Great Ocean Road: visitor guide

Two days and one night is the practical minimum: Torquay to Warrnambool, sleeping in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell. Three days lets you add Cape Otway and the Otway forest without rushing. A single day out of Melbourne covers the Twelve Apostles but little else, at roughly 12 hours of driving and stops (check).

Do not skip the western end. Port Campbell National Park holds the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, the Arch and London Bridge within a short drive of each other, and it is the reason most people come. If you have under 24 hours, or you dislike tight coastal driving, this route is not worth forcing.

The road follows Victoria's southwest coast from Torquay, near Geelong, west to Warrnambool, with Port Campbell National Park at the western end. Most travellers start in Melbourne and drive west, which puts the ocean on the left and the pull-offs on the correct side of the road.

It is a two-lane coastal road with tight corners, single-lane bridges and slow caravans, so plan on an average of 50–60 km/h rather than highway speeds (check). Distances are short; the time goes on stops. Fuel is available at Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell and Warrnambool, with long gaps between them, and mobile coverage is patchy in the Otway forest (check).

Torquay is the surf-industry town at the start, with Bells Beach a short detour south. Lorne is the busiest holiday town on the route, good for a coffee stop and a swim at the patrolled beach in summer. Apollo Bay is the natural overnight stop in the middle, with a working harbour and a long curved beach.

West of Apollo Bay the road turns inland through tall forest to Cape Otway, where the lighthouse and the surrounding national park are the main draw; watch for koalas in the manna gums along the access road. Past Princetown the coast opens into Port Campbell National Park: the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, the Arch and London Bridge are all within a short drive of each other. The Twelve Apostles car park is the busiest single point on the route, so arrive before 9am or after 5pm if you want space (check).

Warrnambool at the western end is a sensible place to break the drive back to Melbourne or continue towards Adelaide. Southern right whales are watched from the Logan Beach platform in the winter calving season, roughly June to September (check).

Getting there: most visitors start in Melbourne, about 1.5 hours' drive from Torquay via the M1 and Geelong (check). Hiring a car gives the most freedom; the route has limited public transport, though a daily coach links Geelong, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell and Warrnambool, and some operators run day tours from Melbourne (check timetables). Driving is on the left, the road is sealed throughout and no four-wheel drive is needed.

The shoulder seasons, roughly March to May and September to November, are the usual recommendation: milder days, easier accommodation and quieter lookouts (check). Summer (December to February) brings the warmest beach weather but also the crowds, especially between Christmas and the end of January, when Apollo Bay and Port Campbell fill up and prices peak (check).

Winter (June to August) is wet, windy and cool, with shorter daylight hours, but it is generally the cheapest and quietest time and the season for southern right whales off Warrnambool (check). Whatever the month, coastal weather changes fast: pack a windproof layer and expect rain at any time of year.

Time the day as well as the season. Aim to reach the Twelve Apostles before 9am or after 5pm, and avoid driving at dawn and dusk because kangaroos and koalas are a real hazard near Cape Otway.

Apollo Bay and Port Campbell are the two practical overnight bases. Apollo Bay sits roughly mid-route and has motels, holiday houses and a caravan park; Port Campbell is closest to the Twelve Apostles and works well if you want the lookouts at sunrise or sunset. Lorne suits a first night out of Melbourne, and Warrnambool has the widest range of hotels at the western end.

Book ahead for summer, Easter and Victorian long weekends, when the coast fills with Melbourne visitors (check). Camping is possible in national park and foreshore sites, but many require booking and some are seasonal (check).

Book accommodation before you leave in peak season, and check national park alerts for road and track closures, especially after storms (check). Carry water, sun protection and a windproof jacket; the coast can be several degrees cooler than Melbourne with strong wind (check).

Wildlife is a real driving hazard: kangaroos and koalas are common near Cape Otway, and the worst risk is at dawn and dusk. Slow down, use low beam and do not swerve for small animals. Fuel, food and phone signal are limited between towns, so plan each day's stops before you set off and keep the tank above half.