Great Ocean Road Self-Drive Itinerary

Skip the overcrowded tour; a self-drive trip on Australia’s Great Ocean Road is a must. This 243 kilometer stretch of road is an Australian National Heritage spanning along the southeastern coast between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. The road was built by return soldiers between 1919 and 1932, dedicated to soldiers killed during WWI and the world’s largest war memorial. However, most people visit the Great Ocean Road for its scenic and rugged coastline and natural wonders, the 12 Apostles and London Bridge. Check out this two-day self-drive itinerary complete with camping locations and driving times below.

Our drive started in Melbourne in our bright yellow jeep. The initial drive from Melbourne is a quiet one as the coastal drive doesn’t start until you hit Torquay. We traveled along the Great Ocean Road in September so the weather was not the best. It was mostly chilly and some bouts of rain here and there. The best time to visit is Winter (June to August) as the weather is gentle due to the calming ocean winds. The skies are also clearer which offers incredible sunsets. However, if you want to partake in water activities, then summer is best time to visit (December to February). However, expect larger crowds and higher prices. 

Torquay

Driving time: 1hr 21 minutes

Our first stop was the quintessential town of Torquay. It’s home to the famous Rip Curl Surfing Competition on Bells Beach and the official start to The Great Ocean Road. Because of the freezing rain, we didn’t get to stay and enjoy the views much.

Anglesea

Driving time: 20 minutes

From Torquay, we headed to Anglesea. This town is known for where the river meets the ocean. Again, we breezed through the town due to inclement weather.

Aireys Inlet

Driving time: 12 minutes

Next, we headed to Aireys Inlet and lo and behold, we spotted a bit of sunshine which was perfect timing as we took a walk up to the Split Point Lighthouse. From here we enjoyed the amazing views.

Lorne

Driving time: 25 minutes

From Aireys, we headed to Lorne and explored Erskine Falls, a 30-meter waterfall in a lush forest, offering two lookouts with absolutely beautiful views!  It’s definitely worth the short walk to the bottom of the falls to snap some instaworthy pictures. This was possibly the only time on the drive I was grateful for the rain because the falls were in full force. From the falls, we headed to Teddy’s Lookout and the view from here was epic. Looking down you saw a long stretch of the Great Ocean Road, hugging the cliffs on the right and being blanketed by the ocean on the left. I literally could have stayed there all day looking out at the open road but was equally as excited to get back on it.

Apollo Bay

Driving Time: 1 hour

The drive from Lorne to Apollo Bay was definitely my favorite part of the entire drive. The lush green rolling hills and the beautiful turquoise sea. What more could a girl ask for?! Fair warning on this part of the drive as it’s hard not to stop at every bay to get out and take a photo. Which we did! The last stop of the day, Apollo Bay is a village embraced by tranquil beaches and rolling green hills.

This concluded day 1 of our Great Ocean Road Drive. From here, we headed to our first camping spot, Princetown Recreation Reserve, a big open field filled with Kangaroos!

12 Apostles

Driving time: 8 minutes

The next morning we were up “bright” and early to go witness the sunrise above the limestone formations known as the 12 Apostles, the most famous site on the Great Ocean Road. Unfortunately, it was not much of a sunrise, but still an amazing sight. The 12 Apostles were formed from erosion due to harsh and extreme weather conditions from the Southern Ocean which left rock stacks up to 50 meters high. Currently, there are 8 stacks remaining. Most people are misinformed about how many rock stacks there were initially. Because of its name, people assume there was 12, but there was only 9 and the 9th one collapsed in 2005.

Loch Ard Gorge

Driving time: 3 minutes

After the Apostles, we continued our drive to Loch Ard Gorge, which was named after the famous ship that sank on its way to Melbourne from England. This was due to a thick mist that obscured the horizon and the Cape Otway Lighthouse and most importantly, the cliffs that met their doom. Only two of the 54 people on board survived. The ship sank and the name of the location was born.

Despite the unfortunate story of the origin of the name, the view was spectacular. What would have made the experience even better, would be sunshine and warmth to experience swimming between the two cliffs. However, if you visit during the summer, then you’ll have plenty of opportunities for a swim.

After our walk along the beach of Loch Ard Gorge, we headed to Thunder Cave, which was just that; a cave, when the waves hit the side of it, sounded like thunder.

The Arch

Driving time: 13 minutes

A quick stop, the Arch is a naturally formed archway from the rocks surrounded by crashing waves

London Bridge

Driving time: 1 minute

Next up, we headed to London Bridge, which literally did fall down in 1990, leaving two tourists stranded on the outer section. They had to be airlifted out by a helicopter a few hours later. Of course, I couldn’t help but sing the song the whole way there!

The Grotto

Driving time: 2 minutes

The Grotto was very interesting for me as it is a sinkhole formed by erosion from both the coast and inland. It took millions of years to form, leaving behind a big “portal” which you can look through to get a visible view of the ocean beyond a pool at low tide.

The Bay of Islands (aka Bay of Martyrs)

Driving time: 10 minutes 

The beauty of traveling around this time of year was there was little to no tourist so we had most of the places to ourselves, especially this location. Similar to the 12 Apostles, the Bay of Islands is the lesser known rock formations rising out from the ocean. Unfortunately, this site has a gruesome story as it was the site where a bloody attack was launched on the aboriginal people of the area.

As the day winded down, we headed and set up camp at Lower Glenelg National Park. Another great location with our local friends, the Kangaroos. What made this site special was the picturesque river.

Overall, I found 2 days to be sufficient time to view and enjoy everything. However, if you are traveling during the summer or warmer months, I’d allocate more time if you want to go for swims.

On the 3rd day, we embarked on the drive to Adelaide. From the campground, it was a 5 hour 40 minutes drive that can only be described as flat and uneventful.

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