The Surf Coast on the Great Ocean Road
When travelling along the Great Ocean Road it’s easy to think of it as being in three parts – The Surf Coast, The Otway Rainforest and the Shipwreck Coast. Depending which direction you are travelling on your tour you can visit these in a forwards or reverse order.
The first town along the surf coast is Torquay, home to the famous Bells Beach and Rip Curl Surf Pro held at the end of March/start of April every year. We visit Bells Beach on our 3 day Great Ocean Road and Grampians tour allowing you to get epic views of the famous surf beach.
Anglesea is the next town along the coast line with a population of between 2000 and 3000 people and Anglesea river running through the middle. Continuing along the coastline you’ll come across the town of Aireys inlet.
There’s a few cool stories involving the Airey’s Inlet Pub and the famous Split point lighthouse. We have exclusive access to the lighthouse where we enjoy morning tea and the stunning coastal views.
A stop at Memorial Arch is a must do along the Great Ocean Road to get a selfie or photo with the famous Great Ocean Road sign and hear its story.
From here the great ocean road starts to get windy and even more scenic as you travel along. Lorne is the next town you come across and there’s fun stories to hear involving the pub(again!) and the pier.
The area between Lorne and Apollo bay is said to be the most spectacular part of the Great Ocean Road so it’s important to have your camera at the ready and enjoy a stop at one of the scenic lookouts to get a photo of the magnificent coast line.
We’ll pass by many beautiful beaches and coastal scenery along this section including the very small towns of Wye River and Kennett River before arriving at Apollo Bay.
Apollo Bay was originally known for its Whalers, Sealers and Logging though the first two trades are now illegal and all trees are grown on plantations now which is great news. The town is now a popular tourist town along the road and like many of the towns along the way the population explodes during Summer.
Just before leaving Apollo Bay you can see Marengo Reef marine sanctuary off the coast line. A protected marine reserve which offers decent snorkelling and is home to a population of Australian Fur Seals.
After the Surf coast the scenery will begin to change as you enter the Otway National Park and rainforest drifting temporarily away from the coast line.
Make the surf coast part of your adventure today by booking one of our Great Ocean Road Tours.