Victoria's coast road winds from the surf town of Torquay past Lorne and Apollo Bay, through the Otways rainforest to the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles near Port Campbell. Three or four days lets you slow down; November to April is warmest.
Road trip route for your dates
4 days from Sat, Dec 5.
- Day 1 Melbourne
- Day 2 Torquay & LorneDrive from Melbourne to Torquay & Lorne (about 2 hours)
- Day 3 Apollo Bay & the OtwaysDrive from Torquay & Lorne to Apollo Bay & the Otways (about 1 hour)
- Day 4 Port Campbell & the Twelve ApostlesDrive from Apollo Bay & the Otways to Port Campbell & the Twelve Apostles (about 1.5 hours)
Last day: about 3 hours back to the start (inland from Port Campbell to Melbourne).
Good to know
- Drive on the left, and watch for kangaroos at dawn and dusk.
- See the Twelve Apostles at sunrise or sunset; midday is crowded with coach tours.
- Book summer weekends early; Lorne and Apollo Bay fill up with Melburnians.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Hosier Lane murals, Degraves Street cafes and hidden bars tucked into narrow alleys.
Historic market with produce, deli halls and a summer night market.
Australia's oldest public gallery, with a stunning stained-glass ceiling and free collection.
Seaside suburb with Luna Park, cake shops and a pier with penguins at dusk.
Lakes, fern gullies and wide lawns beside the Yarra with skyline views, ideal for a picnic.
Melbourne's best cafes and roasters in Fitzroy and Collingwood.
Cocktails on a CBD rooftop with skyline views, some with outdoor cinemas in summer.
Australia's most famous surf break, home of the Easter Rip Curl Pro; watch from the clifftop.
Boards, history and hall of fame of Australian surfing in the town where it boomed.
The white 'Lighthouse at the End of the World' above rock stacks and a long beach.
A 30-metre waterfall in fern gully forest, down a steep stair from the car park.
Gentle beginner waves and boards in the sheltered bay of Louttit Bay.
Wild koalas in the gum trees along Grey River Road, with king parrots that land on your hand.
Boardwalk loop under giant mountain ash and tree ferns in cool rainforest.
Australia's oldest surviving mainland lighthouse, with keepers' cottages and a WWII radar bunker.
Local crayfish and flake straight off the boats at the fishermen's co-op.
Limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean, glowing gold as the sun goes down.
A sheltered cove between towering cliffs, named for an 1878 shipwreck with two survivors.
86 steps down the cliff to the beach for a sea-level view of two of the Apostles.
Short scenic flight along the coast of shipwrecks and sea stacks.
The arch that lost its span in 1990, and a sinkhole grotto open to the sea.