Short answer: the Great Ocean Road is the famous road trip from Melbourne — a 243 km coastal drive from Torquay to Allansford, past Bells Beach, Apollo Bay, Cape Otway and the Twelve Apostles. It’s the most-recognised Australian road trip after the longer outback routes (Stuart Highway, Eyre Highway), and the most-photographed coastal drive in the country.
The Great Ocean Road can be done as a one-day round trip from Melbourne (long, 11+ hours) or much better as an overnight or two-day trip with stops.
What the Great Ocean Road Is
The Great Ocean Road is a heritage-listed coastal drive built by returning World War I servicemen between 1919 and 1932. The route runs along Victoria’s south-west coast, with most of the iconic scenery in the western half (Apollo Bay through to Port Campbell).
Distance from Melbourne CBD to the start (Torquay): 100 km, 90 minutes drive. Distance from start to end (Torquay to Allansford): 243 km. Total round trip from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles and back: around 7 hours of driving plus stops.
The Highlights
Driving west from Torquay:
- Bells Beach (5 km off-route from Torquay) — the iconic surf beach, hosts the world’s longest-running surf competition (Rip Curl Pro)
- Anglesea — small coastal town with a heritage-listed golf course where kangaroos graze on the fairways
- Lorne — the largest mid-coast town, beach plus shopping plus the Erskine Falls waterfall in the hills behind
- Kennett River — koala spotting (genuinely reliable in the eucalypts here)
- Apollo Bay — the lunch stop on most coach tours; full-service town with restaurants and accommodation
- Cape Otway Lighthouse — Australia’s oldest surviving lighthouse (1848)
- Otway Fly Treetop Walk — 25-metre canopy walk through cool-temperate rainforest (off-route, 30 km inland from Apollo Bay)
- Twelve Apostles — the iconic limestone stacks, around 200 km west of Melbourne
- Loch Ard Gorge — adjacent to the Twelve Apostles, named after the 1878 shipwreck
- London Bridge / London Arch — natural rock arch (the bridge half collapsed in 1990)
- The Bay of Islands — the western end of the iconic landscapes
How Many Days
Day-trip option (long, single day from Melbourne): Possible but you’ll have only an hour at the Twelve Apostles before you need to turn around. Coach tours from Melbourne run this format.
Overnight (recommended): Overnight in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell. Allows the Twelve Apostles at sunset (the iconic photo) and at sunrise the next morning (less crowded).
Two-night minimum (best): Lorne or Apollo Bay night one, Port Campbell night two. Day three returns inland via Camperdown and Colac. Adds the Otway Fly, Cape Otway, and a more relaxed pace.
How to Do It
Self-drive: The flexibility option. Hire a car at Melbourne Airport or Southern Cross Station from $60–$120/day. Driving is on the left for British and Irish visitors. Allow 4–5 hours from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles; the road is winding and slower than a highway.
Coach tour: $130–$220 for a one-day tour from Federation Square. The compromise — you don’t drive, but you get less time at each stop. Coach tours are the right call for jet-lagged first-day visitors and travellers without driver licences valid in Australia.
Helicopter: Aerial tours from Apollo Bay and Port Campbell ($150–$300) for the Twelve Apostles overhead view. Genuinely spectacular and not a tourist trap.
Other Famous Road Trips From Melbourne
If the Great Ocean Road is the headliner, the supporting cast:
Yarra Valley loop: 60 km north-east of Melbourne. Wine and food. Day trip or overnight. Six or seven wineries achievable in a single day. See Yarra Valley day trip from Melbourne.
Mornington Peninsula loop: 90 km south-east of Melbourne. Beaches, hot springs (Peninsula Hot Springs), wineries (Ten Minutes by Tractor, Pt. Leo Estate), the Arthurs Seat lookout. Day trip or overnight.
Macedon Ranges and Hanging Rock: 50 km north-west of Melbourne. Hanging Rock (the Picnic at Hanging Rock landmark), Mount Macedon, the Macedon village wineries. Day trip.
Phillip Island: 140 km south-east of Melbourne. The Penguin Parade is the headline. Day trip or overnight.
The Grampians: 250 km west of Melbourne. Mountain national park with hiking, lookouts, MacKenzie Falls. Two-day minimum (overnight in Halls Gap).
Wilsons Promontory: 220 km south-east of Melbourne. Coastal national park with beaches and wildlife. Two-day minimum.
Daylesford and Hepburn Springs: 110 km north-west of Melbourne. Spa-and-mineral-springs heritage town. Day trip.
What This Means for You
For a UK tourist with one regional anchor day, the Great Ocean Road is the right choice if you’ve never driven a coastal scenic road. If you’ve done California’s Pacific Coast Highway or the Amalfi Coast, the Yarra Valley winery day might be more distinctive.
For a longer trip with multiple regional days, do the Great Ocean Road as a two-day overnight, then the Yarra Valley as a separate day trip.
For more, see Melbourne day trip itinerary.