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Let me help you plan your Great Ocean Road trip

I am here to help you explore the Great Ocean Road region, but I’m still learning and can make mistakes. For the best local advice, visit a visitor information centre. This is a large region, so plan for travel distances and your length of stay.

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Hi! Let me help you plan your Great Ocean Road trip
3 Day

3 Days in Port Campbell & Surrounds

Base yourself in the vibrant seaside town of Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Road’s Shipwreck Coast, and you’ll discover a lot more than the 12 Apostles.

DAY 1: Port Campbell

With a wide variety of places to eat and stay, using Port Campbell as a base makes it easy to explore the surrounding region.

Port Campbell Discovery Walk

Start your adventure with a stroll along the Port Campbell Discovery Walk. Cross the suspension bridge over the creek and hike along the cliff tops with panoramic views of Port Campbell Bay. Afterwards, if the temperature is right and conditions allow, take a dip at Port Campbell Beach.

  • Port Campbell Suspension Bridge
    Port Campbell
Port Campbell to Timboon Trail

You can now cycle or walk this new 19.3km trail from Port Campbell all the way to Timboon, traversing through the countryside, and the bush, connecting the coast to one of the region’s most abundant foodie hubs. Bring your bike or check if your accommodation has bikes.  You can hire bikes and e-bikes from Ride With Us in Timboon or Port Campbell. 

  • Port Campbell Lookout
    Port Campbell
Port Campbell National Park

Get up early to see these majestic monoliths at sunrise, when the sun sheds a glorious golden glow onto the remaining seven of the 12 Apostles as it rises.

Don’t miss the national park’s other attractions–London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps–all of which are unique and eye-catching. Take plenty of photos at these ‘Instagrammable’ locations but be mindful of keeping to designated pathways and taking note of signage whilst in the park.

For a bird’s eye view of Port Campbell National Park, take a scenic helicopter flight with 12 Apostles Helicopters tours. 

  • Gibsons Steps
    Great Ocean Road, Princetown

DAY 2: Timboon

Get set for a day in foodie heaven on the 12 Apostles Food Artisan Trail in the nearby town of Timboon, only a 15-minute drive from Port Campbell. Winning the Victorian Top Tourism Town Award in 2024, Timboon packs a punch with loads of interesting things to do and see.

Cheese & sweet treats

Drive to Apostle Whey Cheese to sample their award-winning, delectable homemade cheeses. The dairy is a genuine paddock-to-plate experience, where you can see the whole process from dairy cows being milked, right through to the cheese being made. Talk to them about a farm tour.

You can make your way to Timboon via Cooriemungle or for those with a sweet tooth, head south to Gorge Chocolates for the best hot chocolate and friendly alpacas before heading further north to Dairylicious Farm Fudge and sample and purchase from their large range of handmade fudge.

  • Apostle Whey Cheese
    9 Gallum Rd, Cooriemungle
Timboon Food Bowl

In Timboon visit the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and sample some single malt whisky, and other spirits. This is a great place to stock up on other fresh produce from other local artisan producers.

Stop at the Timboon Ice Creamery and enjoy free samples of delicious luxury ice cream flavours before deciding your favorite. It’s the perfect place for a decadent dessert, and they even make special doggie ice-cream for furry friends!

In season (around November to April), you can pick your own strawberries at Berry World. We think these are worth the trip alone and are known widely as the most delicious and juiciest strawberries around.

  • Timboon Fine Ice Cream
    Bailey Street, Timboon
Timboon to Camperdown Rail Trail

The Timboon to Port Campbell trail continues north as the Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail. Work off all the food by cycling along the trail. No bikes? No problem! Ride With Us bike hire have options for all ages and abilities. This 34-kilometre-long trail takes you through farmland, wooded grassland and tall timber forest. Make sure you check out the historic trestle bridge along the trail. Make a special day of it and pack a picnic lunch of local delicacies to enjoy during your bike ride.

After a big day sampling the fresh produce of Timboon, tonight will be the perfect time to enjoy the local produce you have collected throughout the day. Return to the comfort of your accommodation in Port Campbell and enjoy it with a bottle of wine or locally brewed craft beer.

  • Timboon Trestle Bridge
    Limeworks Rd, Timboon

DAY 3: Warrnambool

Stretch your Great Ocean Road trip a little further and enjoy a day in Warrnambool, another Shipwreck Coast town only 67 kilometres from Port Campbell. This vibrant city has a lively foreshore promenade, an intriguing shipwreck and whale history, spectacular beaches, a blooming arts and culture scene, and the ancient geological wonder of Tower Hill.

Warrnambool Whales

During Australia’s colder months from May to September, witness the Southern Wight whales who give birth to their young in the sheltered waters of Lady Bay. If you’re lucky you can spot them from the viewing platform or from the sands of Logan Beach, where they are often seen frolicking with their newborn calves in the waters only 100 metres offshore.

  • Logans Beach Whale Viewing Platform
    Logans Beach Rd, Warrnambool
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum & Village

Learn about the interesting maritime history of Warrnambool at the award-winning Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum & Village. Here you will experience the hardships of the early settlers of the Shipwreck Coast in the Living Museum and enjoy the Sound and Light Show.
Wander around the cobblestone streets of the village, recreated with over 40 authentic buildings. You will find characters in period costumes who will spin you a yarn of yesteryear, and see the Loch Ard Peacock shipwreck and artefacts.

  • Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum & Village
    Merri St, Warrnambool
Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Take the short drive out to Tower Hill, a dormant volcano with a spectacular landscape of tapered hills, glistening lakes and natural bushland reserve. This is a great place for catching a glimpse of native Australian animals in the wild – all in one place.

The abundant range of native wildlife you might be lucky enough to see at Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve includes emus, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, black swans, wedge-tail eagles, magpie geese and reptiles. Keep your distance – the animals here are wild and definitely do not feed them – it is important that animals forage for plants and insects from their native habitat, as other human foods can make them sick. Get back in your car and take a drive around the rim of the crater–there are plenty of opportunities for perfect photos from the lookout spots.

  • Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
    105 Lake View Rd, Tower Hill
Warrnambool Indulgences

Pamper and indulge yourself in the therapeutic geothermal pools at Deep Blue Hot Springs. Select from a range of treatments including open-air bathing, sensory therapy, salt therapy, reflexology, hydrotherapy, and star gazing pools. Then treat yourself to a fruit and cheese platter at onsite Tide’s restaurant.

After a fun-filled day exploring Warrnambool and the surrounding area, it’s time to take a break and treat your tastebuds before you head back to Port Campbell. Take the inlnd route to Keayang Maar Vineyard, to sample their l range of wines (the Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay are exceptional). Back in Port Campbell there is a great collection of places to eat and drink. Try takeaway fish and chips or pizza on the foreshore, delicious casual dining at Waves Port Campbell, nearby Timboon’s famous ice cream at the Port Cambell Ice Cream shop, or a tasting paddle of artisan produced beers from Sow and Piglets microbrewery.

  • Deep Blue Hot Springs
    Worm Bay Rd, Warrnambool
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