As we landed in Melbourne I was gritty with excitement knowing that all these hours (more like weeks and months) of researching and planning was about to start. I am also going to start by saying the Great Ocean Road adventure was our favorite part of our two-week journey in Australia. Looking back I would’ve spent more time on the Great Ocean Drive, but due to travel
So here’s the itinerary:
Duration: 3 Days, 2 Nights
Transit: Car Rental
- DAY 1: Melbourne (airport and car rental)
- Torquay
- Bells Beach
- Aireys Inlet (split point lighthouse)
- Lorne
- Teddys Lookout
- DAY2: Apollo Bay (stay)
- Great Otway National Park
- Otway Treetop Adventure
- Cape Otway
- DAY 3: Port Campbell (stay)
- The Twelve Apostles
- London Arch
- Loch Ard Gorge
- The Grotto
Torquay
We picked up the car from Melbourne International Airport and began our journey in the cute little town of Torquay.
Construction on the Great Ocean Road (originally called Tourist Road) began back in 1919, and was created as a project for returning WWI servicemen.
After many hours of travel Torquay was the perfect stop to grab some breakfast and fuel up for our first day. Can I just say I adore Torquay! They have some GREAT little cafes and cute shops! We settled on grabbing brunch at Bomboras. I of course had the Avo smash and Jerome opted for an eggs benedict, and of course 2 lattes. We grabbed a spot at the window to people watch and enjoy breakfast.
After grabbing a bite to eat we headed to the beach. Our first “toes in the sand” moment
After spending some time at Bells beach we headed to Aireys Inlet to see the lighthouse. This is such a cute little stop along the way. We walked to the lighthouse and overlooked the water. When we finished we stopped off at Willows tea house to grab a snack and a cup of tea while we charged up the drone.
(HINT you can park at Willows Tea House to access the lighthouse IF you are a customer)
Lorne
Second stop along our journey was the town of Lorne. Such a cute little hippie-chic town. If we would’ve had more time we absolutely would spend more time in Lorne. Great little artsy town to wander around.
Apollo Bay
Awe, Apollo Bay. This is was our first stay of the trip and it did not disappoint. After much research we went with Seafarers Getaway. This place is truly magical. The hotel is secluded on the side of a grassy mountain overlooking the beautiful ocean. You are surrounded by rolling green hills, sheep, and ALPACAS! Yep, you read that correctly the hotel has their very own alpacas, and if you know me this was pretty much a dream come true!
EAT:
DINNER: Chris’s if you want to enjoy a great dinner with great views Such an amazing little gem nestled amongst the clouds. We enjoyed some delicious Rose and local Sav blanc while we overlooked the ocean. Truly a special and must-see restaurant.
OR
Grab some take out from town and a bottle of wine and enjoy on the porch of the Seafarers Getaway overlooking the magnificent views. Such a calming and special place
Breakfast: We woke up early said goodbye to the llamas and decided to hit the road. We stopped in downtown Apollo Bay and grabbed a famous pot pie from the Apollo Bay Bakery and our adventure continued.
From Apollo Bay we ventured along towards Port campbell. So much to see along our journey. We stopped off for a hike at Maits Rest Rainforest Walk. (this is a small path laid walk) we knew we didnt have too much time but wanted to expierence the lush rainforest.
TRAVEL TIP => Enjoy the drive. This was our favorite part of our trip. we cruised along the backroads, the smell of eucalyptus all around us and just took in the sights. Take your time to stop along the way, you’ll meet some amazing people, animals, and places. Below is Karl we met him wild along the way. TIP: ALWAYS LOOK UP!!! We saw Karl and a wild kangaroo!
We decided to skip Cape Otway Lightstation. There is a fee to access and it was going to take longer than we thought. Not really our scene, but beautiful if you’re into that type of thing
TRAVEL TIP => If you are a Drone user be aware that not all places are drone friendly look for the sign. We decided to fly our in remote locations to avoid the crowds
Port Campbell
The last leg of our Great Ocean Drive Journey was in the Cute town of Port Campbell. Such a great town to stay for our last night along the Great Ocean Road. It is the perfect distance to see the spectacular sites of the Great Ocean Road. This last stop has some of the most famous spots along the Great Ocean Road including 12 Apostles, London Arch, Loch and Gorge and many more. We hit a few f the top sites on our drive into Port Campbell and say the rest before we headed back to Melbourne.
TRAVEL TIP => On your way into town stop by the local general store and grand some amazing wine to have and you unwind at your AIrbnb before heading out for the night.
EAT:
DINNER/DRINKS:
Port Campbell Hotel and Craypot Bistro. One side pool bar the other eclectic local restaurant. We HIGHLY recommend grabbing a drink with the locals and grab some delicious seafood. Very unique atmosphere and experience.
- LUNCH: Grass Roots Deli and Cafe. Great spot to grab some local far, sit outside and people watch. Local specials are on the board. Delicious
- BREAKFAST: In the morning we stopped off at The Alcove Cafe for some eggs benedict and Avo SMash before we finished site seeing and headed back to Melbourne
MUST SEE/DO:
Port Campbell is the perfect distance from some of the most popular attractions. We split it up into two days so we could take our time and take it all in.
TRAVEL TIP => Get up early and get a head start to beat the tourist buses. It can get crazy packed.
12 Apostles
TRAVEL TIP => Bring layers. The weather changes from minute to minute oh and DON’T FORGET SUNSCREEN and a HAT!!! The sun is BRUTAL!