Lorne, Australia + Add a trip
- Not far from: Ballarat, Geelong West, Bacchus Marsh, Blairgowrie, Colac, Clifton Springs, Lara, Leopold
Q&A for Melbourne
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Dopplr asks “Where's good to eat in Melbourne?”
Isaac: Coffee in Footscray… -
Dopplr asks “What's good to explore in Melbourne?”
Dave: Sole Provider… -
Dopplr asks “What's the best place for lunch on a budget?”
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Dopplr asks “What is the best local market or shopping?”
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Dopplr asks “Where's good to stay in Melbourne?”
Matt: The Hatton Hotel
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Getting There
Automobiles
To see the best of the Great Ocean Road, a car is an absolute must. Do it in style by hiring an Aston Martin, Ferrari or something similarly stylish from Melbourne Sports Care Rentals (+61 (0)3 9826 6990; www.melbournesportscarrentials.com.au).
Planes
Jetstar (www.jetstar.com) flies to the closest local airport, Melbourne Avalon, 22 kilometres from Geelong just north-east of the Great Ocean Road, although most people would start from the Melbourne metropolis.
Trains
V/Line trains (www.vline.com.au) run from Melbourne's Southern Cross Station in the CBD to the town of Geelong, about 50 minutes away, where you can pick u a V/Line bus heading west along the Great Ocean Road stopping at towns such as Torquay, Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay and Warrnambool. Bus services are infrequent though, especially at weekends.
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Local Knowledge
Dialing
Country code for Australia: 61; Great Ocean Road: (0)3.
Reads
Read the tales of the boats that never made it and what is left of them today in Australia's Shipwreck Coast & Other Stories by Jack Loney. Wannabe waxheads can find inspiration in Murray Walding's Surf-o-rama: Treasures of Australian Surfing.
Do go / Don't Go
Spring and autumn are great times to venture here. Winters are very chilly and you'll need to rug up against the wind when you visit spots like coastal rock stacks the Twelve Apostles. The summer holidays, particularly around Christmas, turn these sleepy towns into heaving hot spots.
Cuisine
Don't expect haute cuisine in these parts. It's more about casual dining and menus that utilise fresh seasonal produce. Many eateries in the area feature al fresco tables, which, on a sunny day, are the perfect place to wile away a few hours over a long lunch.
Taxis
You can hire a taxi in most of the major towns along the road, such as Lorne (+61 (0)409 892 304) and Apollo Bay (+61 (0)417 109 686), but it'll cost you a fortune if you use them to travel between towns.
Tipping
It's not expected, but add 10 per cent if you were particularly happy with the service in a restaurant.
Currency
Australian dollar (AU$).
Packing
SPF 30+, a Ksubi hoodie and a Mini Mal (this is Surf Central, after all).
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Worth Doing
Arts
The towns along the Great Ocean Road and the surrounding areas are a popular destination for seachangers, including artists looking to downshift to the coast. As a result, many of the area's cafés and restaurants feature local work. Port Fairy also has a selection of small galleries, including the contemporary Whale Bone Gallery (+61 (0)3 5568 2855; www.portfairygallery.com) and Wishart Gallery (+61 (0)3 5568 2423; www.wishartgallery.com), which shows Australian printmaking and has an espresso bar.
And...
Climb up the stairs to the lookout at the Cape Otway Lighthouse and admire the view. No longer operational, it was built in 1848 from local sandstone after a number of shipping disasters claimed hundreds of lives. It was decommissioned in 1994 and replaced by a tiny solar-powered light.
Shopping
Although not really renowned for its retail options, visitors wanting to buy some original Aussie surfwear should stop in Torquay at the east end of the road, the home of Billabong, Rip Curl and Quiksilver. Surf City Plaza on Beach Road has all of these, plus a lot of smaller retailers, as well as the Surf World Surfing Museum at the back of the complex (+61 (0)3 5261 4606; www.surfworld.org.au).
Viewpoint
Get out of bed early - and we mean really early - and arrive at iconic off-shore rock stacks the Twelve Apostles before sunrise. In the soft pre-dawn light, those with good eyesight will be able to see dark forms moving into the water below - they're the local fairy penguins. Then the colours explode as the sun comes up. It's also when the viewing platforms are least crowded. The Apostles lie just west of Princetown in the Port Campbell National Park, the start of a string of celebrated rock formations.
Something
Just inland from the coast is the Melba Gully State Park. During the day, follow the boardwalk into the rainforest to see the 300-year-old messmate eucalypt - not very imaginatively nicknamed Big Tree - then come back after dark with your torch to see the glow worms. This is one of the wettest parts of Victoria, so don't forget your raincoat.
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Diary
January Don't miss the Pier to Pub Swim (www.lornesurfclub.com.au). What started as a challenge between members of the Lorne Surf Lifesaving Club is now an annual event with about 4,300 competitors. The 1.2 kilometre course has attracted first-class athletes and celebs. Entry is by ballot on the website. March At Port Fairy Folk Festival (www.portfairyfolkfestival.com) fishing takes second place for a long weekend when more than a hundred bands appear on 22 different stages. Easter At the Rip Curl Pro (www.ripcurl.com) the best male and female surfers in the world descend on beautiful Bells Beach for the year's second stop on the ASP World Tour, with bands, food and drink at the cliff-top where spectators can view the action, or watch from close-up on the sands below. April Roll up for the Apollo Bay Music Festival (www.apollobaymusicfestival.com). It's all about rhythm and views when Australian musicians, whether their specialties are rock, blues or roots, take centre stage for three days. May At the Great Ocean Road Marathon (www.greatoceanroadmarathon.com.au) the fit take over the road for one weekend each year for a variety of races, including the main event, a 45-kilometre race from Lorne to Apollo Bay. December For three days at the Falls Festival (www.fallsfestival.com) it's all about music, the arts and, normally, mud as thousands of fans descend on a farm above Lorne. Since 1993, Falls has hosted acts as diverse as Kings of Leon, John Butler Trio and Iggy Pop.