Torquay to Lorne, Victoria: Distance, driving time & road trip attractions

The Torquay to Lorne leg of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road crams in several great road trip attractions, including Bells Beach, Anglesea Golf Course and the Split Point Lighthouse.

The drive from Torquay to Lorne is the first leg of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Most people will be driving from Melbourne to Torquay first, but the official start of Australia’s most famous driving route is just south of Torquay.

Several of the Great Ocean Road’s highlights line up along this stretch of the journey, so plan your stops and you can make a day of it.

Your Torquay checklist

Skydive from 15,000ft – see the Great Ocean Road from above and get the thrill of your life.
Learn to surf – get standing on your board by the end of a beginner’s surfing lesson.
Book your Torquay accommodation.

Torquay to Lorne distance and driving time

The distance from Torquay to Lorne by car is 49km, which makes for a driving time of 48 minutes. Don’t take that too seriously, however. You’ll be making a few stops along the way.

The Torquay to Lorne drive starts by skirting the Lorne-Queenscliff Coastal Reserve at Jan Juc before heading to Bells Beach. Perhaps the most famous surf beach in Australia, Bells was the fictional setting for the final scenes of Point Break. You need experience to attempt to surf the breaks at Bells Beach, but non-surfers can watch the action from the clifftop lookouts.

7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences
1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour. 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb. 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster. 5. Guided wildlife walk. 6. Budj Bim National Park tour. 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike.

Torquay to Lorne drive: Point Addis and Anglesea

Before you come into Anglesea, you might want to make a stop at Point Addis Beach in the Point Addis National Marine Park. There are some great coastal lookouts at Point Addis – keep an eye open for whales in winter. The marine park is also renowned for good snorkelling and diving.

Otherwise, keep going until you reach the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie in Bellbrae.

Chocolate-tasting complete, you can move on towards Anglesea, which has lots of accommodation options, including the Anglesea Caravan Park. The Anglesea Golf Course is notorious for kangaroos on the fairways, and Anglesea Beach is relatively safe for swimming. It is protected from the swell somewhat by Point Roadknight.

Where to stay in Anglesea

The best Anglesea accommodation choices are:

For best overall quality: Great Ocean Road Resort.
For a solid, affordable motel: Anglesea Riverside Motel.
For backpackers: Anglesea Backpackers.
For keeping the kids occupied: Anglesea Family Caravan Park.

Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne

For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.

Torquay to Lorne drive: Great Ocean Road photo stops

On the way from Anglesea to Lorne, there are several good photo stops. Keep your camera ready for the Loveridge Lookout, Soapy Rock, Guvvos Beach and Urquhart Bluff.

The next town along the Great Ocean Road is Aireys Inlet. Highlights here include the Split Point Lighthouse – aka the Round The Twist Lighthouse – plus Aireys Pub. Blazing Saddles also offers horse-riding tours.

The Round The Twist Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet on the Great Ocean Road — The Split Point Lighthouse – aka the Round The Twist Lighthouse – is in Aireys Inlet, Victoria. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria

Fairhaven Beach, which stretches from neighbouring Fairhaven towards Moggs Creek, is a lovely spot, too.

Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch

From here, the Great Ocean Road runs along the coastline to the Memorial Arch. The information signs here tell of how the Great Ocean Road was built as a war memorial by returned soldiers. It is seriously twisty in places, and the lookouts at Devil’s Elbow and Cathedral Rock are testament to that.

Soon afterwards, the Great Ocean Road comes into Lorne, arguably the single most appealing town on the whole drive. Lorne Beach is the obvious focal point, but the restaurant scene is buzzy with the likes of Ipsos Lorne and Movida Lorne. Live Wire Park provides the adrenalin rushes, and Teddy’s Lookout the classic Great Ocean Road Views.

3 great experiences to try in Lorne

Learn to surf – with a beginner’s surfing lesson at Lorne Beach.
Swing, clamber and balance through the tree tops – on the Live Wire Park super circuit.
Travel through the trees at 40km/h – on the Shockwave Zip Coaster.

Best places to stay in Lorne

The top Lorne accommodation options are:

For overall quality: Cumberland Lorne Resort.
For adults-only apartments with spa baths: Lorne Surf Apartments.
On a budget: Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park.
For an affordable, good quality motel: Lorne Anchorage Motel and Villas.

Lorne walks

In Lorne’s green, forested hinterland, there are also several excellent Great Ocean Road waterfall walks. Erskine Falls and Sheoak Falls tend to be most popular, but Lower Kalimna Falls, Phantom Falls and Henderson Falls aren’t exactly ugly either.

The next legs along the Great Ocean Road are from Lorne to Apollo Bay, then Apollo Bay to Warrnambool. You can also extend the trip by heading from Warrnambool to Portland via Port Fairy.