Everything you need for Australia's best road trip: the 240 km from Torquay to Allansford explained stop by stop, where to see wild koalas for free at Kennett River, the Twelve Apostles at the best time (no buses), self-drive vs tours from Melbourne with real prices, helicopter flights, where to sleep, a ready-to-copy 2-day itinerary, the wildlife and how to drive it safely and — first of all — which visa you need depending on your passport.
For many people the Great Ocean Road is Australia's finest road trip: 240 km of spectacular coastline that runs from surf beaches to eucalyptus rainforest and ends on the shipwreck coast, where the Twelve Apostles rise out of the ocean. It was built between 1919 and 1932, largely by hand by soldiers returning from the First World War, and it is the largest war memorial in the world. In this guide — updated for 2026 with real prices and tips — we tell you the route stop by stop, how to do it, where to sleep and how to drive it safely, with a ready-to-copy 2-day itinerary. We start with what saves the most headaches: the visa.
Nobody enters Australia without a travel authorisation arranged before flying, not even for a layover. Which one applies to you depends on your passport. Choose it here and arrange it with us so it is done right the first time (almost all refusals come from inconsistent details or poorly presented documents):
Travelling on a US passport (or from Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia...)? You need the ETA (subclass 601). Our course shows you how to get it right the first time, in minutes. Approval is always up to the Australian Government; we are not the government.
🎓 Get the ETA 601 course (PDF + slides) →What is the ETA 601? Full guide → · British passport? You need the free eVisitor 651 →
These are the stops that are truly worth it, from east (Torquay) to west (the Apostles), with the best of each, prices and a few tricks so you don't waste time or money.
The trip kicks off in Torquay, the cradle of Australian surfing and home to brands like Rip Curl and Quiksilver. Here you'll find the Surf City Plaza and the Australian National Surfing Museum, and just a hop away the legendary Bells Beach, where every Easter the Rip Curl Pro is held, the oldest surfing competition in the world. A little before it you'll spot the official "Great Ocean Road" arch at Eastern View: the obligatory photo.
The red-capped lighthouse (34 m, from 1891) overlooks the Eagle Rock marine sanctuary and is one of the prettiest sights of the first stretch. Seeing it from outside and walking the headland trails is free; if you want to climb up to the lantern balcony for the 360° views, there are paid guided tours. Fans of the series will recognise it as the lighthouse from "Round the Twist".
Lorne is the liveliest town on the coast: beach, cafés and a good place to eat or sleep. Drive up 5 minutes to Teddy's Lookout, one of the best lookouts on the whole route, where you see the road snake above the mouth of the St George River. And a quarter of an hour away, among tree ferns, tumbles Erskine Falls (30 m), the most famous waterfall in the Otway.
The stop nobody skips. Halfway between Lorne and Apollo Bay, take Grey River Road (the famous Koala Walk) off the main road: in the first few kilometres it's one of the most reliable spots in all of Australia to see wild koalas sleeping in the gum trees, and it's completely free. Down in the village you'll also see colourful king parrots perched on people.
Apollo Bay is the best place to sleep halfway along the route (and for the classic fish & chips by the harbour). From here the road heads into the Great Otway rainforest. Turn off to the Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest lighthouse on the mainland (1848), with views of Bass Strait (adult entry from 11 AUD; the tower may be closed for restoration works, so confirm). And if you're travelling with kids or you like heights, the Otway Fly Treetop Walk takes you onto a 25 m walkway among the canopy (~22–27 AUD adult).
The route's great climax: limestone stacks up to 45 m tall carved by 20 million years of sea and wind (today eight remain standing, not twelve). The lookout and the visitor centre car park are free. Five minutes away, don't miss the Gibson Steps: you walk down the steps to the foot of the cliff and see the stacks from the beach itself, at a completely different scale.
Beyond the Apostles the gems keep coming, all free and a few minutes apart: Loch Ard Gorge, a perfect cove tied to the wreck of the clipper Loch Ard (1878) and one of Australia's most famous survival stories; London Arch (the former "London Bridge", which lost its span to the sea in 1990); The Grotto, half cave and half window onto the ocean with calm pools; and finally the sprawling Bay of Islands, with dozens of stacks and hardly anyone around.
You can do it in a single day from Melbourne, but it's not the best idea. A round-trip tour or self-drive in one day is 12–13 hours, and since every group arrives together, you hit the Twelve Apostles in mid-afternoon, with a packed lookout and the worst light. Plus you're always rushing: you skip Kennett River or the Otway, and you drive back at night (exactly when the kangaroos come out).
With 2 days everything changes: you sleep in Apollo Bay halfway along, get up early and reach the Apostles at sunrise almost alone, you have time for the Kennett River koalas and the Otway rainforest, and you don't drive tired or at night. It is, by far, the way to enjoy it. With 3 days you go even more relaxed (Torquay–Lorne, Lorne–Apollo Bay, Apollo Bay–Port Campbell).
Two ways to do it, depending on whether you want or are able to drive:
The most spectacular way to see the Apostles is from the air: only from above can you take in all the stacks lined up over the ocean. The operator is right behind the visitor centre at the Twelve Apostles, so you can do it on the spur of the moment:
The Great Ocean Road is beautiful, but it demands respect behind the wheel and towards nature:
Late summer and autumn (March–May) is probably the best time: warm yet stable weather, fewer people than at the height of summer and very active wildlife. Spring (Sep–Nov) is also ideal: waterfalls at their best, intense green and beautiful sunsets. Summer (Dec–Feb) is the busiest and priciest (book accommodation in good time). Winter (Jun–Aug) is cold and windy, but wild and empty, and it's whale season.
Leaving Melbourne by car, sleeping in Apollo Bay and reaching the Apostles at sunrise on day 2:
| When | Stop |
|---|---|
| Day 1 · morning | Melbourne → Torquay (1.5 h) · Bells Beach lookout · photo at the Eastern View arch · Split Point Lighthouse (Aireys Inlet). |
| Day 1 · midday | Lorne: lunch, Teddy's Lookout and (if there's time) Erskine Falls. |
| Day 1 · afternoon | Kennett River: wild koalas on Grey River Road · arrival in Apollo Bay, fish & chips and overnight. |
| Day 2 · sunrise | Early start: Otway rainforest and Cape Otway Lightstation · reach the Twelve Apostles at sunrise, almost alone. |
| Day 2 · morning | Gibson Steps · Loch Ard Gorge · London Arch · The Grotto · Bay of Islands. (Optional: helicopter over the Apostles.) |
| Day 2 · afternoon | Finish at Allansford / Warrnambool · back to Melbourne via the inland motorway (faster, ~3 h). |
Want to chain the Great Ocean Road with more destinations? Start in Melbourne, check out our routes and itineraries around Australia and the what to see in Australia pillar.
Before you enjoy the Great Ocean Road, secure the right visa (ETA 601, eVisitor 651 or subclass 600) and arrange it properly first time. We guide you step by step.
🎓 Get the ETA 601 courseApproval of any visa depends solely on the Department of Home Affairs.
With 2 days you really enjoy it (sleeping in Apollo Bay and seeing the Apostles at sunrise). In a single day from Melbourne it's 12–13 hours and you reach the Apostles alongside every group. With 3 days, even more relaxed.
At sunrise or after 6 pm, when the day-tour buses have already left. Mid-afternoon is the worst time. That's why it's worth sleeping nearby (Port Campbell).
At Kennett River, between Lorne and Apollo Bay: take Grey River Road (Koala Walk) off the main road. In the first few km it's one of the most reliable spots in Australia and it's free. Go early or at sunset.
If you can drive, self-drive wins (car 40–80 AUD/day, you stop where you like). A full-day tour from Melbourne costs from ~95 AUD (premium 150–255 AUD), but it's 12–13 hours. You drive on the left.
On site, by the visitor centre: ~195 AUD to London Bridge, ~295 AUD the 25 min to Bay of Islands, ~795 AUD the hour with Cape Otway. From Melbourne it's far more expensive (1,500–2,500 AUD).
Yes, always. US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia: ETA 601. UK passports use the free eVisitor 651. Other nationalities: subclass 600. Get it with us above.
