RP

We are planning on driving from Adelaide to Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road. We have 2 days to do this - is this okay?

The alternate is to fly from Adelaide to Melbourne and spend a day on the GOR from Melbourne.

It seems like it is not that far from Adelaide to the end of the GOR - any recommendations?

Thanks.

jillyf

I would look at a night in Robe or the wine region of Coonawarra and then night in Apollo Bay. You can get to Melbourne along the GOR through Geelong or travel via Queenscliff, onto the ferry and the Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne. It is faster through Geelong but the road from Geelong to Melbourne is easy driving but boring.

DownUnder

Two days is ideal for this trip with the stopovers as suggested. If you are short of time, a single stopover from Adelaide could be Warnambool. This of course reduces your sightseeing time but Warnambool, while being an ordinary country town, does have plenty of accomodation. The GOR officialy starts at Warnambool. You can drive the GOR from Melbourne to the 12 Apostles and back in a day. It is a full day but quite feasible.

lancefan

Do you have day/night/day (2 days 1 night) or day/night/day/night (2+ days and 2 nights on the GOR)

I would probably drive from Adelaide rather than fly then do it in a day trip, but then, I like road trips!

if you only have 1 night accom, I'd be tempted to go a little further than either robe or coonawarra (both good options) and stay somewhere like cape bridgewater or port fairy. Warnambool is an option, but I'm not a big fan. this way you could do some things along the way like kingston se (great fish on its wharf) or robe (crayfish capital) and/or go up into coonawarra for a quick wine taste, then in to Vic. Day 2, go to Port C, do 12 apostles, loch ard gorge, then on to apollo bay via otways, do tree walk, apollo bay (teddys lookout) and drive on. Worth a stop at bells beach to check the surf ... although the day I was there she was flat as a pancake!

someone recently suggested on another post to take the ferry from queenscliff, which is a good idea.

jillyf

I agree with Lancefan about Warnambool. I love Port Fairy especially along the river with the fishing boats.
As Lancefan says stop and do the Otway Treetop Walk which is before Apollo Bay.
Teddy's Lookout is worth a short visit along the way. It is up the hill from Lorne township and has a lovely view. Make sure you visit the Visitor Information Centres in Warnambool or Apollo Bay to get maps of local walks and info about the area.

RP

I have a day, night and day. Thanks for all the suggestions - looks like I will drive from Adelaide to Melbourne rather than fly. How far is it from Adelaide to Port Fairy (distance and time)?

lancefan

apparently 670km from adelaide to port fairy.

jillyf

A friend who had a B&B in Port Fairy says it takes 7 hours from there to Adelaide.

PinotNoir

We drove this route a couple of years ago and it took every bit of seven hours to get to Pt Fairy. After you pass the Murray Bridge get ready for a few hours of otherworldly desolation along the Coorong. In spite of that, I recall stopping for lunch in decidedly rural Meningie at a small place called Alberts and finding that no matter where you go in Australia, you'll get great food in the unlikeliest places.

tpivnick

How much longer is the drive to Melbourne via Queenscliff versus thru Geelong? Is it worth the extra time to go this way? Heard it's not as boring and prettier? Suggestions for places to stop along the way? Thanks much!