Last updated 15 July 2026 · Reviewed by the StaycationOz team
The Great Ocean Road was built between 1919 and 1932, largely by returned WWI soldiers, as both a war memorial and a way to open up an otherwise inaccessible stretch of coastline. That history is part of why it winds so closely along the water rather than taking a faster inland route — access to the coast was always the point.
Quick Picks
- Best for
- Coastal driving, dramatic rock formations
- Ideal trip length
- 2 nights
- Getting there
- 1.5–2 hr drive from Melbourne to the start of the road
- Watch for
- Wild koalas near Kennett River — look up, drive slow
The Twelve Apostles are the reason most people make the drive, but the name is misleading — there were never twelve, and erosion has reduced the visible stack count further since naming. What matters more than the count is timing: arrive at sunrise or the last hour before sunset, both for better light and because the car park is genuinely difficult to move through once the tour buses arrive mid-morning.
Loch Ard Gorge, a few minutes past the Apostles, gets a fraction of the visitors despite arguably more dramatic scenery — steep cliff stairs lead down to a sheltered beach where a real 1878 shipwreck story adds context most people skip past at the main lookout.
Apollo Bay makes the best overnight base if you're doing this as a two-day trip rather than a single long day — it sits roughly at the halfway point and gives easy access to the Great Otway National Park's waterfalls, which most single-day visitors never see because they're focused entirely on reaching the Apostles.
Wild koalas along the road near Kennett River are a genuine possibility, not a tourist exaggeration — look up into the eucalypts rather than at the road, and go slowly through that stretch. Bells Beach, right at the start of the drive near Torquay, is worth a short stop too — it's the home of the world's longest-running professional surf competition.
💡 Insider Tip
Book Apollo Bay accommodation if doing this over two days, not somewhere closer to the Apostles. It puts you roughly at the midpoint, cuts the return drive to Melbourne into two manageable chunks, and gives you time for the Otway waterfalls that single-day visitors always miss.
Worth Knowing
A single-day round trip from Melbourne is genuinely long — around 12 hours including stops — and rushing it means seeing the Apostles in the harsh midday light everyone's photos look worse in. If you can only spare one day, prioritize an early departure over trying to see everything.
❓ The Great Ocean Road FAQs
Can you do the Great Ocean Road in one day?
Yes, but it's a long day — around 12 hours round trip from Melbourne including stops. Two days is far more comfortable if your schedule allows it.
What time should you visit the Twelve Apostles?
Sunrise or the last hour before sunset — the light is better and the tour buses that dominate the middle of the day haven't arrived yet.
Will I actually see koalas?
It's a genuine possibility near Kennett River, not just a tourist claim — drive slowly and look up into the eucalypts rather than at the road.
Is Loch Ard Gorge worth stopping for?
Yes — it gets far fewer visitors than the main Apostles lookout despite arguably more dramatic scenery and a real shipwreck history.