The Great Ocean Road is on every Melbourne visitor’s list and the day-trip version is genuinely doable - but it’s also a 13-hour day with at least 8 hours of driving, and most people who do it badly end up rushing past the things that make it worth doing. This is the brief for a one-day self-drive: the realistic stop list, where to actually eat, and the bits that the bus tours skip.
The Honest Time Maths
Melbourne CBD to the 12 Apostles via the full coast road: 275km, roughly 4 hours one-way without stops. Inland return via the Princes Highway: 240km, 3 hours. Total driving: 7 hours. Add 4 hours of stops, lunch, and photos and you’re at 11 hours plus the city traffic at each end. Leaving the CBD by 7am and getting back by 8pm is a sensible schedule. Earlier if you want time at the Apostles in good light.
Stop 1: Bells Beach and Torquay
First proper stop, 95 minutes out of the city. Bells Beach is the most famous surfing break in Australia and home of the Rip Curl Pro every Easter, the longest-running pro surfing event in the world. The viewing platform is free, 15 minutes is enough. Torquay itself has the Australian National Surfing Museum (Surf World) and the Rip Curl/Quiksilver factory outlets if you need a souvenir. Coffee at one of the Torquay cafes.
Stop 2: Lorne and the Erskine Falls Loop
Lorne (90 minutes from Torquay along the actual coast road - this is where the famous twisting cliff drive begins). Lunch at one of the Mountjoy Parade cafes; the Lorne Pier has fish and chips and the Pacific views. If you have an extra hour, the 10km loop inland to Erskine Falls is worth it - a 30-metre waterfall, short walk from the carpark. Skip if you’re tight on time.
Stop 3: Apollo Bay and Otway Lighthouse
Apollo Bay (45 minutes from Lorne) is the lunch town if you didn’t eat in Lorne. After Apollo Bay, the road climbs into the Great Otway National Park - the inland section, eucalypt forest, much less photographed than the coast. Cape Otway Lighthouse is a 30-minute detour off the main road and a working lighthouse; entry is paid. Skip if you’re behind schedule.
Stop 4: The 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge
The headline stop, 75 minutes from Apollo Bay. The 12 Apostles are limestone stacks 45-50m high, rising from the Southern Ocean at Port Campbell National Park. Free to visit, walking platforms with views from multiple angles. Loch Ard Gorge (5km west) is arguably more beautiful than the Apostles themselves - the walking trail down to the beach takes 20 minutes and is rarely crowded. The London Bridge formation (a further 5km) is the third must-see. Plan 90 minutes minimum across all three.
The Return: Inland is Quicker
From Port Campbell, take the Princes Highway return route via Colac and Geelong - 3 hours, much faster than retracing the coast road. The inland route is duller scenically but cuts 90 minutes off the trip. Stop at Colac for a quick coffee or push straight through. Back in the CBD by 8pm if you left at 7am.
What to Skip and What to Bring
Skip: the 12 Apostles helicopter rides ($150 for 15 minutes; not worth it on a day trip), Lorne Beach swimming (you don’t have time), and the Otway zip-lines (book these as a separate trip). Bring: layered clothing (it’s 5-10 degrees colder on the coast than the CBD year-round), a full tank of fuel from a city station (regional petrol is $0.30/L pricier), water, and snacks. The road is twisty - take motion sickness pills if you’re prone.
What This Means for You
One day, four major stops, 600km of driving, the most photographed coastline in Australia. Self-drive is the only way to do it properly; bus tours rush you past the best bits. Pair with the Phillip Island day trip on a different day, not the same one. For a slower-paced regional drive, see the Yarra Valley day trip.
Jack Carver covers Melbourne food, drink, and city life for MELBZ.