Australia For Everyone: Canberra
Surf Coast
Located South east of Melbourne beyond Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast is a 55km stretch of coastline from Torquay to Anglesea. The Surf Coast is one of Melbourne’s most popular recreational playgrounds. Besides world famous surf beaches and sophisticated beach culture, the region boasts natural beauty, both on the coast and the hinterland.The beaches of the Surf Coast are the centre and focus of Victoria s surfing and beach culture. Surfing brands Rip Curl and Quiksilver started in here, and names like Bells Beach, Torquay and Jan Juc are synomimous with surfing in Australia.
Aireys Inlet
The southern section of the Surf Coast is backed by the Otway Range, which lies within Great Otway National Park. The Park contains a diverse range of landscapes and vegetation types, and covers both coastline and hinterland in the Otway Ranges and so includes both beaches and forest, accessible via walking trails through rainforests, fern gullies and besides fast flowing streams and waterfalls.
One of Australia’s great drives, the 273 km Great Ocean Road winds its way from Torquay to Warrnambool on the south west coast alongside some of the most dramatically scenic seascapes in the world.
It was constructed by ex-servicemen and the unemployed between 1918 and 1932 and is dedicated to those that lost their lives in World War I. The most well known feature in the region is The Twelve Apostles rock formation near Port Campbell, carved out of the limestone headlands by rough seas over time.
How To Get There: By road west from Melbourne via Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula. From Adelaide, South Australia, Victoria’s Surf Coast can be reached by driving east into Victoria from Mt Gambier via the Princes Highway.
Best Time To Go: As Victoria has a temperate climate, there is no one season or month that the visitor needs to avoid, except perhaps summer (December – February), if you find hot weather unbearable. In and around Melbourne, which gets more cloud and disturbed weather despite a lower rainfall, sunshine hours per day in winter (June – August) are three to four as against seven to eight in summer. Cold spells are brief and never severe on the coast, and temperatures can drop much lower inland in winter.
Click on or tap a heading to read the description. Click or tap again to hide the description.
Pennyroyal Valley is an oasis of rural tranquillity a short scenic drive from Lorne and the Great Ocean Road.
Where is it?: Pennyroyal is next to the main inland road (between Lorne, Birregurra and Colac), 20 minutes from Lorne and 70 minutes from Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge.
Located at the footsteps of the Otways, the Pennyroyal Valley is a lush fertile valley, famous for its Dairy and Raspberry farms for more than a century, running back to the foothills and Otway National Park, from the quirky rural community of Deans Marsh. Wild apples and plums ripen by the road and stream bearing witness to the areas fruitful past. Today s visitors can now choose from a variety of holiday options, cafes, pick your own berry farms (Nov to March) strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, bramble berries, and wineries.
Berry picking is a fun and enjoyable activity for the whole family, and is particularly popular with children. Deans Marsh and the Pennyroyal Valley are also a great way to start your journey throughout the Otway Ranges and the Great Ocean Road.
Nearby hinterland towns such as Moriac, Bambra, Deans Marsh, Birregurra and Winchelsea have plenty of tales to tell about the efforts of the colonial pioneers of the 1800s. You ll find some of Australia’s most famous pioneering names associated with them. Today, the towns retain their unique characteristics and in many cases are building reputations as places to stay, with comfortable bed and breakfast cottages.
Cape Patton Lookout offers spectacular views east towards Apollo Bay and Skenes Creek. This lookout lies east of Apollo Bay and just off the Great Ocean Road.
Located in the Otway National Park on the south coast of Victoria, Johanna Beach is just a minute’s drive from the small town of Johanna. Johanna Beach offers all the benefits of a camping ground on the coast, including swimming, fishing and surfing. There is no ability to launch watercraft as the only access to the beach is down a flight of stairs. The beach is a popular surfing spot that is often the replacement location for the Bells Beach Surf Pro when the waves are low at Bells. The surf beach at Johanna is a stretch of beach breaks, or beach and reef, noted for its power and reputation for rapid jumps in size. Johanna beach is also a very popular fishing spot particularly for schools of salmon. Johanna Beach is the Midway mark of the Great Ocean Walk.
There are two ways to reach it. The first is to turn off the Great Ocean Rd onto Red Johanna Rd, signposted 12 km south of Lavers Hill, and keep going for nearly 5 km. The second is to take Blue Johanna Rd, 3.5 km south of Lavers Hill off the Great Ocean Rd, and follow it for just over 8 km. Note: the second option is a steep, narrow road unsuitable for caravans or camper trailers.
The purpose-built Great Ocean Walk hike-in camping area at Johanna Beach is for hikers doing the Great Ocean Walk. It is set on a ridge with spectacular ocean views. Each camp pad has room for a 2-3 person tent. There is a maximum of 12 people per hiker party, booking no more than four hike-in campsites at each location. Access is off Old Coach Road from the Great Ocean Road.
One of Australia s great drives, the 273 km Great Ocean Road winds its way from Torquay to Warrnambool on the south west coast alongside some of the most dramatically scenic seascapes in the world. It was constructed by ex-servicemen and the unemployed between 1918 and 1932 and is dedicated to those that lost their lives in World War I.
The coastline contained within Port Campbell National Park is what those who drive the Great Ocean Road come to see – sheer limestone cliffs overlooking offshore islets, rock stacks, gorges, arches, and blow-holes. As part of the Shipwreck Coast, it hosts several well known attractions; including The Twelve Apostles, the London Arch (formerly London Bridge), Loch Ard Gorge, the Gibson Steps, and The Grotto.
The southern section of the Surf Coast is backed by the Otway Range, which lies within Great Otway National Park. The Park contains a diverse range of landscapes and vegetation types, and covers both coastline and hinterland in the Otway Ranges and so includes both beaches and forest, accessible via walking trails through rainforests, fern gullies and besides fast flowing streams and waterfalls.
Some of Australia’s best rainforest scenery can be found in the Otway Ranges. Many walkways in Great Otway National Park have been created to give access to the tall trees, ancient plant life and lush ferns. You can walk among giant tree ferns at Maits Rest or experience the full beauty of the rainforest on the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. There are many waterfalls in the national park’s narrow valleys, ranging from the impressive Triplet Falls to secluded falls over fern-fringed pools. Spot native wildlife such as glow worms at Melba Gully, the elusive platypus at Lake Elizabeth or koalas at nearby Kennett River.
Angahook-Lorne State Park, near Lorne, is excellent for bushwalking and picnics. Containing some of the finest coastal and timbered hill country in Victoria, the park extends from Aireys Inlet to Kennett River and includes steep ridges, deep gullies, coastal cliffs, small coves and sandy beaches. It has a number of excellent vantage points over the ocean as well as opportunities to see a range of wildlife including kangaroos and possums.
There are seven waterfalls within the bushland surrounding Lorne, with different accessibility levels - some are a quick ten minute stroll from the carpark, others are a more strenuous rainforest hike rewarded with the majestic roar of a waterfall. Erskine Falls is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Great Otway National Park, but few people venture beyond the falls to explore the ferny valley below. After enjoying the two viewing platforms, above and at the base of the falls, the river can be followed all the way back to Lorne.
The Erskine Falls Circuit walk takes in the well-known Erskine Falls in addition to a few other falls in the area. It is a fairly long hike but very enjoyable and well worth doing hike. The walk begins at the Allenvale Mill carpark, cross the road and follow the signposted trail to Phantom Falls.
The 35 km Surf Coast Walk that passes through Anglesea and can be followed in either direction, along the coast and inland up beside the Anglesea River. Offering natural beauty and easy access, the Walk lets you relax and enjoy a world-class walking destination at your own pace. Many distinctive tracks invite you to explore inspiring landscapes on foot or bike beyond the edge of Victoria s beautiful Great Ocean Road. Discover ancient Aboriginal traditions, fascinating surf culture and abundant wildlife as the walk connects you with the coastal town comforts of Torquay, Anglesea and Aireys Inlet. Whether you’re a nature lover or a fun lover, whether you take an hour, a day or a week, the Surf Coast Walk puts a stunning and unique coastal environment within easy reach.
The Great Ocean Walk stretches 104 kms from Apollo Bay, to within sight of the magnificent 12 Apostles. It is a one-way long-distance walk extending east to west, just over 100km, between Apollo Bay and the iconic Twelve Apostles near Princetown. It weaves through beautiful National Parks, deserted beaches and pristine marine sanctuaries. Cape Otway, the first major feature on the walk, has dramatic cliffs, secluded beaches and the historic Cape Otway Lighthouse (1846-48).
There are some sections of the Great Ocean Walk that are accessible for visitors with mobility limitations and for families with strollers. These sections vary in level of difficulty and are dependent on the type of mobility equipment used. Visitors to the Great Ocean Walk are required to travel in an east to west direction.
The most accessible sections of the Great Ocean Walk are:
Apollo Bay Visitor Information Centre to Marengo Caravan Park
Cape Otway Lighthouse car Park to Aire River Camp Ground
Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre.
