Route:
Melbourne -> Lara -> Torquay -> Anglesea -> Airey's Inlet -> Lorne -> Wye River -> Apollo Bay
-> Princeton -> Port Campbell - 298 kms. 4h 49mins
Port Campbell -> Colac -> Melbourne - 230kms 2h 51mins
Things to See on the way:
1. The Twelve Apostles
2. Gibson Steps
3. Loch Ard Gorge
4. London Arch (London Bridge)
5. The Grotto
6. The Arch
7. Walks in Port Campbell National Park
8. Bay of Islands
9. Triplet Falls – Otways National Park
10. Kennett River – Wild Koalas
11. Lorne
12. Teddys Lookout
13. The Lorne –> Apollo Bay Drive
14. Apollo Bay Eco Hostel
15. Mariners Lookout – Apollo Bay
16. Bells Beach
If you have time, do the walk: -
1. Torquay Surf walk - 44kms - Bells Beach, the Iron Bark Basin, Point Addis, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and finishing at Fairhaven
2. Anglesea Art Walk - 2.5kms through Anglesea
3. Point Addis Koorie Cultural Walk - 2kms - starts at Point Addis
Things to Do:
Trip-1: The best way is to book a place in port Campbell. Do all the below activities on the travel day and reach Port Campbell just before sunset. call it a quick night and end a few hours seeing the colour of the sunrise on the Apostles in the morning. Stay till lunch and head back to Melbourne by sunset through Colac.
Trip-2: Else, skip the walks and reach Princetown before 2hours of sunset, enjoy the sunset on the 12 Apostles and head back to Melbourne through Colac by dinner.
Torquay:- Surf coast walk, surf coast museum, Bells Beech Brewing
Anglesea:- Vibrant riverbank Sunday morning market, Anglesea Art house, The Framer's Place - working Farm Cafe.
Airey's Inlet:- Split point lighthouse, Salt Brewing
Lorne:- A number of great waterfalls. Do the Cora Lynn Cascades Walk to cover the best waterfalls. There is a 2kms downhill walk. Eat at Chopstick Noodle Bar or The Salty Dog Fish & Chippery
Wye River:- STop at the Kafe Koala for some great Bacon, watch the colourful parrots sit on you at the park in front. walk up the road through the caravan park to spot Koalas.
Apollo Bay:- Great Ocean Road Brewhouse. Carisbrook Creek to see the stone stacks, walk the beach, Mait's rest - a quick 20mins easy walk of the fern gullies, fungi and rainforest gives a perfect feel of the Otway National Park if you are timebound
Princetown:- 12 Apostles. walk the 15-20 mins from the car park through the green and peep out of the lookouts.
Port Campbell:- Port Campbell national park, lookouts to the expanded ocean and sky, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, The Gretto, Gibson's steps, The Razorback, have a quick bite at Sow & Piglets - it is a hostel cafe & bar.
Do the Great ocean drive while the Apostles are still there !!
There are currently 7 stacks left from the 50m( 160ft) stacks of rocks.
