Five things to do on the Great Ocean Road
If you have the car, Victoria has THE road. The Great Ocean Road to be precise.The Great Ocean Road has beckoned motorists for close to a century to explore its rugged coastlines, crashing surf, pocket-sized villages, cool forests and amazing scenic views at virtually every turn. Want to go for a drive but don’t know what to see? Here are five of the best attractions.
Surfing Culture, Torquay
Torquay is the beginning of the Great Ocean Road (on the Melbourne side), so why not start with some surfing immersion. If you're a keen surfer, try the world-famous breaks at Bells Beach, which hosts the Rip Curl Pro Surfing Competition each Easter. Beginners might want to try their luck at nearby Jan Juc Beach, Torquay Front Beach or Torquay Back Beach, or take a lesson. And if you'd rather soak in the history of surfing, check out the Australian National Surfing Museum.
Go on a forest adventure, The Otway Ranges
Just inland from the Great Ocean Road are the hills known as the Otway Ranges, much of which retains natural bushland including tall timbers and temperate rainforest. The Otway Fly near Lavers Hill is an exhilarating aerial walkway high in the trees that also offers zip line adventures and shouldn’t be missed. Looking for something a little more terrestrial? An unusual attraction is a walk through The Redwoods, a grove of Californian sequoias planted in 1936 near Beech Forest.
The Great Ocean Walk
By car and road isn’t the only way to travel this part of Victoria’s coastline. The Great Ocean Walk is a fabulous, 110km trail hugging the coastline from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles, revealing splendours you won’t see from your car. You could do a single 15-odd kilometre section and call it quits, or make a pilgrimage of it over eight days staying in the seven dedicated campsites that require booking. Carry your own gear, or go with a specialist company and leave the hard work to them.
Visit the Twelve Apostles
First things first: The Twelve Apostles might be one of Victoria’s most iconic oceanic views, but there are really only seven huge rocks left jutting out of the sea near Port Campbell. No matter, they look fantastic, especially at sunset (NB: Instagrammers!). The visitor centre is the entry point to the viewing platform for pedestrians or, for a different view, take a flight in a historic Tiger Moth biplane or board a helicopter to really make your landlubber friends envious.
Whale watching, Warrnambool
Warrnambool might be the very western end of the Great Ocean Road, but that doesn’t mean the amazing sights fizzle out with a whimper. From June to September, when most summertime holidaymakers are back at work, Logans Beach is the breeding ground for Southern Right Whales who hang about and cavort just offshore. And we mean, right in the surf usually, just below the viewing platform. It’s awe-inspiring, almost magical to watch, and Warrnambool fish ’n’ chips are just the right accompaniment.
Related: Great Ocean Road second most Instagrammed road trip location in the world
Related: Five of our favourite Victorian road trips
Related: Australia’s five best coastal drives
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