Great Ocean Road in Australia: a casual road trip

Australia is at the top of many travellers’ to-do lists! Often combined with a longer stay, for example, for work and travel. After all, the continent has so many interesting places to offer that it is impossible to see everything in a few weeks. Classic sights include Ayers Rock (now only seen from a distance), the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Ocean Road.

By car on the Great Ocean Road in Australia

In the south of Australia, in Victoria, the 243-kilometer-long Great Ocean Road runs from Torquay to Allansford. It is one of the most famous scenic routes in the country and now attracts a corresponding number of tourists. Currently, there are around 7 million visitors every year.

Since 2004 there has also been the Great Ocean Walk, a 104 km long hiking trail that runs along the coastline close to the Great Ocean Road from Apollo Bay to the 12 Apostles.

Insta tip: The Twelve Apostles are one of the undisputed classic sights on the Great Ocean Road . This motif should definitely appear at least once in your photo travel diary. Most people photograph it at sunset – I personally prefer sunrise.

Getting to the Great Ocean Road

Getting to the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne is easy, as the world-famous B100 runs west of the city. It takes just under 90 minutes by car from the city centre. It takes just under 4 hours to get to the Twelve Apostles from Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road.

So the trip can be made as a day trip, but I recommend planning more time because there will be numerous bays (well, almost everyone) where you will want to stop.

Reserve accommodation and campsites

Especially if you are travelling in Australia during the high season, you should at least make a rough schedule in advance and look for accommodation along the route. If you have rented a camper, you cannot just park it anywhere; you can only park it at campsites.

However, like hotels or hostels, these can be fully booked. Therefore, it is better to book in advance. This way, you can also be sure that you get a pitch with electricity (extra charge!).

Road trip beautiful Australian

Then the journey can begin! A bright blue sky, barefoot or in flip-flops, shorts, an open window, wind in your hair, and feet resting casually against the glove compartment.

I felt very Australian somehow. And I’m sure the other travellers I saw either in front of us or in the rear-view mirror felt the same, especially when you’ve loaded your surfboards onto the top of your rickety VW bus.

And the view? It is fantastic because as soon as you are on the Great Ocean Road, you are presented with an indescribable view of the coast, small bays and the sea.

Maybe practice driving on the left beforehand

If you have no experience driving on the left, I recommend practising in a quieter area (i.e. not downtown Melbourne).

In city traffic, it is still quite easy because you just follow the other road users. However, on the Great Ocean Road, the lanes are much narrower than in the city, and the road winds along the coast in many curves. It is not easy to estimate distances at first when you feel like you are on the wrong side of the car.

Sights along the Great Ocean Road

As stops on the Great Ocean Road, I recommend Lorne with its gum tree-lined streets and its romantic pier for those who don’t want to do it in one day.

If you have wild koalas on your Australia to-do list, you should stop in Kennett River (about 30 minutes from Lorne). The place has become Australia’s hotspot for koala seekers. However, you should arrive here early in the morning or in the evening, as it is too hot for the animals during the day.

The Great Otway National Park, where extensive hikes are possible, and the beach at Loch Ard Gorge, located in a narrow rocky bay, are also interesting sights on the Great Ocean Road in Australia. The map below shows where the attractions are located along the route. The must-see of the trip, however, is the Twelve Apostles.

The Twelve Apostles

The gigantic rocks rise 60 meters high out of the sea, surrounded by the surf, against the backdrop of the impressive coastline. A short walk leads to several viewing platforms where visitors take plenty of photos and selfies.

Anyone hoping to experience the place alone will be disappointed. Numerous helicopters circling over the rocks are also a result of tourists booking helicopter flights. It is possible to go down to the beach, and it is much quieter there, but the panorama of all the rocks can only be seen from the viewing platform.

Also interesting: Sunrise/sunset at the Twelve Postels

Conclusion

The Great Ocean Road is a must for landscape fans, as it is one of the most beautiful routes in the world. That’s why I can only recommend it to everyone.

As far as the Twelve Apostles are concerned, it’s a matter of taste. The view is certainly very impressive, but unfortunately, the place is also very crowded because the photo obviously belongs in every Instagram feed of every traveller to Australia. Therefore, I recommend finding out in advance when the day trippers from Melbourne will be there and then choosing a different time accordingly.