Cape Otway Lightstation is the main Great Ocean Road Lighthouse, built to protect ships sailing the Shipwreck Coast in the 1800s. Though it has been decommissioned, Cape Otway Lightstation was in service for well over a century and is Australia’s oldest remaining light house.
Views are naturally amazing and there’s a lot to do around here, including a Shipwreck Discovery Tour, doing the Great Ocean Walk or whale watching. Nearby is the Great Otway National Park, which offers many things to do including the high tree walk and koala spotting. Cape Otway Lightstation is a 20-minute drive from Apollo Bay, which has lots of hotels, or you could even stay in the light house’s associated cottages.
Between Lorne and Anglesea at Aireys Inlet is the majestic Split Point lighthouse, which has 45-minute guided tours, including a climb up its spiral staircase beneath the lantern room. You get fine 360° views from the 34-metre high ‘White Queen’, which, like Cape Otway Lightstation, is well over 100 years old.
Aireys Inlet itself is a fairly serene, picturesque place that can be used as a stop point on your Great Ocean Road journey. There are a few good hotels, resorts and villas here, along with a couple of pleasant beaches. Aireys Inlet is about a 90-minute drive from Melbourne, going past Geelong and Torquay. The light house at Point Lonsdale is before the Great Ocean Road and lights the coast at Port Phillip. You can detour here from Geelong on the way to Torquay.
Cape Nelson Lighthouse protects the other end of the Shipwreck Coast, just beyond the Great Ocean Road Light houses, past Portland and Port Fairy. Although not as majestic as Cape Otway or Split Point light houses, it is definitely worth a visit if you are heading between Portland Bay and the Discovery Bay Coastal Park. You can climb the tower for grand views and visit the historic house here.