Things to do on the Great Ocean Road
Walks, wildlife, water sports, food, photography, family activities and adrenaline experiences — every activity along the 243 km of the road, organised by category.
Activities, not just places
The stops page answers the question "where should I pull off?". This page answers "what should I actually do?". The two overlap — a viewpoint is both a stop and an activity — but most of the road's value lives in experiences that don't fit on a list of named landmarks: surfing lessons, fishing charters, koala drives, café crawls, sunset photography sessions, family beach days.
We've sorted everything by category. Walks and hikes for fitness-first travellers. Wildlife experiences for nature-focused trips. Water and beach activities for summer. Photography for visual travellers. Food and drink for the road's increasingly serious culinary scene. Family-friendly activities. And adventure activities for adrenaline-focused trips. Each category has six or seven shortlist activities, each linked to its full guide.
Most travellers won't fit every category into a trip. A 3-day trip realistically covers two or three categories well. A 7-day trip covers most. Pick the categories that match your group's interests rather than trying to do everything — the road rewards depth more than breadth.
Walks & hikes
From 30-minute boardwalks to a 110 km thru-hike — the road has walks for every fitness level.
Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
30-min boardwalk loop through tree-fern gully near Apollo Bay. Step-free.
Read the guideErskine Falls
230 wooden steps to the base of a 30-metre cascade behind Lorne.
Read the guideGibson Steps beach descent
86 steps to the only beach access beneath the Twelve Apostles.
Read the guideLoch Ard Gorge full circuit
Six-stop walking circuit including beach descent and cemetery walk.
Read the guideSplit Point cliff walk
2 km loop linking the lighthouse, Eagle Rock and Pulpit Rock.
Read the guideGreat Ocean Walk
110 km long-distance trail, Apollo Bay to Twelve Apostles. Day sections from town.
Read the guideWildlife experiences
One of the few coastal regions in Australia where you can reliably see koalas, kangaroos and southern right whales — all within an hour's drive.
Cape Otway koala drive
12 km of manna gum forest with near-guaranteed wild koala sightings.
Read the guideKennett River koalas
Drive Grey River Road slowly. Most reliable koala spot on the Surf Coast.
Read the guideLogans Beach whale watching
Southern right whales calve in the shallows June to September. Cliff-top platform.
Read the guideAnglesea Golf Course kangaroos
Wild kangaroos graze the fairways. Free to view from the road.
Read the guideTower Hill Wildlife Reserve
Drive among kangaroos and emus inside an extinct volcano crater.
Read the guideMelba Gully glow worms
Largest glow worm population in Australia, best viewed at night with a torch.
Read the guideWater & beaches
Sheltered swimming bays at Lorne, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell, world-class surf at Bells, plus paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing charters.
Surf at Bells Beach
Australia's most famous reef break — best for intermediate-and-up surfers.
Read the guideSwim at Loutit Bay (Lorne)
Patrolled in summer, sheltered, the road's prettiest swimming bay.
Read the guideStand-up paddleboard at Apollo Bay
Calm bay water, board hire on the foreshore in summer.
Read the guideFishing charter from Apollo Bay
Half- and full-day charters for snapper, gummy shark, tuna in season.
Read the guideLorne Pier to Pub swim
1.2 km open-water swim race in early January — book accommodation 12+ months ahead.
Read the guideSurf lesson at Torquay
Multiple operators run beginner lessons at Torquay Front Beach and Jan Juc.
Read the guidePhotography & viewpoints
Every major lookout, every blue-hour spot, every photogenic angle — the road's been shot millions of times but still rewards going early or late.
Twelve Apostles at sunset
The signature shot. Arrive 90 min before sunset, stay 30 min after for blue hour.
Read the guideLoch Ard Gorge mid-morning
Sun lights up the turquoise cove water. Avoid late afternoon when it's in shadow.
Read the guideMariners Lookout sunrise
Aerial-style view over Apollo Bay. Five minutes' drive uphill from town.
Read the guideLorne pier sunrise
Bay is mirror-flat in the first 30 minutes after dawn.
Read the guideTeddy's Lookout (Lorne)
Cliff-top river-mouth view 3 km west of Lorne. Best in late afternoon.
Read the guideCape Patton Lookout
Best cliff-top panorama between Lorne and Apollo Bay. Often empty.
Read the guideFood & drink
Apollo Bay has the road's best food scene; Lorne has the densest café strip; Port Campbell has the strategic dinner. Plus craft breweries and fresh-off-the-boat seafood.
Apollo Bay Fishermen's Co-op
Australia's best fish and chips — owned by the local fishermen.
Read the guideLa Bimba (Apollo Bay)
Upstairs Italian with bay views — the road's flagship dinner table.
Read the guideIpsos Lorne
Modern Greek dinner on Mountjoy Parade. Book 1-2 weeks ahead in summer.
Read the guideApollo Bay Brewing Co
Local craft beer brewed on-site. Tasting paddles and bistro food.
Read the guideWreck Diver Restaurant (Port Campbell)
Best dinner option close to the Twelve Apostles. Book 1-2 days ahead.
Read the guideForrest Brewing
Craft brewery in the Otway hinterland — 30 min inland from Apollo Bay.
Read the guideFamily-friendly activities
The road handles kids well — short walks, sheltered swimming, accessible attractions, drive-among-kangaroos wildlife reserves.
Otway Fly Treetop Walk
600-metre canopy walkway plus a spiral lookout tower. Mostly accessible.
Read the guideTower Hill drive among kangaroos
Drive into an extinct volcano crater with wandering kangaroos and emus.
Read the guideMaits Rest 30-min boardwalk
Easy step-free rainforest loop suitable for prams and small children.
Read the guidePort Campbell harbour beach
Safest swimming on the Shipwreck Coast — protected bay, gentle gradient.
Read the guideApollo Bay foreshore playground
Big playground, BBQ areas, walking distance to fish and chips.
Read the guideHelicopter flight over the Apostles
15-minute scenic flight from the Twelve Apostles helipad. Most kids love it.
Read the guideAdventure activities
Helicopter flights, ziplines, surf charters, sea kayaking, hang-gliding off Aireys Inlet — the adrenaline shortlist.
Twelve Apostles helicopter flight
15-min scenic flight, ~AU$165/person. Books out in summer; reserve ahead.
Read the guideOtway Fly Zipline Tours
2.5-hour guided zipline experience through the rainforest canopy. ~AU$120/person.
Read the guideSea kayak Apollo Bay
Paddle out to the Marengo seal colony with a guided kayak tour.
Read the guideHang-glide Eagle Rock
Tandem hang-gliding from the cliffs at Aireys Inlet. Operator-dependent.
Read the guideSurf charter Bells Beach
Local guides take you to the right break for the day's swell.
Read the guideMountain biking the Otways
Forrest Mountain Bike Park has a network of single-track in the Otway hinterland.
Read the guideThe road itself is the activity
Worth saying outright: driving the Great Ocean Road is one of the activities. The 45-kilometre cliff-side stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is one of the most cinematic stretches of road on the planet, and 99% of travellers' time on it is spent inside their car. That's not a failure of imagination — it's the point. The road is a continuous viewing platform, with the Southern Ocean directly below your left side and the Otway Ranges climbing on your right.
Even on a busy schedule with planned stops, build in unscheduled pull-offs. The labelled lookouts (Cape Patton, Kennett River, Mount Defiance) are excellent, but so are the unmarked widenings of road where you can pull off, get out, and look at the coast for ten minutes without an interpretation board explaining why it's special.
For a slower, deeper version of the same experience: drive sections of the road eastbound on the way out and westbound on the way back. The light hits each viewpoint differently. The same cliff stretch you photographed at midday from one direction looks completely different at 5pm from the other.
Three itineraries that combine these activities
The right activities depend on the trip length. Pick an itinerary that matches your time, then layer in activities from the categories above.
Things-to-do FAQs
- What's the most popular thing to do on the Great Ocean Road?
- Visit the Twelve Apostles at sunset. By a wide margin, this is what most travellers come for. Roughly 70% of all Great Ocean Road searches and visits centre on the Apostles. Beyond that, the most popular activities cluster around: koala spotting at Cape Otway and Kennett River, walking the Lorne pier, eating at Apollo Bay, and seeing Loch Ard Gorge.
- What can you do on the Great Ocean Road for free?
- Almost everything. Free to visit: Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Memorial Arch, Bells Beach lookout, every viewpoint along the road, every town beach (some patrolled in summer), Erskine Falls, Gibson Steps, London Arch, The Grotto, Bay of Islands, and most walking trails. Paid: Cape Otway Lightstation precinct (~AU$20), Otway Fly (~AU$30), Split Point Lighthouse tower tour (~AU$20), helicopter flights (~AU$165).
- What can you do on the Great Ocean Road in one day?
- Realistically: Memorial Arch, a brief Lorne stop, Apollo Bay drive-through, Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and one optional Shipwreck Coast formation (London Arch or Gibson Steps). Plus the drive itself. That's a 12-hour day from Melbourne and you'll be rushing every stop. For more, see the 1-day itinerary.
- What can you do on the Great Ocean Road with kids?
- The Otway Fly Treetop Walk is a major kid hit. Cape Otway koala spotting reliably delivers wildlife. Tower Hill lets kids drive among kangaroos. Apollo Bay's beach and harbour fill an afternoon. The Otway rainforest walks (Maits Rest, Erskine Falls) are accessible. The Twelve Apostles helicopter flight is the special-occasion option. Avoid the longer hikes (Great Ocean Walk sections) and the steep waterfall descents (Hopetoun Falls) with very young children.
- What's the best time of year for activities on the Great Ocean Road?
- Autumn (March–May) is the optimal all-rounder — mild weather, fewer crowds, good for walking, photography, and most wildlife (except whales). Spring is strong for wildflowers and baby koalas. Winter is best for whale watching at Logans Beach (June–Sept) but limits walking and outdoor activities. Summer is busy and hot but best for swimming and water activities.
- Are most Great Ocean Road activities suitable for non-drivers?
- Self-drive is the most practical option for most activities. V/Line bus from Melbourne can get you to Apollo Bay or further west, and from there guided tours cover the major attractions. Cape Otway and the Otway Fly are difficult to reach without a car. For a non-driver-friendly trip, base in Apollo Bay and use the V/Line + day-tour combination.
- What's the best activity at the Twelve Apostles?
- Watch sunset from the eastern viewpoint, then stay for blue hour 30 minutes after. The seaward face of the stacks lights up amber, then the sky deepens to cobalt while the limestone glows in residual warm light. Bring a tripod for blue hour. For a different angle, descend Gibson Steps to the beach and look up at the stacks from sea level — the only place where you stand among them.
- Are there any activities for travellers with mobility needs?
- Yes — many of the best Great Ocean Road experiences are accessible. Step-free options include: Twelve Apostles cliff-top boardwalk, Loch Ard Gorge upper viewpoint, London Arch viewing platforms, Memorial Arch photo stop, Maits Rest rainforest boardwalk, Otway Fly walkway (mostly accessible), Cape Otway Lightstation grounds, and most town foreshores. The waterfall descents and the Great Ocean Walk hiking sections are not accessible.