Great Ocean Drive / Grampians National Park (Victoria, Australia)

Halls Gap: Grampians National Park

After our time wrapped up on Kangaroo Island, we had a choice to make. The official starting line for our Great Ocean Road trip was Port Fairy, but instead of driving straight through, we decided to slow it down. We broke up the trek with a detour into Grampians National Park.

Man, am I glad we did. We absolutely loved hanging out in the great outdoors here—it’s a massive nature reserve packed to the gills with killer hikes and epic vistas.

The main hub inside the park is a tiny forest town called Halls Gap. It has a cool, secluded vibe. The second we pulled up to our perfectly located Halls Gap Airbnb (hit that link to check it out), we were instantly surrounded by local wildlife, which put a massive smile on Barbie’s face. The Grampians completely blew past our expectations. If you’re planning a trip, do yourself a favor and allocate a solid 3 to 4 days here.

Grampians National Park: The Hit List

When you’re ready to lace up your boots, these are the top sights and tracks:

MacKenzie Falls River Walk
Pinnacle Lookout Track (via Silent Street—highly recommend)
Lakeview Lookout
Reed Lookout (Go at sunset!)
The Balconies (Another killer sunset spot)
Boroka Lookout
Boronia Lookout
Brambuk Loop Walk

Cruising the Great Ocean Road

If you’re looking for one of the most iconic Aussie road trips, this is it. It’s the ultimate way to tie together a Melbourne-to-Kangaroo Island-to-Adelaide itinerary, and it easily ranks as one of the world’s most beautiful coastal journeys.

We’re talking about a winding, cliff-hugging drive along Australia’s southern coastline that delivers way more eye candy than your average beach destination. Clocking in at about 240 kilometers (150 miles), the Great Ocean Road is packed with tons of worthy stops, no matter what you’re into.

Why You Need to Slow It Down

Most people rush through this entire drive in 2 or 3 days. Unless you are seriously pressed for time, that is a massive mistake.

Barbie and I allocated twelve nights for this stretch. Taking our time at a leisurely pace allowed us to actually soak in the spectacular scenery instead of just checking boxes. Because we hit the road during the tail end of the warmer summer months, those 12 nights gave us the luxury to take a few days completely off from “mandatory” sightseeing. Instead, we just chilled on the awesome beaches lining the coast.

Here’s a pro-tip: despite doing tons of research before our road trip, I found heaps of incredible “hidden” beaches between the main towns that weren’t on any map. Our strategy was dead simple. We’d scan the coast as we drove, and whenever we spotted a spot where the local Aussies were surfing and hanging out, we’d pull over and join them. Even with nearly two weeks on the road, we didn’t hit every single lookout point, surf break, or hiking trail—but we gave it a hell of a run.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD – TOWNS & ACTIVITIES

The Ultimate Pit Stops

When planning a proper Great Ocean Road itinerary, the most strategically located overnight stops to break up the drive are Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, and Port Fairy.

Hands down, Lorne was our favorite multi-night stopover. People sometimes call Lorne the Melbourne equivalent of Byron Bay. Since Byron Bay is one of our absolute favorite places in all of Australia, it makes total sense that we enjoyed Lorne’s relaxed, laid-back vibe.

Here is the breakdown of the exact spots we hit, town by town, from start to finish:

Torquay

Bells Beach (The iconic surf mecca)
Point Addis Beach

Aireys Inlet

Split Point Lighthouse & the surrounding coastal walks

Lorne (Our Top Pick)

Lorne Beach
Teddy’s & St. George River Lookout
Erskine Falls
Coastal Walk to Lorne Pier

Apollo Bay & Great Otway National Park

Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
Hopetoun Falls
Triplett Falls
Little Aire Falls
The Redwoods / Beech Forest (Incredible tall timber)
Apollo Bay Beach
Marengo Beach
Cape Otway Lighthouse

Aire River Stretch

Johanna Beach
Wreck Beach
The Gables

Port Campbell (The Big Sightseeing Hub)

12 Apostles Marine National Park
Gibson Steps
Loch Ard Gorge (Make sure to explore the Razorback Lookout, Island Archway, Loch Ard Gorge Beach, Muttonbird Lookout, and Thunder Cave)
Port Campbell Discovery Walk
The Arch
London Bridge
The Grotto
Bay of Martyrs
Bay of Islands
Worm Bay