The Great Ocean Road & Grampians Self-Drive

Driving: approx. 95 km · 1 hr 45 min driving

Take a morning stroll on the Maits Rest rainforest walk (800 m loop, 30 minutes) beneath myrtle beech and tree ferns, then optionally drive the 13 km side road to the Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia (entry fee payable). The road climbs through Lavers Hill before dropping back to the coast at Gibson Steps – 86 steps down to the beach for a true sense of scale beneath the cliffs. Visit Loch Ard Gorge, named after the 1878 shipwreck, then check in at Port Campbell and return to the Twelve Apostles boardwalk for sunset, when the limestone glows gold and the coach crowds have gone.

Meals: Breakfast  ·  Overnight: Port Campbell motel

Driving: approx. 100 km · 1 hr 15 min driving

An easy day. Follow the Shipwreck Coast west past London Bridge (it lost its link to the mainland in 1990, stranding two surprised tourists), The Grotto and the Bay of Islands. In Warrnambool, drive up to Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, a dormant volcano crater where emus, koalas and grey kangaroos roam freely. Between June and September, southern right whales calve just off Logans Beach. Arrive in Port Fairy in time for a walk around Griffiths Island and its little lighthouse – short-tailed shearwaters return to nest here at dusk from late September to April.

Meals: Breakfast  ·  Overnight: Port Fairy heritage B&B

Driving: approx. 165 km · 2 hr driving

Head inland through Penshurst and Dunkeld, where the jagged profile of Mt Abrupt and Mt Sturgeon marks the southern gateway to Grampians National Park. Drive the scenic Grampians Road north to Halls Gap (about 2 hours in total), have lunch, then visit Brambuk – the National Park & Cultural Centre to learn about the Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali people, the Traditional Owners of Gariwerd. In the afternoon, drive up to Reed Lookout and walk the easy 2 km return track to The Balconies, then finish at Boroka Lookout for sweeping views over Lake Bellfield. Kangaroos graze on the Halls Gap oval most evenings.

Meals: Breakfast  ·  Overnight: Halls Gap motel

Driving: approx. 255 km · 3 hr driving

Set off early for the Wonderland Loop to The Pinnacle (about 4.2 km return, 2–3 hours, moderate with some rock scrambling through the narrow Silent Street). Then drive 20 minutes to MacKenzie Falls, Victoria's largest year-round waterfall; the steep 260-step track to the base is about 2 km return, or take the gentle path to the Bluff lookout. After a late lunch in Halls Gap, drive back to Melbourne via the Western Highway (about 3 hours) and return your car by 6 pm.

Meals: Breakfast  ·  Overnight: End of tour

Australians drive on the left and overtake on the right. Give way to traffic on roundabouts coming from your right. Most visitors adjust within an hour, but we deliberately schedule an easy first morning on freeways before the winding coastal section.

A full, valid licence in English is generally accepted; if yours is in another language you will need an International Driving Permit or an official translation. Drivers usually need to be at least 21 (young-driver fees may apply under 25). Rules can change, so please check the official VicRoads guidance and your rental terms before you travel.

It is a sealed, well-maintained road, but the stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is narrow and winding with sheer drops. Speed limits drop to 80 km/h or lower in places, and there are frequent pull-outs to let faster traffic pass. Avoid driving at dawn and dusk, when kangaroos and wallabies are most active.

Yes – starting with the Grampians and finishing on the coast works well. Driving east, however, puts you on the inland side of the road, so pull-outs to the ocean side are slightly less convenient.

Coverage is good in towns but patchy through the Otway Ranges and parts of the Grampians. Download offline maps before you set off; our digital itinerary works offline too.

March to May brings settled weather and autumn colour; September to November is wildflower season in the Grampians. Summer is warm but busy, and winter is cool and moody, with whale-watching at Warrnambool.