Great Ocean Road 2-Day Tour

The spectacular FairHaven is one of the longest natural beaches on Great Ocean Road, located in Airey Inlet, the golden soft-sand beach and splendid coastline will offer you natural scenery like no other. Dip your feet in the refreshing Southern Ocean waters or let kids make a sandcastle of their imagination. Fairhaven is also popular with local surfers and fishing enthusiasts.

Split Point Lighthouse, first built in 1891 and later converted to automatic operation in 1919. Before then,  it was operated by three lighthouse keepers who were stationed in the nearby cottage. The original Fresnel lens made in the UK are still being used today in the lighthouse, however the the factory that produced the lens was destroyed during the war, making these lens extremely rare. The lighthouse is 34 meters tall,  it has a total of 132 staircases. The light  from the lighthouse can reach up to 37 kilometres at night!

Best way to remember your Great Ocean Road day tour? Take your GOR snaps in front of Eastern View Memorial Arch! The planning for building Great Ocean Road traced back to 1880s,  Great Ocean Road Foundation was founded, headed by then Geelong Mayor Alderman Hitchcock, the construction for Great Ocean Road began in August 1918. 3,000 soldiers returned from the First World War were deployed to build Great Ocean Road, it is one of the biggest war memorial projects in the world, paying tribute to all the Australian soldiers who had made sacrifice and contributions during the First World War for our nation. Unlike modern day construction, the work was manual and relied on very simple tools. The gigantic memorial project completed in November 1932.  The rich historic significance behind Great Ocean Road is just one of the many interesting stories you will hear on Great Ocean Road 2-day private tour.

Spend a night in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell on Great Ocean Road 2-day private tour, you can choose to dine in either Lorne or Apollo Bay.

Both Apollo Bay and Lorne are popular with tourists, Apollo Bay has relatively more restaurants. No matter you crave for some fresh fish and chips, or indulge in Asian delicacies, both towns will satisfy your taste bud. A Petite Tour recommends “The Bottle of Milk” in Lorne and “Apollo Bay Seafood Cafe” which offers some of the freshest seafood along Great Ocean Road. Your friendly guide will recommend eateries based on your dietary preference.

Your Great Ocean Road 2-day private tour provides you with an opportunity to see koalas in the wild! Kennett River is commonly known as one of best places to spot koalas in the wild. Watch koalas resting on eucalyptus trees and munching on those succulent green leaves. In comparison to koalas seen up in the north of Australia, the koalas in Victoria are generally bigger and have thicker hair. They are great tree climbers and born with two thumbs on each hand.  Grown-up koalas can eat up to 400 grams of eucalyptus tree leaves a day which they rely upon for the much needed water and nutrition.

Due to the low nutrition level of eucalyptus tree leaves and koalas’ low body fat,  they have frequent intakes of the leaves. Adult koalas are 60-80 cm in height and weigh 4-16 kg. As eucalyptus tree leaves contain natural toxin which causes sedation, koalas generally sleep between 16-20 hours a day.

In addition, Kennett River is home to colourful Australian king parrots, cockatoos and kurraburras, making it a natural bird park!

Cape Patton is a magnificent lookout on Great Ocean Road, located between Kennett River and Apollo Bay. You will enjoy beautiful views of the winding coastline and rolling green hills along Great Ocean Road.

Maits Rest is a great place to discover Victoria’s gorgeous inland rainforest, located 20 minutes west of Apollo Bay, the dense fern trees and more than 300 years old Myrtle Beech trees make you feel like right in the middle of the Amazon jungle, a great work-out after some delicious fish and chips in Apollo Bay. Lucky visitors may spot gray kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and other cute animals in the forest; At night Maits Rest is one of the few areas on Great Ocean Road to see glow worms.

Time required: approximately 30 minutes

Trail distance: 800 meters

Twelve Apostles is the most well-known attraction on Great Ocean Road. Curious about how many limestone stacks are still standing? we will keep a little secret until we get here. These magnificent limestone stacks vary in size and height, formed over millions of years of strong wind and seawater erosion.

Be amazed by these natural sculptures! Originally named “Sow and Piglets”,  the evolving natural landscape and the popularity in Christianity in early 20th century had its name changed to “Twelve Apostles” . The spectacular scenery at Twelve Apostle is unforgettable! The attraction boasts one of the most beautiful sunset in Victoria and is popular with photography enthusiasts. 

Located towards the end of Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell enjoys more tranquility than Apollo Bay, it has an amazing pier and a lively beach area to hang loose. With proximity to the 12 Apostles, why not watch one of the most beautiful sunset in Victoria at 12 Apostles?

Apollo Bay is the largest town en route to 12 Apostles, it is full of delectable restaurants and offers fun activities. Dining options include: fresh fish & chips, try out the King George whitings and battered scallops; mouth-watering pizzas or some exotic Asian cuisines. If you plan to cook, the local supermarket provides all the fresh cooking ingredients and seasonings you need. On summer nights, the town becomes animated with a coruscating amusement park , a great place for families to chill out after dinner.

For Great Ocean Road two-day private tour, choose to spend your night in either Apollo Bay or Port Campbell.

At The Arch, prepare to be amazed by seawater surges through the rock-formed arches, strong rapids intermittently swell and descend against the gigantic limestone formations. You will also be delighted by the panoramic views of the Great Ocean Road coastline and undulating waves.

Recommended time: approximately 15 minutes

London Bridge, also known as the London Arch, was originally a two-arched, naturally formed limestone bridge connecting the current London Bridge to the mainland. Travellers were allowed to walk freely between today’s London Bridge and mainland via the arching bridge. However, on January 15 1990, the over-arching bridge unexpectedly collapsed. Left two visitors Kelly Harrison and David Darrington stranded on the separated limestone block at the time. Luckily they were later rescued by police helicopter.

A short drive past the peaceful town of Peterborough, we will arrive at The Grotto. Its name originates from Italian “Grotta” which means “cave”. The unique limestones are formed thanks to the accumulation of rainwater on them, reinforced by the wild vegetation, the weak acid in the water submerged under the surface of the limestones over time and the the acidity gradually intensified. Eventually it caused erosion over the limestones. A hollow cave has been carved at the bottom of the limestone formation as seawater constantly crashed against the rocks over millions of years.

The tranquil seaside town of Port Campbell becomes bustling at lunchtime. Located just a stone’s throw away from the beach, 12 Rocks Beach Bar Cafe is a great choice, enjoy beautiful scenery of Port Campbell beach and pier over some delectable food. In addition, there are fish and chips, pizza and other eateries available to satisfy your hunger.

Take the wooden stairs down to Loch Ard Gorge. Admire the beautiful sandy beach and stalactites formed on the limestone boulders. The spectacular gorge was named after a shipwreck accident in June 1878,  “Loch Ard”, a sailing cruise departed from England to Melbourne. After 3 months of adventurous voyage, the ship crashed into the nearby Muttonbird Island before reaching its planned destination. Of the 54 passengers and crews on board at the time, there were only two lucky survivors.

15-year-old sailboat apprentice, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael who immigrated to Melbourne with her family from Ireland. Tom managed to rescue Eva from the water and sought local assistance after climbed out of the gorge. Shortly after their recovery, the Irish girl returned back home, whereas Tom remained in Australia. Coincidentally, Eva Carmichael and Tom Pearce stayed in the cottage of Hugh Gibson post the ship wreck who later built the Gibson Steps.

The Island Archway is made up of two towering limestone stacks, the two pieces used to be inter-connected over the top, in the shape of an archway. However  extreme weather conditions, exacerbated by erosion from rainwater made the “archway” connecting the two huge limestone formations collapse in June 2009, creating two separate limestone stacks of approximately 25 meters in height. Slow down your footsteps and enjoy the beautiful views of the towering cliffs which is particularly magnificent at sunset.

A further 250 metres from Island Archway, you will reach The Razorback. This huge limestone block has been washed away by seawater for thousands of years into a slender, towering standalone natural giant sculpture, it looks like the back of a razor from the sky. Seawater erosion and ferocious ocean waves had over the years rubbed away its right tip. Akin to a skilful artist, strong wind has carved out unique shapes on top of The Razorback. The footpath circles around and allows visitors to admire the beautiful scenery from different angles.

Overlook the spectacular coastline from Gibson Steps lookout. Originally built out of wood by local settler Hugh Gibson, mainly for indigenous Australians, Kirrae Whurrong to have access down to the beach back then. The 86 stone staircases of Gibson Steps will take you down to the beach where two majestic limestones of up to 70 meters in height stood firmly in the sea, named Magog and Gog. Be astonished by the combination of magnificent waves, limitless Southern Ocean and steep limestone cliffs. Enjoy a whiff of fresh sea breeze,  soft fine sand and breathtaking coastal natural scenery!

After two delightful days of Great Ocean Road private tour.

Time for you to kick back.

We would travel back to Melbourne via inland. The travel time is approximately 3 hours.