Victoria Great Ocean Road
3
Day Itinerary •
Australia
Three days in Victoria take you from Melbourne's extraordinary laneway cafe culture and world-class food scene along the most remarkable coastal road in Australia to the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks on the wild Southern Ocean. Melbourne's remarkable Federation Square, the extraordinary Queen Victoria Market and the fine Fitzroy and Collingwood neighbourhoods give Australia's finest urban experience, while the Great Ocean Road gives the finest coastal drive. This route covers the essential Victoria. The Melbourne CBD laneways with their extraordinary street art and hidden cafes, the remarkable Dandenong Ranges day trip, the extraordinary Great Ocean Road from Torquay past Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles and the remarkable Loch Ard Gorge, and the return through the Otway Ranges rainforest.
Best Time To Visit
Year-round. Mar to May and Sep to Nov best. Dec to Feb hot inland.
Getting There
Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. Direct international and domestic flights.
Getting Around
Melbourne tram free in CBD. Car essential for Great Ocean Road.
Budget Per Day
Approx A$200 to A$420 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, mostly driving with short walks
DAY 1
MELBOURNE LANEWAYS
MORNING
MELBOURNE LANEWAYS AND STREET ART
Melbourne's extraordinary CBD laneway network gives the most remarkable hidden urban experience in Australia, the famous Hosier Lane with its extraordinary ever-changing street art, the remarkable Degraves Street espresso cafe strip and the fine Centre Place with its extraordinary hidden bars and boutiques giving the finest single urban morning in Australia. The remarkable Flinders Street Station and the extraordinary Federation Square beside the Yarra River are outstanding. Entirely free to explore. Travel: 10 min tram
MIDDAY
QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET
The Queen Victoria Market is the most extraordinary working market in the Southern Hemisphere, its remarkable sheds selling the finest fresh produce, delicatessen goods, clothing and crafts giving the finest market experience in Australia. The extraordinary deli hall with its remarkable cheese, smallgoods and the fine coffee at Brother Baba Budan are outstanding. The QVM has operated continuously since 1878 and remains the finest single place to experience Melbourne's multicultural food culture. Travel: 20 min tram
AFTERNOON
FITZROY AND COLLINGWOOD
Fitzroy is the most extraordinary inner-city neighbourhood in Melbourne, its remarkable Brunswick Street and the fine Smith Street strip giving the finest collection of independent cafes, bookshops, vintage clothing and bars in Australia. The extraordinary Gertrude Street with its remarkable design studios and the fine Edinburgh Gardens give the finest urban afternoon in Melbourne. The remarkable Rose Street Artists Market on weekends is the finest artisan market in Victoria.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
Rutledge Lane off Hosier Lane is the most extraordinary hidden street art location in Melbourne, a remarkable narrow alley of layered street art less known than its famous neighbour but equally extraordinary and with remarkable depth of work. Entirely free. The finest hidden street art location in the Melbourne CBD.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Degraves Street espresso cafe Outstanding Melbourne laneway cafe. The finest flat white in Australia. | Lunch: Queen Victoria Market Outstanding market food. Local Victorian produce, deli goods and fresh juice. | Dinner: Tipo 00, Melbourne Outstanding Melbourne pasta restaurant. Local Victorian produce and Italian technique.
DAY 2
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
MORNING
TORQUAY AND THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD START
Torquay is the surf capital of Australia and the extraordinary start of the Great Ocean Road, its remarkable Surf World Museum with the finest surfboard collection in Australia and the fine Jan Juc beach giving the best introduction to the Victorian surf coast. The extraordinary Bells Beach 4km south of Torquay is the most famous surf break in Australia, host to the Rip Curl Pro since 1961. The remarkable cliff-top walk above Bells gives the finest surf viewpoint in Victoria. Surf World approx A$15. Travel: 1 hour drive
MIDDAY
LORNE AND THE ERSKINE FALLS
Lorne is the most extraordinary coastal village on the Great Ocean Road, its remarkable main street of cafes and boutiques and the extraordinary protected swimming bay giving the finest village stop on the road. The remarkable Erskine Falls 10 minutes above Lorne are the finest accessible waterfall in the Otway Ranges, the extraordinary 30-metre drop into extraordinary fern gully accessible on a short walk from the car park. Falls walk entirely free. Travel: 1.5 hour drive
AFTERNOON
KENNETT RIVER KOALAS AND APOLLO BAY
Kennett River between Lorne and Apollo Bay is the most extraordinary free koala viewing site on the Great Ocean Road, the remarkable grey gum eucalypts along the Grey River Road housing the finest accessible wild koala colony in Victoria. The extraordinary koalas are visible year-round and often at eye level from the roadside. Apollo Bay at the end of the touring section of the road gives the finest overnight base for the Twelve Apostles drive.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Aireys Inlet lighthouse and Split Point on the Great Ocean Road is the most extraordinary free viewpoint between Torquay and Lorne, the remarkable red and white lighthouse above the extraordinary Split Point headland giving the finest coastal panorama on the touring section. Entirely free. The most extraordinary hidden stop on the early Great Ocean Road.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Melbourne before departure Early start for Torquay. | Lunch: Restaurant in Lorne Outstanding Great Ocean Road lunch. Local Victorian seafood. | Dinner: Bay Leaf Cafe, Apollo Bay Outstanding Apollo Bay restaurant. Local crayfish and Victorian produce.
DAY 3
TWELVE APOSTLES
MORNING
TWELVE APOSTLES AT SUNRISE
The Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park are the most extraordinary coastal formation in Australia, the remarkable limestone stacks rising up to 45 metres from the wild Southern Ocean giving the finest single coastal viewpoint in Victoria. The extraordinary sunrise light on the stacks turns the limestone golden before the day visitors arrive. The remarkable viewing platforms give multiple angles on the extraordinary formation. Viewing entirely free. Car park open 24 hours. Travel: 15 min drive
MIDDAY
LOCH ARD GORGE AND THE SHIPWRECK COAST
Loch Ard Gorge 3km west of the Twelve Apostles is the most extraordinary sea gorge on the Shipwreck Coast, the remarkable narrow gorge of vertical limestone cliffs above a perfectly sheltered beach giving the finest single coastal walk in Port Campbell National Park. The extraordinary story of the 1878 Loch Ard shipwreck, where only two people survived, and the remarkable Razorback and Island Arch nearby are outstanding. Free. Travel: 2.5 hour drive back
AFTERNOON
THE GROTTO AND RETURN TO MELBOURNE
The Grotto near Peterborough west of Port Campbell is the most extraordinary hidden coastal feature on the Great Ocean Road, a remarkable natural arch and cave system eroded into the limestone cliffs accessible via a short walk from the roadside car park. The extraordinary view through the Grotto arch to the Southern Ocean below is the finest hidden viewpoint on the entire road. The return to Melbourne via the inland Princes Highway takes approximately 3 hours.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Bay of Islands at Peterborough beyond the Grotto is the most extraordinary undiscovered coastal park on the Great Ocean Road, its remarkable collection of sea arches, stacks and blowholes giving a landscape equal to the Twelve Apostles with almost no other visitors. Entirely free. The finest hidden coastal discovery on the Great Ocean Road.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Port Campbell cafe Before the sunrise walk to the Twelve Apostles. | Lunch: Cafe in Port Campbell or Peterborough Outstanding local Southern Ocean seafood. | Dinner: Restaurant in Melbourne on return Outstanding farewell Victorian dinner. Local produce and Yarra Valley wine.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Melbourne, Night 1 QT Melbourne or Adelphi Hotel. CBD. Approx A$180 to A$450. Port Campbell, Night 2 Port Campbell Guesthouse or Twelve Apostles Lodge. Approx A$150 to A$350.
Top Tips
1. Melbourne's CBD tram is free within the Free Tram Zone. Use it to get between Flinders Street and Fitzroy.
2. The Great Ocean Road is driven west from Torquay. Allow a full day from Melbourne to Port Campbell.
3. The Twelve Apostles are most extraordinary at sunrise and sunset. Stay overnight in Port Campbell.
4. Koalas are often visible in the eucalypts between Kennett River and Apollo Bay. Stop and scan the trees.
5. Hosier Lane street art changes regularly. Visit in the morning for the best light and fewer people.
6. Queen Victoria Market is closed Monday and Wednesday. Best on Saturday morning for the finest atmosphere.
Total Budget
Approx A$200 to A$420 per person per day