Great Ocean Road: Master Australia’s most iconic road trip

TO master the art of the microadventure, all you have to do is pack the car and go.

A sandy beach next to a section of the Great Ocean Road, near the town of Apollo Bay in Victoria State, Australia.

TO master the art of the microadventure, all you have to do is pack the car and go.

In an ideal world, family holidays to exotic locations would be both frequent and mandatory. But in the real world, where you and I live, budgets rarely allow for such extravagances. So, what’s the solution? Simple: Go on a microadventure. To master the art of the microadventure, all you have to do is pack the car and go. Just because you aren’t boarding a plane, doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun, spontaneous, wild adventure that the whole family can enjoy. So, where to? Well, how about making the most of The Great Ocean Road? From Melbourne’s CBD it’s less than an hour and a half drive. Here’s all the info you need to ensure you make the right stops along the way to make your microadventure anything but small.

The official starting point of the Great Ocean Road is Torquay, which is 103km from

Melbourne CBD and approximately a 1hr 20 minute drive. Once you arrive in Torquay, stop! This beach town is worth getting out of the car for. Rich in surf history, it’s the birthplace of world famous brands Quicksilver and Rip Curl, and also home to one of the biggest surf competitions in the world, the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. The cliff-face at Bells is incredible, and the views are spectacular. Go for a swim, walk along the shore, or just take it all in from a viewpoint. Once you’ve had your taste of salt and sand, you can embark on a beautiful nature walk, get active with a mountain bike ride, or bust out your rod to enjoy Torquay locals’ favourite pastime—fishing.

By the end of your Torquay visit, you’ll probably feel like you’ve already had an epic holiday. But it’s only the beginning—literally. The next stop along the 243-kilometre stretch of open road that’s definitely worth a visit is the beach town of Lorne. If you arrive there around lunchtime, order up a fresh serve of fish and chips and enjoy a seaside picnic on the grass atop the beach. After lunch, be sure to take in the beauty of Erskine Falls, which you can either see from a lookout point less than 100 metres in, or get on foot to get up close and personal to the bottom of the waterfall. If you’re more interested in checking out the surf side of things, you can book yourself a surf lesson with Go Ride A Wave Lorne, or if the kids are looking for some fast-paced fun look no further than Lorne Sea Baths, a water park packed with slides, rides and trampolines.

Ready for some more spectacular landscapes? The next stops on your microadventure road trip are a mere 9 minutes apart. At low tide, Wye River boasts some of the most beautiful rock pools to explore. If you’re looking to spend the night, the small sleepy town of Kennet River is a great place to pitch a tent under the starry sky. The local caravan park has tons of powered sites, or if camping isn’t really your thing, they offer cabins to fit the whole family. Kennet’s River is also known for its large koala population, so spotting one in the wild is extremely likely. Just turn into Grey River Road, off the Great Ocean Road, and your furry friends will be waiting to greet you. The river is also home to many native birds, including King Parrots, Rosellas and Kookaburras, so have the binoculars handy!

By this point of your adventure, you’re probably asking yourself how on earth you haven’t made this trip before. You’ve jammed so much in, and the sun hasn’t even set yet! Still, somehow, the best is yet to come, because you’re on your way to Great Otway National Park. This national park boasts some of the best bush walks in the country, like Maits Rest, which is an easy 800m self-guided circuit walk through enchanting rainforest. There’s also the one-hour return loop Triplet Falls walk, which, as it’s name suggests, boasts three beautiful cascading waterfalls amongst the forests of Mountain Ash and Myrtle Beech.

Also within the national park you’ll find the mystical Melba Gully—home to a large colony of brilliant glowworms, a rare site for adults and parents alike. Follow the trails to see them illuminate their secret hiding places. If you and the kids are looking for something a little more daring, check out Otway Fly Tree Top Adventure, which gives you the chance to go zip-lining or take tree top walks through the forest.

Outside of the national park, the town of Cape Otway itself is full of history and charm. The Cape Otway Lighthouse is a must visit, as it’s the oldest working lighthouse in Australia. It’s also a great vantage point for whale watching during peak season. After visiting the lighthouse, be sure to walk around the light station to investigate old shipwreck relics, as well as see the light keeper’s cottages and the WWII radar station. It’s a place the whole family will enjoy.

All these incredible experiences are but a few hours outside of Melbourne, and the memories you make will be with you a lifetime. By the time you get back to work on Monday, Susie’s Santorini snaps will pale in comparison to your awe inspiring images from the best microadventure you’ve ever taken. Get packing.

Originally published as Great Ocean Road: Master Australia’s most iconic road trip