South West Coast (Victoria)

The South West Coast of Victoria, Australia is the area around the Great Ocean Road including the Great Ocean Rd, Surf Coast, and the Otways.

It can more broadly cover Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, but Wikivoyage covers those two regions under Greater Geelong.

Shipwreck Coast

 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital
 * - the state's surf capital

Other destinations

 * along the Great Ocean Road with some waterfalls
 * – The earliest evidence of aquaculture in the world is found here. As early as 6000 BC, the Gunditjmara people created a system of channels, dams and weirs trapping eels and fish. The eels were smoked and preserved and were eaten all year around.
 * – contains the 12 Apostles

Understand
The first British settlement in Victoria was in Portland, in the far west of the South West Coast region, in 1834. Melbourne was founded only a year later. This area has become a major agricultural region in Victoria, with farms for dairy, beef cattle, lamb, and wool, as well as other crops. The only part of this region without significant farming activity is the Otway Ranges, which was once a major source of timber, but is now protected as Great Otway National Park, one of Victoria's largest and most diverse national parks, and a major tourist attraction.

The Great Ocean Road, built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, is a fantastic drive, not only for the scenery but also for the winding cliff-top roads. Before this road was constructed, the only access for towns on the rugged coastline was by sea. When the first section to Lorne was opened in 1922, road users had to pay a toll, which was abolished in 1936. Not only is the Great Ocean Road an attraction in itself, but it allows road access to virtually all of the region's major tourist drawcards. Its numerous twists, turns, and hairpin bends also make it great fun to drive, unless you're prone to carsickness.

Get in
Most visitors start from Melbourne, which is 95 km away from Torquay. Instead of Melbourne's main airport, fly into Avalon Airport near Geelong, which is much closer to the start of the road. There is car hire there, and it is regularly serviced by Jetstar.

V/Line buses run from Geelong along the Great Ocean Road as far as Apollo Bay three times a day M-F and twice a day Sa-Su. On Friday a bus continues from Apollo Bay to Warrnambool. There are also daily V/Line trains to Warrnambool, but they travel inland.

Get around
Having your own car gives you the most flexibility in getting around Coach tours are also readily available.

There are many sights to see away from the townships, and along the coast. Getting to them by general public transport is difficult.

There are so many pullouts and sights, that you can fall into a yet another spectacular vista fatigue, when driving the road. Is it worth pulling off the road for another cliff drop, another gorge, or another arch? Make sure you plan your trip, so you can skip some attractions if you need to, but don't miss the truly amazing ones.

Itineraries
At its simplest, you won't need an itinerary, or even a map to drive the Great Ocean Road. Start at Geelong or Warrnambool and follow the signs. The eastern end of the route starts at Torquay, 22 km from Geelong. The sights are well signposted off the road, as well as nearby attractions. Information boards exist at all sights and attractions. The road is well developed for tourism, has regular information, food, fuel and accommodation.

Its possible to drive the length of the road, and see the main attractions in a day's driving. Two days will allow you to see just about all of the coastal sights and towns, if that is what you want to do. Consider three days or longer if you want to stay longer at some towns, and do some walks, relaxation, or other recreation.

If starting from Melbourne, remember that it's almost 100 km to the start of the Great Ocean Road at Torquay and another 264 km back from Warrnambool along the inland Princes Highway. This translates to a minimum of 600 km to get there, drive the road from end to end and come back, and doing this in one day doesn't leave much time for sightseeing &mdash; spending at least two-three days is a much better idea.

See



 * Geelong — The largest city in the South West Coast Area, Geelong has bustling beaches and wonderful art. See the tallest building in the region, Worksafe Headquarters at 40 m. Visit the Botanical Gardens in East Geelong, with lots of green and get a glamorous view of the city. Also visit the construction sites of The Mercer and Miramar, apartment buildings set to be the tallest in Geelong at 80 and 90 m. The library has been nicknamed the Death Star by locals. Geelong has two major shopping centres: Westfield and Market Square, which have heaps of shops across two levels.
 * Lara — Considered to be part of Geelong, it is a 15-minute drive from the CBD and has a train station. Lara is continuously growing, with new estates coming everywhere. You can also see the farm side of Lara and the 355-m You Yangs National Park.
 * Torquay — A small town 20 minutes away from Geelong and on the Surf Coast Highway, Torquay has many things to see. Torquay is on the end of The Great Ocean Road, next to Jan Juc. There are the beaches full of people during summer, shops and more. Torquay also has the Australian National Surfing Museum. Torquay is still growing, with a plan to be part of Geelong in the future.
 * Bells Beach — Surfing mecca - crashing waves, lots of surfers and kangaroos in nearby grasslands in the early morning
 * Point Addis Surfing, and an indigenous walk through the bushland to a lookout over the beach. Signs provide insights into how the local Aboriginal people used the land (approx 30 minutes return).
 * Split Point — Aireys Inlet.
 * Teddy’s Lookout, Lorne — Provides a view of the Great Ocean Road as it winds along the coastline.
 * Wye River and Kennett River villages for koala sightings, Wye River — Both small villages have excellent koala populations in trees easy for visitors to see.
 * Marriner’s Lookout in Apollo Bay — Views of the township and the 3 bays that make up Apollo Bay.
 * Marriner’s Lookout in Apollo Bay — Views of the township and the 3 bays that make up Apollo Bay.

Do
Walk. Many of the natural features have surrounding walks, but there are developed paths for longer walks.

There are also some great places to go mountain biking in the back of Apollo Bay around the forest and the Otway National Park. There is one tour company that offers 5- to 7-day tours based out of Apollo Bay.

Tour. Many tourists prefer to take a tour rather than drive themselves. There are many operators who provide day and multiple day tours along the Great Ocean Road. Tours also range from small group tours, private tours to bus tours.

Eat
Port Campbell has many cafes and restaurants and it is the only place to get food near the Port Campbell National Park. There are also some restaurants in the region of Great Otway National Park.

Sleep
A wide range of accommodation is available in towns along the Great Ocean Road, but most of it is clustered at the eastern end near Melbourne, particularly Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay.

As the area is such a popular weekend getaway, prices are considerably higher during the weekend and many places (especially B&Bs) have two-night minimum stays. In the summer peak season and during holidays, many places will sell out completely and it can be hard to find even a motel room.

Stay safe
Some of the beaches along the road have dangerous currents. Observe local signs, and seek local advice about the best places to swim. For tips on beach safety and to understand the signs see BeachSafe

There are virtually no overtaking lanes on the Great Ocean Road. Rather the road has turnouts for slower vehicles so if a faster vehicle catches up to you, be considerate and pull over at the next turn out. Frustration causes accidents, let faster vehicles past. If you catch up to a slower vehicle, stay back at a safe distance and wait for the other vehicle to pull over in the next slow vehicle turn out. Don't tailgate.

Many areas on the road experienced significant bush fires in early 2016, with many travellers needing evacuation.

The speed limit along the Great Ocean Road is 80 km/h to 100 km/h. In towns, the speed limit is 50 km/h to 70 km/h.

Given the volume of traffic that can traverse the Great Ocean Road, especially weekends and holidays, don't assume that it will be a quick trip. Allow yourself plenty of time to see everything so that you may enjoy your drive.

Go next
You can travel back to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road or take the inland route via Colac which although a similar distance saves time.