Accommodation – The Great Ocean Road & Otways

I often get asked where should I stay for my Great Ocean Road trip. There are heaps of accommodations options in the region so it’s best look at the towns along the Great Ocean Road, and what facilities are available before choosing your accommodation. Also, important is to consider what specific places you wish to visit and therefore how many days you should spend at each location.

Towns for accommodation – The Great Ocean Road & Otways

All towns along the GOR are small to medium rural/beach-style Australian towns, with the exception of Warrnambool, which is a regional centre with most of the conveniences of a city.

Torquay

Facilities available:
• Visitor information centre
• Multiple large supermarkets and bottle shops
• Multiple petrol stations
• Plenty of cafes/restaurants
• Large amount of accommodation options, many with self-catering facilities

Anglesea

Facilities available:
• Visitor information centre
• Medium-sized supermarket with a bottle shop and a general store
• Petrol station
• Plenty of cafes, restaurants and takeaway food venues
• Moderate amount of accommodation options, most with self-catering facilities

Aireys Inlet

Facilities available:
• Small-sized supermarket with a bottle shop and a petrol station
• A few cafes, restaurants and takeaway food venues
• Some accommodation options, a few with self-catering facilities

Lorne

Facilities available:
• Visitor information centre
• Medium-sized supermarket with bottle shop
• Petrol Station
• Plenty of cafes, restaurants and takeaway food venues
• Plenty of accommodation options, but few with self-catering facilities

Wye River

Facilities available:
• One small supermarket
• One cafe and one pub
• Plenty of accommodation options, most with self-catering facilities

Apollo Bay

Facilities available:
• Visitor information centre
• Two medium-sized supermarkets with a bottle shop at the IGA
• Petrol station
• Plenty of cafes, restaurants and takeaway food venues
• Plenty of accommodation options, most with self-catering facilities
• Apollo Bay aviation nearby for doors-off helicopter flights

Forrest

Facilities available:
• Small general store
• A couple of restaurants with limited opening hours
• A few accommodation options, some with self-catering facilities

Port Campbell

Facilities available:
• Visitor information centre
• Small supermarket
• Petrol Station
• A few cafes, restaurants and takeaway food venues
• Plenty of accommodation options, most with self-catering facilities available
• Twelve Apostles Helicopters available nearby

Peterborough

Facilities available:
• General store with takeaway food and a petrol station
• A couple of cafes, restaurants and takeaway food venues
• A few accommodation options, some with self-catering facilities

Warrnambool

Facilities available:
• Visitor information centre
• Multiple large supermarkets
• Multiple petrol stations
• Heaps of cafes, restaurants and takeaway food venues
• Plenty of accommodation options, many with self-catering facilities available

 

Types of Accommodation available

Camping sites

Both free and paid camping sites are available, particularly between Lorne and Port Campbell. National Park sites require prior bookings. Facilities range from drop toilets, potable/non-potable water, cooking facilities, and showers. Typically, paid sites have better facilities. Camping is also in available in all of the caravan/holiday parks. There are plenty of sites that will allow you to bring your dog, but check in advance as these places often book out early. For a list of all the free camping sites visit – https://www.greatoceanroadbrewhouse.com.au/travel-advice/best-free-camping-spots-along-the-great-ocean-road/

Caravan/Holiday Parks

This is my favourite type of accommodation to stay at along the Great Ocean Road as it has plenty of facilities, particularly cooking and laundry facilities. If you are staying for more than a week a caravan park is an excellent place to stay as there is no other place in the region to was your clothes.

Motels

This is perfect for people staying 1-2 nights and don’t need any facilities outside of a bar fridge and tea and coffee making.

Bed & breakfast

Traditional bed and breakfast, with a cooked breakfast is far less commonly available the years ago. To find available B&B’s go to – https://visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/accommodation_category/bedbreakfa/

I decided to try The Butterfly Farm in Nirranda (near Peterborough) and found myself going back multiple times to stay due to the hospitality and breakfast provided.

Airbnb

There is almost every type of accommodation available on Airbnb. It is particularly good for families and bigger groups as there are plenty of homes available to rent. Just use the filter to narrow down exactly what facilities you need, eg. aircon, WiFi, onsite parking, washing machine, etc.

Hotels

Usually a more upmarket option for accommodation there are a few hotels in this region.

To decide how nights of accommodation you need at each of the locations along the Great Ocean Road & Otways region, make a list of all the tourist attractions that you wish to visit and where the nearest accommodation hub is located. Keep in mind all the waterfalls and rainforest activities are best being based at Apollo Bay or Lorne.

Make sure you allow more than 2 days to see this beautiful location. Take your time and explore the region.

When to Book

Where possible avoid the summer and autumn school holidays as these are the busiest times of the year. If you wish to book over the Christmas to New Year period you will need to book up to a year in advance as this period is the busiest. During other peak times such as the summer and autumn school holidays and all long weekends, I recommend booking at least 2-3 months in advance. Whilst you might be able to secure last minute accommodation, the prices will be inflated. The period between the summer and autumn school holidays is also fairly busy with Grey Nomads so booking in advance is also important during these periods.

If you love waterfalls, come in the winter. The waterfalls are full due to the rain falling in the Otways. The weather is cool but not as cold as you might think. The temperature rarely dips below 4C at night and accommodation during this period is cheaper than the rest of the year.

With so many accommodation options available on the Great Ocean Road it can be difficult to choose where to stay. Hopefully this guide has simplified the process.

If you would like to know more about The Great Ocean Road to plan your next photography adventure, check out my upcoming book.