Great Ocean Road Overview

On your list of Things to Do Before You Die, the Great Ocean Road should be up there. Rivaling Australia’s other prized attractions like Sydney’s opera house, the Great Barrier Reef, and Uluru, you can’t leave Australia without driving one of the most spectacular scenic coastlines in the world. The world’s largest war memorial, the 175km highway project provided work for Australian soldiers returning home after WWI. Over 3000 veterans carved the coastal road into the crumbling cliffsides, creating a masterpiece that runs from world-famous surf beaches through rainforests to idyllic beach hamlets. Beside the road, the turbulent waves of the Southern Ocean—angrily tossed about by Antarctic winds blown from 3000km away—have sculpted the coast’s impressive rock formations, which stand as highlights of the Great Ocean Road.

Rip It Up on Bells Beach, which draws thousands for the world-famous Rip Curl Pro Classic every Easter .
View the Shipwreck Coast and the spectacular limestone rock formations that took hundreds of vessels to their grave .
Hike through rainforests and under waterfalls in the Great Otway National Park, wedged between Lorne and Apollo Bay .
Kayak with fur seals—who get up close and personal—in Apollo Bay .
Gallop on golden sands in Airey’s Inlet or Warrnambool, as trusty steeds take riders on the most picturesque beach trail ride of their lives .

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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.