Geelong to Portland road trip via the Great Ocean Road

Geelong to Portland drive: Bay of Islands to Port Fairy

From here, the Great Ocean Road heads inland, although you can take a short diversion towards Childers Cove. It has much of what makes the Great Ocean Road so impressive – high cliffs around a photogenic cove, with rock stacks just beyond the shoreline.

The Great Ocean Road ends in Allansford just outside Warrnambool, where it meets the Princes Highway. The last attraction before the end is Cheese World, which is a cheese factory with a small museum attached. Admission is free.

Top things to do in Warrnambool include land-based whale watching at Logans Beach and visiting the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum – which has a great sound and light show.

Top Warrnambool experiences to book before arriving

Take a geologist-led tour of Budj Bim National Park – discover the Aboriginal cultural connections to the ancient volcano.
Relax in the rockpools – at the geothermally-fed Deep Blue Hot Springs.
Tandem skydive near the 12 Apostles – jump from a plane over the Shipwreck Coast.

The best Warrnambool accommodation options

The top places to stay in Warrnambool are:

For a family-friendly holiday park with a kids’ club: Discovery Parks Warrnambool.
For luxury with a full service spa: Deep Blue Hotel and Hot Springs.
For waterfront location: Lady Bay Resort.
For high quality apartments with a pool: Gallery Apartments.
For a good value motel: Mid City Motel.

From Warrnambool to Port Fairy, it’s just 29km. But there are several excellent stops between the two towns. The offshore reefs make Killarney Beach a great spot for relatively safe swimming. The Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve in Koroit hosts several iconic Australian animals in the crater of an extinct volcano. And the Belfast Coastal Reserve offers dunes and wetland birdwatching.

Port Fairy highlights include East Beach, the stand-up paddleboarding tours and the historic pubs.

Best Port Fairy accommodation picks

The best places to stay in Port Fairy are:

For a treat: Oscars Waterfront Boutique Hotel.
For heritage and character: Merrijig Inn.
For family-friendly cabins and facilities: Big4 Port Fairy Holiday Park.
For backpackers: Port Fairy YHA.
For a comparatively affordable motel: Seacombe House Motor Inn.

Port Fairy to Portland

From Port Fairy to Portland, there are a few good potential stops.

The most fun beach is just outside the town of Yambuk, however. Here, the Giant Yambuk Slide whizzes down from the vegetated dunes down onto the sand.

The art-inclined, meanwhile, might choose to stop at the Bay of Whales Gallery in Narrawong. If you’d prefer to visit the bay itself, there’s a bridge over the Surry River near the Narrawong Holiday Park.

Portland, when you arrive, is the oldest European settlement in Victoria. That shines through in its heritage buildings – but there’s plenty of gorgeous coastline to go with the history.