Lorne Travel Guide | Great Ocean Road Australia

Lorne is one of the chief towns along the famous Great Ocean Road. Set between Torquay and Apollo Bay, it’s a beach town through and through and the Great Ocean Road brushes right along its coast. A tiny, family-friendly place of just a thousand inhabitants, this number swells massively with holidaymakers in the summer.

Backed by hills and forests, it is one of the more relaxing towns and has a touch of class, to boot, with its friendly arts community and knowledgeable locals. The beach hugs the town and is very close at hand, with sunbathing and swimming main pastimes.

There’s a good deal of natural attractions in the area, too, with Erskine Falls Road taking you to these angelic waterfalls. They are worth seeing any time and, naturally, there is some great walking and scenery. Hoofing the Kalimna Falls Trail is a must for walkers, plus the Great Otway National Park is within reach, or just do Teddy’s Lookout. The beach itself has fair walking, being a good three-kilometre stretch.

Lorne, Great Ocean Road

It is easy to spend time in this town as it has a lot going for it. There are a number of excellent bakeries and restaurants, along with a fun shopping strip with crafts, boutiques and picnicking. There is also a pier where fishermen frequently snag trevally.

Other reasons for a visit to Lorne: the Falls Festival on New Year’s Eve, which attracts big-name acts on occasions; the Pier to Pub swim and Lorne Surf Race for other local events; or checkout one of the many artsy events through the year, like Qdos Arts.

Getting in is best done via the Great Ocean Road. It’s about two hours by car from Melbourne, or an hour from Geelong. Though the famous road only starts in Torquay, it is nonetheless a nice journey.