Port Fairy. A Place for Connection
There are towns on the Great Ocean Road that you pass through, and then there are towns that make you pull over, and quietly rearrange your whole itinerary.
Bursting with charm from the moment you arrive, this is a place where windswept coastline meets a beautifully preserved historic township, where the food scene draws on some of the most sustainable and inventive producers in southwest Victoria, and where the pace of life slows down in exactly the right way. Come for a night. You will almost certainly stay for two.
Get out and explore
The coastline and hinterland around Port Fairy are made for getting out into. If you’re on two wheels, the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail is one of the most accessible and family-friendly rides in the whole region, a mix of coastal and rural scenery with the town of Koroit sitting at the midpoint, which is a very good excuse to stop for lunch.
On foot, Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve is a must. Set within a dormant volcano, the reserve has walking trails around the crater rim and down into the crater itself, and the wildlife here is genuinely remarkable, koalas, kangaroos and wallabies going about their day, plus birdlife that will keep any nature lover very happy for hours.
Eat, drink and discover
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism offer a range of immersive on-country experiences where you can learn about the Gunditjmara People’s ancient eel and fish trapping techniques and if that sparks your curiosity (and it will), head to the Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre Café to try eel prepared with more modern techniques.
Great Ocean Abalone Tours take you through a sustainable land-based abalone farm scheduled tours run monthly with group bookings available outside those times. We’ll just say this: tastings are included, and you will leave with a completely different opinion of abalone. Also, the baby abalones are pretty cute!
For wine lovers, Basalt Wines at Killarney is a can’t miss. The cellar door offers a tasting menu to match the award-winning drops, and you can now stay overnight in one of two luxury tiny retreats set right among the vines.
On your way through Koroit, and you should make sure you go through Koroit, stop in at Noodledoof Brewery, where the beers and spirits are crafted onsite using hops and botanicals sourced locally, sometimes even by barter with neighbours.
Back in Port Fairy itself, the dining scene is something else entirely. The town’s beautifully preserved heritage buildings make for some of the most atmospheric eating on the coast. Head to The Stump for a proper pub meal and a chat with the locals. It’s Victoria’s oldest licensed venue and it wears that title with great pride. For something more refined, the Merrijig Inn and Kitchen is a genuine gem, with a carefully considered, ever-changing menu built around locally sourced seasonal ingredients.
Where to stay
Port Fairy rewards you for lingering, so make sure you’ve got a good base. Ashmont Motel and Apartments and Southcombe Villas are both excellent options in town, Gardens Caravan Park is perfect if you’re travelling with family or want something more casual.
Port Fairy is one of those places that gets under your skin in the best possible way. The kind of town you leave already planning your return. We think you'll love it.
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