The Great Ocean Road is considered one of Australia's best and most famous roadtrips, a gorgeous stretch along the Bass Straight on the coast of Victoria west of Melbourne.
I first visited the Great Ocean Road during a solo backpacking trip around Australia in 2019 where I followed the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, I've returned to Australia with my partner and we're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country).
My parents joined us for a few weeks of van life between Sydney finishing at the Great Ocean Road, revisiting spots I had seen in 2019 and exploring some new places as well.
For thousands of years, the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung peoples lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived.
The Great Ocean Road project started at the end of the First World War in September 1919 built by approximately 3000 soldiers returning from war as both a memorial to their fallen comrades and as a way to connect the communities along the coast and transport timber and to encourage tourism to the area. Funds for the road were raised through donations and a toll was imposed once the road opened in 1929 (later removed in 1936).
Different sections continued to be added until it was all connected in 1932. It was acknowledged by Victoria's then-Lieutenant-Governer Sir William Irvine as being the world's largest war memorial.
→ Learn the full history of the Great Ocean Road including photos of the construction.
The road today officially stretches from Torquay (directly south of Geelong) to Allansford, a total of 243km. My guide will carry on past Allansford to Portland, an additional 115km of gorgeous scenic coast with plenty more to do and well worth the extra driving.
I first visited the Great Ocean Road in January 2019 on a solo backpacking trip as a day trip from Melbourne and returned with my partner and my parents in our campervans in March 2026 and updated the original post with all the new things we did. This post was first published on 18 January 2019; last updated 10 March 2026.
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to the Great Ocean Road. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. On the Great Ocean Road, the traditional language of the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung peoples is Maar and Wadawurrung, respectively.
→ Learn more about the language of the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung peoples.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Having said that, reception on the Great Ocean Road is very patchy and not always available, especially outside the towns. Therefore, we travel with a Starlink in our campervan which enables us to have unlimited WiFi wherever we are, even in places without coverage.
There is free WiFi available at Visitor Centres along the Great Ocean Road as well as cafes and accommodations on the route.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. The Great Ocean Road can get extremely busy especially around the school summer holidays and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: On my first visit in 2019, I did a guided day tour from Melbourne to see all the main highlights of the Great Ocean Road. When I brought my partner and parents back in 2026, we spent three nights going much slower and taking it all in - I can definitely recommend this if you have the option to!
By flight: The closest major airport is in Melbourne, a one-and-a-half-hour drive northeast of the start of the Great Ocean Road in Torquay. Most visitors to the Great Ocean Road will arrive in Melbourne if coming by air.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Melbourne!
There is also a smaller regional airport which is closer to the Great Ocean Road. Avalon Airport in Geelong is located just half an hour north of Torquay. Avalon Airport has flights with Jetstar to Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and one international destination: Bali, Indonesia.
By car: The best way to reach the Great Ocean Road is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like and stopping wherever you want to along the drive
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Melbourne.
You might want to start in Melbourne as your base for renting a campervan to explore Australia.
→ Rent a campervan in Perth with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
By coach: Transport Victoria runs a V/Line Coach between Geelong and Apollo Bay stopping at different places along the way. This is a great, budget-friendly option to see some of the Great Ocean Road. Of course, it won't necessarily stop everywhere you might wish to see, but it will take you to the highlights and you can go as fast or slow as you wish.
→ Plan your trip along the Great Ocean Road by V/Line Coach.
By guided tour: If you don't have your own wheels or want to go the guided route, there are countless guided tours of the Great Ocean Road departing from Melbourne. This is how I saw the Great Ocean Road in 2019!
→ Book a guided tour of the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne.
Many people will explore the Great Ocean Road as a day trip from nearby Melbourne, but I definitely encourage at least a night or two to fully explore all there is to see along the way, especially if you get the chance to go a bit further ending in Portland (an extra 115km past Apollo Bay).
Hotel: Not traveling by campervan? Driving in a car? Taking a coach? Whatever your reason for needing a place to stay, there are some great accommodation options all along the Great Ocean Road to suit any budget.
→ Check out all the accommodation options on the Great Ocean Road.
Camping: We are driving "the lap" around Australia, exploring the country in our campervan. The best way to find camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
We stayed at a number of campsites all along the Great Ocean Road starting from close to Melbourne and ending in Portland:
Little River Hotel offers cheap self-contained camping in their parking lot for just $10 per vehicle. There is no power but it's an easy, affordable spot to park up for the night and well-located halfway between Melbourne and the start of the Great Ocean Road. Just check in with reception when you arrive - and they appreciate when you have a meal in the pub, too!
Beauchamp Falls Campground is a rare free campsite about halfway along the Great Ocean Road. You leave the Great Ocean Road at Skenes Creek to head inland; the campground is located in Beech Forest. You rejoin the Great Ocean Road at Lavers Hill. Most of the road to the campsite is paved except for the last 2km, but it's totally fine for most vehicles (caravans not advised). The campsite has some nice views overlooking the surrounding forest but it can get very busy and crowded so come early to nab a good spot! There is a nice 5km roundtrip hike here too to Beauchamp Falls - for which the campground is named - which takes about an hour.
NRMA Port Campbell is a great paid campground along the Great Ocean Road right in Port Campbell with all the facilities you might need including powered and unpowered sites, laundry, a kitchen and hot showers. It's in walking distance to the beach as well as a beautiful suspension bridge with great panoramic views over the town and the ocean. You can hear the waves off in the distance lulling you to sleep!
On our way out of Melbourne, we grabbed coffees and smoothies at Gigi & Grace. It's not on the Great Ocean Road, rather they're located in Werribee at Harpley Town Centre, but they make for a good spot to fuel up before you leave Greater Melbourne.
Later, we stopped for a delicious dinner at Captain of Aireys. They're a woodfired pizza spot on the Great Ocean Road in between Fairhaven and Aireys Inlet. A great stop for a quick and delicious pizza as you drive the coast (plus they do gluten-free bases!).
Gigi & Grace
Captain of Aireys
We camped in Port Campbell at the NRMA Holiday Park there and the next morning went for breakfast at the adorable Grassroots Deli Cafe, a place that does brunch, lunch and also a lovely gift shop full of locally made goodies and souvenirs.
Before we left town to carry on the Great Ocean Road, we grabbed ice cream from the cute little Port Campbell Ice Creamery which even offers lots of vegan options.
Grassroots Deli Cafe
Port Campbell Ice Creamery
I have included everything I did and saw on both my visits to the Great Ocean Road; as part of a guided day tour from Melbourne in 2019 and again in our campervan with my partner and parents in 2026.
The recommendations are written in geographical order from east to west, driving from Torquay to Allansford, plus ideas for the extra 115km on to Portland past the official end of the Great Ocean Road.
Take in the view of Point Addis Beach
This is one of the first viewpoints you can see on the famous Great Ocean Road. There is a small wooden platform overlooking the expansive Point Addis Beach which is well worth a quick stop after leaving Torquay. There is also a path to walk down where you can access the beach, too.
Take a photo of the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch
The iconic Memorial Arch is one of the most recognized spots on the Great Ocean Road built to honour the work of the soldiers who built this incredible coastal drive.
I first visited the Memorial Arch in 2019 on a solo backpacking trip (first two photos) and it was so special to return with my partner and parents in 2026 (last photo)!
It's actually no longer the original arch; the first was too small for cars to get through and a truck knocked it down, then the second one was apparently burnt down, so now you can take photos of the third!
Spot koalas at Kennet River Coastal Reserve
The Kennet River Coastal Reserve is a fantastic spot for almost guaranteed sightings of wild koalas and colourful birds.
I visited here with my tour group in 2019 and we were so lucky to see some koalas snoozing in the trees. We learnt that koalas only eat the leaves of 35 of the 700 available species of eucalyptus trees of which they can consume up to 2.5kg per day! Eating these eucalyptus leaves makes them so sleepy (basically, stoned) resulting in them sleeping up to 23 hours per day!
Walk through the ferns of Mait's Rest Rainforest
Home to fern trees that grow high above your head and are over 1000 years old, the Mait's Rest Rainforest was one of my favourite stops of my day trip in 2019. The whole rainforest smells fresh and alive and the ferns leave you awe-inspired.
There is an easy, flat walking loop through the forest which will only take about 20 minutes. Be sure to remember to look up!
See the view from Gibson Steps
Just before the famed 12 Apostles, the Gibson Steps provide a brief climb to a fantastic, panoramic view on the Great Ocean Road.
You can also head 86 steps down the limestone cliff to the beach as well for an amazing view from below looking up at the rock formations.
Spot the world famous Twelve Apostles
The Twelve Apostles is the most famous stop on the Great Ocean Road home to stunning rock formations rising impressively from the ocean. They used to be connected to the mainland but thousands of years of erosion from the bottom and the top has caused them to separate.
Fun fact: there were never actually Twelve Apostles, only ever nine. One crumbled, so now there are only eight!
There is a large parking lot on the inland side of the road and then you walk under the road to safely reach the massive platforms allowing you to walk around and get lots of different viewing angles.
2019
2026
See the free-standing Razorback
Once connected to the land, and also once much longer, the Razorback is a majestic free-standing wall of sandstone.
2019
2026
Spot the famous Loch Ard Gorge
One of the most well-known views of the region is Loch Ard Gorge, a partially-collapsed sandstone cove with azure blue waters and beautiful white sand to dig your toes in to.
UPDATE: In 2019, we were able to head down the limestone steps to the beach for the incredible views. However, when I returned with my partner and parents in 2026, the stairs were completely closed off after a rockfall as they are no longer safe for access. They are working on reinforcing it and hopefully it will reopen soon! You can still take in the views from the viewpoint at the top of the steps.
2019
2026
The steps are currently closed
Walk up to the Port Campbell Scenic Lookout
Check out the beach at Port Campbell
A beautiful little beach right in Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road. If you come into Port Campbell for food, gas, coffee or a campground, I can recommend checking out the beach with loads of seagulls playing in the waves! Be sure to check out the view from the Scenic Lookout above, too.
From the Scenic Lookout
Spot London Bridge
London Bridge is another sandstone bridge with epic archways nestled near the ocean. It is likely that the Twelve Apostles looked like this thousands of years ago before the arch collapsed leaving the posts standing individually.
2019
2026
Find the Grotto
Take in the view over the Bay of Islands
This was the furthest west we went on the official Great Ocean Road, which ends in another 50km in Allansford. This is a gorgeous bay full of sandstone islands and with evidence of Aboriginal people dating back thousands of years. Truly beautiful.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
