I drove this stretch of the Great Ocean Road from west to east (also known as the Shipwreck Coast), on my way from Adelaide to Melbourne. The day began at an almost empty Childers Cove and ended at the Twelve Apostles, where the viewing platforms were the busiest I’d seen along the coast.
Between them were limestone stacks, an offshore arch and beaches tucked beneath the cliffs. Most stops involved a short walk from a car park, but I still ran out of time for a couple I’d wanted to see. This guide follows the order of the western landmarks, with my own stops alongside the places I’d allow more time for on a return trip.
Driving west to east, the essential Great Ocean Road stops run: Childers Cove, the Bay of Islands, the Bay of Martyrs, the Grotto, London Bridge, Port Campbell for a break, Tom and Eva Lookout, and the Twelve Apostles. Explore all of them; they get busier as you go.
From the western end, the stops covered here run from Childers Cove to the Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs, the Grotto, London Arch, Port Campbell, the Loch Ard Gorge precinct and the Twelve Apostles. Gibson Steps is just beyond the Apostles as you continue east.
Childers Cove requires a detour, while the other stops are reached from the coastal route. Tom and Eva Lookout belongs to the Loch Ard Gorge area, so plan those walks together rather than treating them as separate drives.
This covers the western limestone landmarks, not every stop along the entire Great Ocean Road. Leave time for lunch and the smaller viewpoints rather than planning the day around driving times alone.
Childers Cove is worth considering if you want a quieter beach stop among the limestone cliffs. It was almost deserted when I visited and made a memorable start to the day.
The detour takes you away from the main route, so leave extra time for the drive as well as the beach. Check the condition of the access road, particularly after rain, as the road tends to flood & two wheel drive cars can get bogged down easily. If Parks Victoria or GORCAPA list the site or cliffs as closed, stay on the sealed road.
The flies were relentless on the sand during my visit. More seriously, this is an unpatrolled beach, so I wouldn’t plan it as a casual swimming stop. Enjoy the shore and cliffs without assuming quiet-looking water is safe.
Shortly after watching a carload of young lads leave the car park at speed, I passed their car overturned beside the road. They were all okay and other drivers were already helping, but it was an unpleasant thing to come across. Allow plenty of space and drive to the surface and visibility.
The Bay of Islands has limestone stacks scattered offshore, while the nearby Bay of Martyrs offers more coastal views and a beach walk where access allows. Both are worth stopping at before continuing towards the better-known landmarks.
At the Bay of Islands, I could spend time looking across the water without having to wait for a space at the railing. It was one of the quieter stops of my morning, and I enjoyed it as much as the busier sights later on.
Allow roughly 15 to 20 minutes for a brief look, longer if you’re taking photographs. A few minutes further along the route, the Bay of Martyrs gives you another chance to stretch your legs. You can keep it to the viewpoint or spend longer walking, depending on conditions and the time available.
Skip exploring in extreme wind, heavy swell or when cliff tracks are closed. The lookout itself is only a few minutes from the car park. The Peterborough-Halladale coastal walk is about a 4km return and takes one to two hours if you use the beaches.
I wouldn’t skip these simply because the Twelve Apostles are still ahead. Seeing the smaller groups of stacks first made the whole stretch more interesting to me.
The stacks formed as waves eroded the limestone cliffs, opening cracks into caves and arches. When sections of an arch collapse, isolated pillars can remain offshore before they too are worn down.
The limestone began as sediment on an ancient seabed. The rock now exposed along the coast continues to change under the effects of waves, weather and gravity.
London Arch offers a clear example of a formation altered by collapse, while the Twelve Apostles show the freestanding stacks left behind. Not every feature follows an identical sequence, but erosion connects the scenery you’ll see throughout the day.
It’s also why the barriers matter. The cliff edge may look solid from a path, but the same processes that created the view are still at work.
The Grotto is an eroded limestone formation with an opening framing the sea and pools below. A path and steps lead towards the lower viewing area, where you get a closer look through the rock.
It makes a change from looking across open water at offshore stacks. Here, the opening itself frames the view, and you can spend a little time watching the water and light beyond it.
Allow about 20 minutes for a short visit, with more time if you walk slowly or want photographs. The steps may make the lower viewpoint unsuitable for some visitors. Stay within the designated viewing area and take care when surfaces are wet.
The London Bridge formation became known as London Arch after its landward span collapsed in January 1990, leaving an offshore arch. Two visitors were stranded on the remaining section and rescued by helicopter.
You will still see and hear the name London Bridge, so both names are useful when planning the stop. From the lookout, you can see the surviving arch and the water separating it from the mainland.
It immediately reminded me of Flamborough Head. The setting is different, but the pale rock and arch brought that familiar stretch of Yorkshire coast to mind.
Allow around 10 to 15 minutes for the viewpoint. The collapse is also a good reason to take the signs and barriers seriously, however tempting a different camera angle might look.
Port Campbell is a convenient place for lunch, fuel and toilets between London Arch and the Loch Ard Gorge area. It also has a small bay and waterfront if you want a break from driving and clifftop viewpoints.
I used my stop to check the fire situation before continuing towards the Otways. During summer, or whenever severe weather is affecting the region, leave time to check official emergency and road information on the VicEmergency app, rather than relying on how things look where you’re standing.
The bay gives you somewhere to walk before getting back in the car. If you’re considering a swim, check local conditions and patrol information; shelter from the surrounding cliffs doesn’t guarantee safe water.
Use beachsafe.org.au and the flags at the Surf Life Saving Club on Cairns Street to see if its safe to swim. Only the small bay in front of town is relatively sheltered water outside the heads os open Shipwreck Coast. Off-season, this beach is unpatrolled.
Port Campbell is also an option for an overnight stay if you want more time around the Apostles, particularly for an early or late visit without a long drive afterwards.
Tom and Eva Lookout is in the Loch Ard Gorge precinct and is named after Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael, the only two survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck in 1878. It combines a coastal viewpoint with one of the stories behind the Shipwreck Coast name.
I had an extra reason to stop: the names match mine and my sister’s. I skipped a few other places to make up time, but I wanted to see this one.
The ship was nearing the end of its voyage from Britain when it was wrecked, killing more than fifty people. Tom reached the gorge, then helped Eva ashore before seeking assistance. Their survival attracted enormous attention, including hopes that they would marry, but they went on to separate lives.
You don’t need the family coincidence to appreciate the stop. From the platform you look across a run of stacks and cliffs, including the Razorback, a long blade of limestone shredded by the wind and waves.
I’d allow time for both. Loch Ard Gorge adds shipwreck history and coastal walks, while Gibson Steps offers beach access beneath high cliffs when conditions permit. I missed the gorge beach and Gibson Steps on my visit.
They fit into the same part of the day as the Twelve Apostles. Visit the Loch Ard Gorge area before the Apostles when driving east, then consider Gibson Steps just beyond them
Loch Ard Gorge has coastal viewpoints, short walks and sites connected with the 1878 shipwreck. Beach access depends on which paths and stairs are open, sometimes sections of the track can become unstable.
I visited Tom and Eva Lookout but didn’t give the wider area enough time. On a return trip, I’d allow around an hour to explore some of the open walks rather than moving straight on to the Apostles.
The gorge, nearby rock formations and cemetery give the shipwreck story a setting beyond the information boards. Keep to open paths, as cliff instability can affect access, and an older photograph or itinerary isn’t evidence that a route is still available.
Parks Victoria has closed lookouts and descents after erosion and track failure, so treat fences with the respect they deserve!
You can descend Gibson Steps when access is open and conditions allow. Closures can affect the stairs or beach, so check before planning your visit around getting down to the sand.
The attraction is the view from below the cliffs, which gives you a different sense of their height from the lookouts. This is a sightseeing stop rather than a swimming recommendation.
Allow around 30 minutes or longer, including the climb back up. Think about your comfort with steep steps, and follow all signs about beach access and sea conditions.
Yes — The Twelve Apostles were the busiest stop of my day, but I was still glad I’d made time for them. The height of the stacks and the waves breaking around their bases are worth seeing for yourself.
This is a much larger visitor stop than the smaller lookouts further west. Expect more people on the approaches and viewing platforms, and allow time to walk around rather than stopping at the first railing.
Look in both directions along the coast. The views change as you move, and there’s more to see than the familiar composition from photographs. The name isn’t an accurate count of the rocks. The regional tourism authority lists seven surviving original Apostles, with other formations along this coastline.
An early or late visit may be quieter, but travelling west to east doesn’t automatically put you ahead of the coaches. If you stop at every landmark first, you may reach the Apostles at a busy time, as I did.
Short scenic flights are between $145 to £300 for roughly 15 minutes.
Apostles through to London Bridge are around $195 for 25 minutes.
Apostles to the Grotto and the Bay of Islands is around $295.
Route note:
From the 12 Apostles, my route then went up into the Great Otway National Park, and on towards Apollo Bay.
Give the landmarks most of the day if you want several walks, photographs and a lunch break. Check VicTraffic, VicEmergency, Parks Victoria and GORCAPA before leaving, and avoid treating the Twelve Apostles as the only stop worth your time.
Choose your priorities before setting off: I enjoyed the smaller viewpoints but ran short of time later. If Loch Ard Gorge or Gibson Steps matters to you, leave space for it from the outset.
Use Port Campbell for a proper break: Fuel up your car at the BP on 30-32 Lord Street, rather than assuming you’ll be able to get fuel later in the day – you will struggle.
Check current visitor information: Parking arrangements, admission, facilities and path access can change, particularly at the busiest sites.
Stay behind barriers: Erosion and rockfall are part of this coast. A closed path or beach needs to stay off your itinerary.
Take side roads slowly: Allow extra time for unsealed surfaces and only stop where there is a safe place to park.
Check current visitor information: Parking arrangements, admission, facilities and path access can change, particularly at the busiest sites.
Plan around daylight as well as distance: If you want sunset at the Apostles, consider staying nearby instead of adding a long onward drive afterwards.
Check emergency and road alerts: My trip coincided with fires further east. Follow official advice for the route ahead (VicTraffic), not just conditions at the lookout you're standing on.
Allansford is the western starting point of the Great Ocean Road, and the limestone landmarks in this guide come before the Otways and the coastal drive towards Lorne. Here are answers to a few common questions about this stretch.
Locals and parks call it the Shipwreck Coast. The Apostles, Grotto, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gore sit in Port Campbell National Park. Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands, and Childers Cove sit a little further west in Bay of Islands Coastal Park.
The Shipwreck Coast takes its name from the many vessels wrecked along the coast between Cape Otway and Port Fairy. For ships carrying passengers and cargo towards Melbourne, rough seas, reefs and poor visibility made this a dangerous stretch to navigate.
From today’s lookouts, it’s easy to admire the cliffs without thinking about what they meant to someone approaching in a storm. Crews had few places to shelter, and a mistake in judging their position could bring a ship dangerously close to shore. Cape Otway Lighthouse, first lit in 1848, helped ships find their way, but it couldn’t remove the danger.
The wreck of the Loch Ard in 1878 is the story you’re most likely to encounter on this drive. Only Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael survived, and their names appear at the lookout near Loch Ard Gorge. Other losses include the Schombergnear Peterborough and the Fiji and Marie Gabrielle at what is now Wreck Beach.
Published wreck totals vary depending on which stretch of coast they cover, so figures for the whole of Victoria shouldn’t be mistaken for a local count. Nor should you expect a visible wreck at every stop — many ships broke apart or their remains were buried. Often, a plaque or a place name is what brings the history into view.
Better navigation and changes in shipping eventually reduced the losses, but the name remained. It gives those beautiful coastal views a rather different meaning.
The regional tourism authority lists seven of the original Twelve Apostles remaining. Other stacks stand along the surrounding coast, which is why counting every formation from the lookouts can give you a different total.
Despite the name, there were never twelve. One of the best-known collapses happened in July 2005, when a 50-metre stack fell into the sea. Reports of later collapses sometimes confuse the count by including nearby formations, such as Island Archway near Loch Ard Gorge, which collapsed in 2009 and left the separate Tom and Eva stacks.
The cliffs and stacks are still being eroded, so the coastline will continue to change. The name, however, has stayed the same.
The Great Ocean Road starts at Allansford at its western end, where the B100 branches from the Princes Highway. Childers Cove is a detour near this end of the trip rather than a stop directly beside the main road.
Childers Cove, the Bay of Islands and the Bay of Martyrs were much quieter during my visit. That won’t be true at every hour or in every season, but they’re worth allowing time for if you’d like to explore beyond the busiest viewpoints.
In closing
Yes. Childers Cove, the Bay of Islands and the other western stops gave me some of the most enjoyable moments of the day. The Apostles were impressive, but they weren't the only place I was glad I'd pulled over.
Driving east, I liked seeing the coast change from one stop to the next — scattered stacks, a rock opening at the Grotto and the surviving arch at London Bridge. I'd follow the same route again, with more time left for Loch Ard Gorge and Gibson Steps at the end.
Next? Apollo Bay!
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