Mind-boggling rock formations, hundreds of wildlife sightings, colonial towns, sleepy fishing villages, parks and spectacular views of the Great Australian Bight are some of the things that await you. Below, it's round-up list of the top things to see and do along the Great Ocean Road.
Enjoy a day hike along the Great Ocean Walk
The Great Ocean Walk is located on Victoria’s gorgeous south west coast and it's without a doubt, one of the most famous trails you can hike in South Australia. The Great Ocean Walk is a stunning trail (around 50 miles long) that stretches from Apollo Bay all the way to The Twelve Apostles limestone formations.
The Great Ocean Walk takes roughly 5-7 days to complete so if you're on vacation it's a good idea to join a cycling or walking tour (i.e. Raw Travel) to maximize your time. Having said this, even on a short trip you don’t necessarily have to complete the entire length of the Great Ocean Walk to enjoy it.
You can join the Great Ocean Walk trail at various points like Apollo Bay or Cape Otway, which are the most popular spots for day hikes because they offer stunning cliff-top views and great opportunities for beach walks.
The easiest hikes along the Great Ocean Walk are Wreck Beach Walk, Cape Otway light-Aire River hike and the Gable Lookout Walk, which is probably one of the most rewarding walks along the Great Ocean Walk because it’s an easy 25 minute walk that leads to a lookout point that offers amazing views over the Shipwreck Coast.
Get a bird’s eye view of Great Ocean Road
Taking a helicopter flight is unarguably the most comfortable way to see Great Ocean Road’s natural formations - London Bridge and The Twelve Apostles. The helicopter tour is absolutely worth every penny as you’ll get to enjoy marvelous views of Australia’s south west coastline, as well as enjoy memorable opportunities to see whales spouting water!
The most popular location for helicopter tours is at The Twelve Apostles, though you can enjoy scenic flights from many other locations along the coastline such as Torquay, Geelong Waterfront, Peterborough Airport, Princetown, and Ocean Grove. There are plenty of tour operators to choose from such as “12 Apostles Helicopters" and “Apostle Coast Aviation” charging $80 and upwards.
Stay in the Great Otway National Park for a few days
If you’re planning to do the Great Ocean Road during your trip to south west Victoria, you’ll definitely want to add to your itinerary spending a few days in the Great Otway NP.
Stopping at Great Otway NP is no doubt, one of the highlights along the Great Ocean Road drive and it certainly warrants a stay of at least 2 or 3 days. At the park, you’ll be able to do a multitude of fun activities such as coastal walking, horse riding, mountain biking, bushwalking, bird watching, jeep tours, fishing, kayaking, walking tours, and free camping in camping areas such as Allenvale, Aire Crossing Johanna Beach and Big Hill. For more info about the park, accommodation options and tour operators at Great Otway NP, be sure to check out the “Great Otway National Park website”.
Visit Dinosaurs Cove
The Otway Dinosaurs exhibition at Dinosaurs Cove is definitely another attraction worth adding on your itinerary of things to see and do along the Great Ocean Road.
If you’re interested ancient fossils, you’ll love watching the exhibits and learning more about new discoveries of dinosaur fossils on this part of Australia.
Ride the waves
The South Eastern coast of Australia is renowned for its great surfing conditions and if you’re a keen surfer you won’t want to pass the opportunity to ride some waves during your trip along the Great Ocean Road.
You’ll find great surfing breaks anywhere between Warrnambool and Geelong, though Johanna Beach, Winkipop and Bells Beach are the most popular destinations because of their consistent swells. Saying this, if you do plan to visit South west Australia in April is worth going to Bells Beach to see the annual Rip Curl surfing competition (around Easter time).
See the local wildlife
Taking any scenic drives along the Great Ocean Road would not be complete without stopping at the Anglesea Golf Club and Tower Hill wildlife reserve to see kangaroos up-close, and the Kennett River walk to spot koalas in the trees.
Other wildlife worth seeing along the Great Ocean Road include dolphins in Logans Beach, whales in Port Phillip Bay, seals in Lady Julia Percy Island, and the ever elusive platypus in Melba Gully.
Alternatively, another way to go about seeing wildlife/marine life is by joining a wildlife adventure tour organized by a tour operator such as “Dolphin Swims”, “Naturewise Tours” or “Platypus Tours”.
Enjoy a fishing day along Portland Bay
Fishing is another popular thing to do along the Great Ocean Road and one of the best spots to go fishing is around Portland Bay, particularly the Port Fairy area. Port Fairy is a great fishing destination because it draws very little crowds even during the high season. Port Fairy offers opportunities for inshore fishing, fishing excursions and cruises out to the famous sea colony on Lady Julia Percy Island.
If you’re looking to join a chartered fishing tour for a bit of deep sea or sport fishing, the beach town of Portland is the next best place to go. There, you’ll find a ton of operators to choose from such as Sea Spray Charters, Legend Charters, Southern Coast Charters, and Adamas Fishing Charters offering fishing excursions and other activities such as whale-watching tours and diving trips.
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