Three days is the length of trip that lets the Great Ocean Road feel like a holiday rather than a race. You drive the coast in the direction most visitors do, from Torquay towards Port Campbell, sleep in two places instead of one, and see the Apostles at the edges of the day when the light is best. Distances are short on the map but slow on the ground, because the road winds along cliffs and through towns, so treat the times below as a rhythm rather than a timetable.
Day one: surf coast, Lorne and the koalas
Leave Melbourne early and head for Torquay, about 100 km away, where the surf shops and the road to Bells Beach tell you that you have arrived on the surf coast. Bells Beach is free to visit and a half hour to an hour is enough to walk the lookouts and watch the swell break across the bowl. The road then follows the sea through Anglesea and Aireys Inlet before reaching Lorne, the liveliest town on the coast. Have a long lunch here, walk the beachfront or take a short drive inland to the waterfalls of the Otways. In the afternoon continue to Kennett River, where wild koalas sit in the gum trees beside the Grey River Road, and finish in Apollo Bay. If you want a lively base with cafes and a waterfront, sleep here. Captains at the Bay is the stylish choice, and Apollo Bay Waterfront Motor Inn is the practical one.
Day two: rainforest, treetops and the lighthouse
Apollo Bay is the gateway to the Otways, so spend the morning among the tall trees. Great Otway National Park has short walks for any energy level, and the Maits Rest circuit is an easy boardwalk loop through cool temperate rainforest of the kind you will not find anywhere else on this road. If you want a view from above, the Otway Fly Treetop Walk lifts you into the canopy on a steel walkway, and it is a good family stop that takes an hour or two. After lunch, drive out to Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia, and check which parts of the precinct are open before you go. Wild koalas are often seen in the trees along the road to the cape, so drive slowly. From here the route leaves the forest and runs west along farmland to Princetown or Port Campbell, where you sleep close to the Apostles.
Day three: the Apostles coast
This is the day to rise early. The Twelve Apostles are the signature sight of the whole trip, and the light at sunrise is soft, the crowds are thin and the road is quiet. The visitor precinct uses timed entry, so book your slot before you travel, and choose the first one of the day if you can. Gibson Steps, a staircase cut into the cliff, takes you down to the beach and the base of the stacks, and it is a fine place to feel the scale of the Southern Ocean. Loch Ard Gorge is a short drive away, a sheltered inlet with a story of shipwreck and survival, and London Arch is the last stop, a natural limestone span that was once a double bridge. If you have a budget for one splurge, a helicopter flight over the coast gives a very different view of the stacks and the arch and only takes about 15 minutes in the air.
Getting back
From Port Campbell, Melbourne is roughly four hours by road, and the coast road is slow in summer and on long weekends. You can return along the coast or cut inland towards Colac and the Princes Highway, which is faster but less scenic. If you are flying out the same evening, allow a generous buffer, and avoid the temptation to add one more stop on the last afternoon.
If you have only two days
Combine days one and two by skipping the Otway Fly and the lighthouse, and spend the night in Apollo Bay before leaving early for the Apostles. If you have four days, add a second night in the Otways or Lorne, so you can walk a waterfall trail without hurrying.
Practical tips
Fill the fuel tank in the larger towns, because services thin out between them. Mobile coverage is patchy in the forest and along parts of the cliffs, so download a map before you leave. Carry layers and a rain jacket, because the weather changes quickly on this coast. Stay behind the fences at the cliffs, and never swim at the stack beaches, where currents are strong. Book your Apostles slot and your two nights of accommodation first, and let everything else fit around them.
