Day Trip the Great Ocean Road in Reverse!

From Melbourne there are a few great day trip options. The top two being one to Phillip Island to see the penguins and one to the Great Ocean Road. Since you can see penguins in the wild in St. Kilda, I recommend heading to the Great Ocean Road. And what could possibly make this day trip more impressive? Doing it in reverse! That’s right, you can take the typical itinerary and do the Great Ocean Road in reverse.

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Table of Contents

About the Great Ocean Road

In case you aren’t familiar with the Great Ocean Road, it is a 250 km coastal road along the Southern coast of Australia. It offers stunning scenery, including the world-famous Twelve Apostles. You’ll encounter stunning cliffs and panoramic views as you drive along this road in addition to enjoying some of the other natural wonders of Australia, like the wildlife. Who doesn’t love a koala?!

Why Do the Great Ocean Road in Reverse?

The main advantage of doing the Great Ocean Road in reverse is you miss the crowds from all of the other tours who make their way from Melbourne to the end of the road and drive back at the end of the day. Instead, you drive to the end of the road and then make your way back to Melbourne slowly.

How to Visit the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne

Unfortunately, it’s really hard to do the Great Ocean Road on your own as you need a car, directions, and some idea of where to stop along the way. After weighing my options, I signed up for a tour with Wildlife Tours called the Reverse Great Ocean Road for $119 (Australian Dollars). This tour met in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral next to Federation Square at 7:15am and set off.

While you can typically find a tour upon arrival in Melbourne. I totally understand wanting to have things settled ahead of time, particularly if you are visiting in peak season. Here’s a great tour of the Great Ocean Road in Reverse that you can book ahead of time. It’s had over 200 positive reviews.

The Itinerary of the Great Ocean Road in Reverse

Most tours will follow the same pattern of stops. It’s just a matter of if you are going the “correct way” or in reverse. In addition to the many stops you’ll make, the coastline itself is truly stunning with steep cliffs dropping down into the clear blue water. It vaguely reminded me of the California coast, but the water was clearer and the rock formations along the way were simply incredible.

1. Colac Park for Breakfast

The first stop on my tour was a couple of hours outside of Melbourne at Colac Park. This stop was a breakfast and bathroom break with tea, coffee, and biscuits.

2. Gibsons Steps Down to the Beach

After one more hour of driving, we arrived at the first overlook point on the Great Ocean Road: the Gibsons Steps. Unfortunately, the stairs descending down to the ocean were closed while I was there, but this stop is the first place you are able to see the Twelve Apostles from the sea level. You just follow the 86 stone-carved steps to the beach below.

3. The Stunning Views of Loch Ard Gorge

At Loch Ard Gorge there are three main paths you can walk to look out over different areas of the beach. Some of them enable you to walk down to the beach so that you are surrounded by the towering cliffs and freezing cold water. When I was there there were also some wild kangaroos hiding in the brush. Unfortunately, they managed to escape as we attempted (obviously poorly) to sneak up on them. Keep your eyes open for wildlife!

Loch Ard Gorge along the Great Ocean Road

Female posing with stunning rock formations, including a rock arch, in the ocean — The Views!

4. The World-Famous Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles are a set of giant limestone formations emerging from the water, and they are absolutely incredible. However, fun fact, there are not twelve of them, there never have been. There were only nine and one collapsed in 2005 so now there are only eight.

Apparently, they used to be called Sow and Piglets but people weren’t tempted to drive so far to see something called that so they changed the name to Twelve Apostles. Marketing at its best!

The famous Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road — The Twelve Apostles

Overlooking the stunning cliffs, blue water, and limestone formations off the coast of Australia — Great Ocean Road

Lunch Time

Next up was lunch. We had subs, water, sultanas (raisins), and a dessert cake, before continuing on to the Otways Rainforest.

5. Taking a Walk Through the Otways Forest

Overall, Otways Forest was pretty underwhelming but a beautiful walk. My favorite part was the palm trees that grow by adding new fronds on top which slowly uncurl and drop the old fronds off the bottom revealing a trunk full of roots which absorb water through the air.

6. The Coastal Town of Apollo Bay

From there the next stop was a brief one at Apollo Bay, a very quaint coastal town.

7. Koala Sightings in Nature

Next we headed out to find wild koalas. That’s right, we went koala hunting! (Only to see them, not to harm them.) I happen to find them adorable and was thrilled to find them just perched in the trees surrounding a holiday park. I think we found about five overall, but we also saw other wildlife like a kookaburra, cockatoos, parrots, and more.

Finding wild koalas along the Great Ocean Road — Wild Koala

Feeding the birds along the Great Ocean Road, in reverse — Feeding the Birds

8. The Seaside Surf Town of Lorne

This seaside town on Louttit Bay is one of the many towns we stopped in. It is a small town with a population just over 1,000 and features the Lorne surf beach, the only patrolled beach in town. The main strip in town features boutique gift stores, cellars, eateries, and galleries.

9. Anglesea, Another Coastal Town

Anglesea is a small coastal town along the Great Ocean Road that offers patrolled surf and swimming beaches. It is surrounded by beautiful forest and coastal scenery making it a nice quick stop for more amazing scenery.

10. The Historic Memorial Arch

The Memorial Arch is a historic arch built to commemorate the men who built the Great Ocean Road.

11. Torquay for Dinner

We arrived in Torquay in time for dinner. My tour included a pizza dinner which we ate while watching surfers along Surf Beach. After dinner, it was back to Melbourne.

Summary of the Great Ocean Road in Reverse

Was the day trip of the Great Ocean Road in reverse worthwhile? Of course! And I think there are some benefits in doing it in reverse, such as less crowds and for me, being closer to Melbourne at the end helped alleviate any stress as I had a late night flight to Auckland.

However, by doing the Great Ocean Road in reverse, you see some of the more exciting things at the beginning versus at the end. I do think there is something to be said for building excitement over the day, but either direction you choose, you won’t be disappointed. The Great Ocean Road is stunning!

Plan More of Your Time in Australia

Exploring the Great Ocean Road in reverse is an amazing experience, but it’s likely not the only one you’ll have in Australia! After all, it is an amazing country to explore, and it is HUGE. Here are some posts to help you plan more of your trip.

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Day Trip the Great Ocean Road in Reverse!