Great Ocean Road Drive: Route, Twelve Apostles, History and Best Time to Go
The Great Ocean Road drive runs 243 kilometres along the south-eastern coast of Australia, from Torquay to Allansford near Warrnambool, and it is one of the few road trips in the world that is officially a war memorial. It was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to those who died in the First World War. That origin story explains the road’s shape: it hugs the cliff line rather than cutting inland, because it was built by hand, with picks and shovels and explosives, by men who were being paid to work on something that would outlast them. This guide covers the route, the stops worth your time, what happened to the Twelve Apostles, and when to go.
The most common mistake is trying to do it in a day from Melbourne. Technically you can drive it in eight or nine hours without stops. You would also miss almost everything, because the road is not the attraction on its own; the gaps between the lookouts are.
Where the Great Ocean Road Came From
Planning began after the First World War as a scheme to employ returned servicemen on public works and to open up the rugged south-west coast to tourism and timber. Work started in September 1919, and the first section from Anglesea to Lorne was completed and opened in 1932. Construction was suspended during the Second World War and resumed afterwards. The road was widened and sealed over subsequent decades and was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2011.
The Memorial Arch at Eastern View, which most people photograph on the way through, marks the point where the road was formally handed over. Look closely and you will see the names of the districts through which it passes.
The Route: Torquay to Warrnambool
Going west from Melbourne is the better direction because the ocean is on your right, which means every lookout is a simple pull-in rather than a crossing turn. Here is how the drive breaks up.
| Section | Distance | Key stops | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne to Geelong to Torquay | ~100 km | Bells Beach, Torquay surf shops, Memorial Arch | 1.5 hours |
| Torquay to Lorne | ~45 km | Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven | 40 minutes |
| Lorne to Apollo Bay | ~45 km | Erskine Falls, Kennett River koalas, Cape Otway | 1 hour plus stops |
| Apollo Bay to Port Campbell | ~80 km | Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Gibson Steps | 1.5 hours plus stops |
| Port Campbell to Warrnambool | ~65 km | London Arch, The Grotto, Bay of Islands | 50 minutes |
Two hours of that is the famous stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay, where the road climbs over the Otway Ranges with the sea below. Do not rush it. There are few overtaking lanes, plenty of caravans in summer, and the corners are tighter than they look.
Highlights: The Twelve Apostles and Around
The Twelve Apostles are the reason most people come. They are limestone stacks standing in the Southern Ocean, some 45 to 70 metres tall, formed as the sea eroded the softer cliffs and then attacked the remaining headlands. There were never twelve of them, and there are fewer now. The formation was known for a time as the Sow and Piglets, an unromantic name that was changed in the 1920s to attract visitors. Two stacks collapsed, one in 2005 and a second in 2009, and roughly seven remain visible from the main boardwalk.
Erosion continues, which is the honest thing to say about the future of the site. The stacks are being undercut now, and the shape of this coastline will look different in a century. Seeing it while it is this dramatic is not a marketing line; it is simply a fact of coastal geology.
The best views come early or late. Sunset at the Twelve Apostles is the classic, with the boards busy and the light turning the limestone gold; sunrise gives you the same rocks, fewer people and a colder, cleaner quality of light. Either way, bring a jacket. The wind off the Southern Ocean does not care what month it is.
The rest of the Shipwreck Coast is just as good. Loch Ard Gorge is named after the clipper Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island in June 1878 with 52 of the 54 people aboard lost; two survivors, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael, made it to shore in the gorge. The Gibson Steps take you down 86 steps cut into the cliff to a beach where you can stand at the base of two stacks, which puts the scale into perspective. London Arch, once called London Bridge, lost its landward span in January 1990, stranding two tourists on the outer section until they were rescued by helicopter.
Inland from Apollo Bay, the Great Otway National Park adds a completely different landscape: mountain ash forest, tree ferns, and the Otway Fly treetop walk. Cape Otway Lightstation, built in 1848, is the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Australian mainland. Koalas are genuinely common in the eucalypts around Kennett River, though they are wild animals and the population has been under pressure from disease and bushfire, so keep your distance.
Best Time to Drive the Great Ocean Road
The road is open year-round and each season has a case. Summer, December to February, brings warm days in the mid-twenties, long daylight and the biggest crowds, particularly around the Twelve Apostles car park, which fills in the middle of the day. Autumn, March to May, is my pick: settled weather, fewer buses, and the Otway forest looking its best. Winter, June to August, is quiet, wild and the best time for whale watching, since southern right whales migrate along this coast. Spring brings wildflowers and a great deal of rain.
Two practical notes. Fog rolls in off the ocean and can swallow the Apostles completely, so check the forecast and consider building in a second chance to see them. And if you only have one day, take an organised day tour from Melbourne, which runs the loop in reverse, or accept that you will see the Apostles and not much else.
Where to stay: Lorne and Apollo Bay are the natural overnight stops, with Port Campbell closer to the Apostles and better for sunrise. Warrnambool, at the western end, has the most accommodation choice and the best option for whale watching between June and September.
Travellers putting together a wider Australian itinerary usually combine this with the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef or Uluru. If it is the road trip itself you love, our guides to the Scottish Highlands, the Amalfi Coast and Torres del Paine cover very different but equally memorable driving. Find more inspiration in our travel attractions and travel guides archives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to drive the Great Ocean Road?
The 243-kilometre road can be driven in eight to nine hours without stops, but two to three days is the right answer. One long day from Melbourne gets you the Apostles at dusk and not much else.
How many Apostles are left?
Around seven are visible from the main viewing platform. Two stacks collapsed in 2005 and 2009, and the coastline keeps eroding, so the number will continue to change.
Can you do the Great Ocean Road as a day trip from Melbourne?
Yes, and many tour operators run it daily, usually 12 to 14 hours door to door. It works if time is short. You will spend most of the day in a vehicle, so most people prefer an overnight in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell.
Is the drive difficult?
Not technically, but the Lorne to Apollo Bay section is winding, narrow in places and busy with caravans in summer. Speed limits drop through the towns, and mobile coverage is patchy in the Otway stretches.
Where is the best place to stay overnight?
Apollo Bay for restaurants and beachfront, Lorne for a livelier town feel, Port Campbell for proximity to the Apostles at sunrise, and Warrnambool at the western end for whale season.
When can you see whales?
Southern right whales pass this coast roughly from June to September, and Logans Beach near Warrnambool is one of the more reliable land-based viewing points.