the paths and with your guide; the stone structures are fragile.

Country, region by region

Where to stay

Stays in Great Ocean Road

All stays

The kind of place we book here. Your proposal names each property.

Soft sunrise light over the Twelve Apostles, with waves rolling onto the beach below the cliffs

Great Ocean Road · Coastal house

A house above the Southern Ocean

A long, low house above the Southern Ocean.

Photo: the area, not the property · Price on enquiry

Sample journeys

Journeys through Great Ocean Road

All journeys
The white curve of Wineglass Bay and its turquoise water below the granite peaks of the Hazards, Freycinet National Park

10 to 12 nights · November to April

The southern edge

Food, cold water and long summer light.

  1. 2 nightsMelbourneLaneways, galleries, a long lunch.
  2. 2 nightsThe Great Ocean RoadLorne, the Otways, the Twelve Apostles at dusk.
  3. 3 nightsHobartFly from Melbourne. MONA by ferry, Bruny Island by boat.
  4. 2 nightsFreycinetKayak at dawn, Wineglass Bay from the saddle, oysters.
  5. 2 nightsCradle MountainDove Lake at first light, wombats on the lawn.

One flight. In Tasmania you drive; the distances are short.

Great Ocean Road · Tasmania

Ask about this journey

Questions

Before you go

Should we drive ourselves?

Yes, the road is easy and lovely. Go west to east in the afternoon so the sun is behind you.

How long is the drive?

Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles is about four hours without stops. Take two days.

Is the weather reliable?

No. Four seasons in a day is a local joke because it's true. Pack a jacket in January.

Next region SOUTH AUSTRALIA The wind-sculpted granite of Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island, perched above a deep blue Southern Ocean
Late-afternoon light turns a line of red sandstone ranges deep orange behind a lone dark-leaved desert tree and golden spinifex near Kings Canyon

Start with the month

Tell us when.
We'll tell you where.

Begin an enquiry

Get in touch

outbackandreef@tourground.com Plan your journey

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Sydney time
Work Club, Barrack Place, 151 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia