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Welcome aboard Autopia Tours!

Before we begin our journey along the spectacular Great Ocean Road, I would like to share some important information to help ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience today.

Safety and Seat Belts

In Australia, it is a legal requirement to wear a seatbelt whenever the vehicle is in motion. This is especially important as we travel through regional areas where wildlife such as kangaroos and other native animals can unexpectedly cross the road. Please ensure your seatbelt is fastened at all times for your safety and the safety of those around you.

Emergency Exits

In the unlikely event of an emergency, if your guide is unable to assist you directly, please take note of the following exits. The main door through which you boarded, the roof hatch which can be opened by pushing upward, and the emergency windows which can be broken using the red glass hammer located on board.

First Aid

This vehicle is equipped with two first aid kits — a large kit on board the bus, and a smaller portable kit carried by your guide during all walks. Your guide is fully trained in first aid. If you feel unwell or require assistance at any time during the day, please let us know immediately.

Communication in Regional Areas

While the Great Ocean Road is more accessible than many remote areas of Australia, mobile phone reception can still be limited in certain locations, particularly through the Otway Ranges. We carry communication devices on board to ensure your safety at all times, and your guide will manage any emergency communication if required.

Weather, Hydration & Conditions

Conditions along the Great Ocean Road can change quickly, sometimes within a single day. The coastline and ranges can be significantly cooler and windier than Melbourne, so it is important to come prepared.

We recommend bringing at least one to two litres of water, wearing comfortable and sturdy walking shoes, applying sun protection including a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses, and bringing an extra layer of clothing as temperatures can vary considerably throughout the day.

If you feel unwell at any time, please do not hesitate to speak with your guide.

Walking & Wildlife Safety

Today includes a number of short walks to clifftop lookouts, surf beaches, rainforest boardwalks, and scenic coastal locations. To ensure everyone stays safe, please always remain with your guide and group, stay on marked tracks and designated viewing areas, take care on uneven or rocky surfaces, and please do not approach or feed any wildlife we encounter. We ask that you enjoy all animals from a respectful and safe distance.

Meals

Today is a self-catered tour, giving you flexibility to choose what suits you best throughout the day. We will stop in Apollo Bay where you will have time to purchase lunch, snacks, and drinks from a wonderful selection of local cafes and restaurants, while also supporting the local community. Please bring a refillable water bottle — drinking water is available on board for refills throughout the journey.

Comfort Onboard

Air conditioning and music are available for your comfort throughout the journey. If you would like any adjustments, please feel free to let your driver know at any time.

With that, sit back, relax, and get ready to experience one of the world's most breathtaking coastal journeys. We are absolutely delighted to have you with us today and we look forward to sharing an unforgettable adventure along the Great Ocean Road!

We begin today by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are meeting and departing, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.

We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples joining us today.

The Wurundjeri people have cared for this land for tens of thousands of years, maintaining a deep spiritual, cultural, and physical connection to Country.

As we travel today from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road, we will pass through the lands of several Aboriginal groups. These include the Wadawurrung people, the Traditional Custodians of the land around Geelong, Torquay, and the Bellarine Peninsula, and the Eastern Maar people, whose Country extends along the spectacular coastline we will be travelling through today, from Anglesea all the way through to Warrnambool.

We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded, and that this land always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

“This artwork symbolises the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people's connection to Country, with birds representing strength and balance, and flowing lines reflecting the lifeblood of the Yarra River and enduring cultural custodianship.”

As we cross over the water here, we are travelling across the Westgate Bridge — one of Melbourne's most iconic and historically significant structures.

Stretching 2.6 kilometres in length and standing 53 metres above the Yarra River, the Westgate Bridge is Australia's longest, tallest, and widest bridge, carrying ten lanes of traffic across its span. To give you some perspective, it is actually longer than the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, though perhaps not quite as well known to the outside world.

The bridge connects Melbourne's central business district to the southwestern suburbs, and today carries approximately 200,000 vehicles every single day, making it one of the busiest bridges in Australia.

Sadly, the Westgate Bridge carries with it a deeply tragic history. During its construction in 1970, a section of the bridge collapsed without warning, falling onto workers below. Thirty-five workers lost their lives that day, and a further eighteen were seriously injured. It remains one of the worst industrial disasters in Australian history. A memorial to those workers stands at the western end of the bridge, and their sacrifice is remembered to this day.

Despite this tragedy, construction continued and the bridge was officially opened to the public on 15 February 1978, finally providing a much-needed direct connection across the Yarra River to Melbourne's western suburbs.

As we cross, take a moment to look out across the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay beyond — on a clear day, the views from this bridge are quite spectacular, and they serve as a wonderful introduction to the natural beauty we will be experiencing throughout the rest of our day together.

Good morning and welcome! We are so glad to have you with us today for what is going to be a truly unforgettable journey along one of the world's most celebrated coastal drives — the Great Ocean Road.

Over the course of today, we will travel through some of Victoria's most breathtaking landscapes. You will see dramatic ocean cliffs, ancient rainforests, iconic rock formations, and with a little luck, some of Australia's most beloved wildlife in their natural habitat.

The Great Ocean Road stretches 243 kilometres along the southeast coast of Australia, between the towns of Torquay and Allansford, near Warrnambool. It is widely recognised as the world's largest war memorial, built by the hands of thousands of returned soldiers following the First World War as a tribute to those who never came home.

Today we will be making stops at the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch, Apollo Bay, the Great Otway Rainforest, the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and several other wonderful locations along the way.

Our first stop this morning will be at Serendip Sanctuary, where we will enjoy morning tea and hopefully spot some of Australia's iconic wildlife including emus and kangaroos in a natural setting.

Please make yourself comfortable, and do not hesitate to speak to your guide or driver at any point during the day. We are here to make sure you have the most wonderful experience possible. So sit back, enjoy the scenery, and let the adventure begin!

We are now arriving at Serendip Sanctuary, a wonderful natural reserve located near the town of Lara, approximately 60 kilometres southwest of Melbourne. This is a great opportunity to step off the bus, stretch your legs, and enjoy some morning tea while we take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful environment.

Serendip Sanctuary is home to a remarkable variety of Australian wildlife. As we make our way around the property, keep your eyes open for emus — Australia's largest bird and the second largest bird in the world. Despite being flightless, emus are remarkable creatures, capable of running at speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour. They are curious animals, so please admire them from a respectful distance.

You may also spot eastern grey kangaroos grazing peacefully across the open grasslands. These are one of the most common kangaroo species in Australia and can reach heights of nearly two metres when fully grown.

Look up into the River Red Gum trees that line the sanctuary — these magnificent trees have been growing here for hundreds of years and hold deep cultural significance for the local Wathaurong people, the traditional custodians of this land. Their bark was historically used to construct canoes for travelling the waterways of the region.

In the distance, you will also notice a range of striking granite ridges rising from the flat plains — those are the You Yangs. The name comes from the Aboriginal words Wurdi Youang, meaning "big mountain in the middle of a plain." The highest peak, Flinders Peak, stands 364 metres above the surrounding plain and was climbed by the explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802. The You Yangs are estimated to be approximately 365 million years old and are home to over 200 species of birds, as well as koalas, sugar gliders, and eastern grey kangaroos.

Please enjoy your morning tea and we will be departing shortly.

As we travel south from Geelong, we are approaching the town of Torquay — the official starting point of the Great Ocean Road and widely regarded as the surfing capital of Australia.

Torquay is a town with a unique identity. Despite its relatively small size, it is home to two of the world's most recognised surf brands — Rip Curl and Quiksilver — both of which were founded here in the late 1960s. The famous Surf World Museum is also located here, celebrating Australia's deep connection with surf culture. The town itself has been one of the fastest growing communities in Victoria, reflecting its popularity as both a destination and a place to live.

Just a short distance south of Torquay lies one of Australia's most iconic surf locations — Bells Beach. This dramatic stretch of coastline is famous for its powerful waves and has hosted the Rip Curl Pro surfing competition, the longest continuously running professional surfing competition in the world, since 1961. Each year, approximately 30,000 spectators gather here to watch the world's best surfers compete in what is considered one of the most prestigious events on the international surfing calendar.

The area holds great cultural significance for Aboriginal Australians, and you will notice artwork in the area that reflects Dreaming stories — the spiritual beliefs and creation narratives that form the foundation of Aboriginal culture and identity. These stories are not simply folklore — they represent a deeply held understanding of how the world and all living things came to exist.

As we leave Torquay and Bells Beach behind, we are now officially beginning our journey along the Great Ocean Road — and the scenery is only going to get more spectacular from here.

Now that we are travelling along the Great Ocean Road itself, I would love to share with you the remarkable story of how this road came to exist — because it is far more than just a scenic drive.

The Great Ocean Road is officially recognised as the world's largest war memorial. Its construction was conceived in 1918 by Alderman Howard Hitchcock, the Mayor of Geelong, who envisioned a road that would serve two profound purposes — to employ thousands of returned soldiers who had come home from the First World War and were struggling to find work, and to create a permanent and living memorial to those who had made the ultimate sacrifice and never returned.

Survey work began in August 1918, and thousands of returned servicemen descended on this rugged and remote coastline armed with little more than picks, shovels, and horse-drawn carts. There was no heavy machinery. The terrain was extraordinarily challenging — dense bush, steep cliffs, and an unforgiving Southern Ocean coastline. The work was slow, dangerous, and physically exhausting.

The first section, connecting Eastern View to Lorne, was officially opened on 18 March 1922, and the full route from Torquay to Allansford was finally completed and opened on 26 November 1932 by the Lieutenant Governor, Sir William Irvine, in a ceremony that included a procession of 40 cars with schoolchildren lining parts of the route.

In the early years, travellers paid a toll at Eastern View — drivers paid two shillings and sixpence, and passengers one shilling and sixpence. The toll was abolished in October 1936 when the Great Ocean Road Trust gifted the road to the State Government of Victoria.

The Great Ocean Road and its surrounding landscape was added to Australia's National Heritage List on 7 April 2011, cementing its status as one of the most significant and treasured places in the country.

We are now stopping at the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch — one of the most photographed landmarks along the entire route, and a deeply meaningful symbol of the road's origins and history.

The arch you see before you is actually the fourth version of this structure. The original arch was erected in 1932 to mark the official tollgate at Eastern View when the road was completed. It was a working structure as much as a symbolic one, and road users paid their toll here before continuing their journey. That first arch was removed in 1936 when the toll was abolished.

A second arch was constructed in 1939, this time built from concrete, but it was tragically destroyed in 1970 when a truck collided with it. A third arch, made from timber, was built as a replacement — but this too was lost, consumed by the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983, which caused widespread destruction across Victoria and South Australia.

For a period, it was decided that the arch would not be replaced. However, community feeling was strong, and public support for its restoration was overwhelming. As a result, the fourth and current arch was constructed and opened, standing on the very same site as its predecessors — a place where the spirit of the road's origins is very much alive.

The arch is a popular photo stop, and I encourage you to take a few minutes to walk along the boardwalk and take in the views. Please stay on the boardwalk and away from the road for your safety, as traffic continues to move through this area.

As you look out toward the ocean from here, take a moment to reflect on the thousands of men who carved this road from raw wilderness — it is a remarkable story of endurance, community, and remembrance.

As we continue along the coast, we are approaching the beautiful town of Lorne — one of the most beloved seaside destinations in all of Victoria.

Lorne is situated where the Otway Ranges meet the Southern Ocean, creating a setting of extraordinary natural beauty. The town sits within Louttit Bay, named after Captain Louttit, who was among the early mariners to navigate these waters. Lorne holds the distinction of being the first town in Victoria to be officially recognised as a place of outstanding natural beauty by the Victorian Government — a title that is easy to understand when you see it for yourself.

During summer, particularly around Christmas and New Year, Lorne is one of the busiest and most vibrant towns on the coast, drawing visitors from across Australia and around the world. It offers wonderful restaurants, boutique shops, galleries, and some truly beautiful beaches.

The coastal drive between here and Apollo Bay is considered one of the most spectacular in Australia. In several places, the road has literally been carved into the face of the mainland cliffs, with the waves of the Southern Ocean crashing against the rocks directly below. It is a breathtaking experience, and I encourage you to look out to sea as we travel — on the right day, it is not uncommon to spot dolphins or even southern right whales swimming close to the shoreline, particularly between June and September.

The Angahook-Lorne State Park surrounds this stretch of the coast, protecting over 700 species of plants, including hundreds of wild orchids, as well as a rich variety of native wildlife. The forest here cascades right down to the water's edge in places, creating a wonderful contrast between the deep green bush and the vivid blue ocean.

As we travel along the Great Ocean Road — keep a lookout for our unique Australian wildlife, you’ll have an excellent chance of seeing wild koalas up in the top of the trees.

The grey gum trees along Grey River Road are home to one of the most reliable and accessible wild koala populations anywhere in Australia. Unlike koalas in some other parts of the country, the koalas of this region tend to be larger and darker in colour, which is a natural adaptation to the cooler temperatures of the Victorian coast.

Koalas are marsupials, meaning they carry and nurse their young — known as joeys — in a pouch. They are extraordinarily specialised animals, feeding almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic to most other animals. Koalas have developed a unique digestive system that allows them to safely process these leaves, though the low nutritional value means they must sleep for up to 20 hours each day to conserve energy. So if you see one sleeping in the branches — that is perfectly normal!

Beyond the koalas, the Great Ocean Road is also a wonderful location for birdwatching. The area is known for its spectacular populations of crimson rosellas, king parrots, and a variety of honeyeaters and lorikeets that will often feed directly from your hand if you offer them some seed — your guide will let you know if this is available today.

Please remember that while it is a wonderful experience to see these animals up close, it is important that we do not touch or disturb the wildlife and we keep noise levels low to ensure the animals remain comfortable and unstressed in their natural environment. Take as many photographs as you like — these are moments you will want to remember!

Welcome to Apollo Bay — a charming coastal town nestled between the Otway Ranges and the Southern Ocean, and one of the most scenic lunch destinations you could possibly ask for.

Apollo Bay has a rich history shaped by the sea. The town's early development was driven by fishing and timber, and the local fishing fleet remains an important part of the community's identity to this day. Fresh seafood is a highlight of any visit here, and if you have the opportunity during our lunch break, I highly recommend seeking out some locally caught fish.

The town itself is wonderfully relaxed, with a beautiful foreshore, great cafes and restaurants, art galleries, and a warm, welcoming community atmosphere. We will have time here for you to explore and enjoy lunch at your own expense — there are plenty of wonderful options within easy walking distance of where we are parking.

Apollo Bay also serves as the gateway to the Great Otway National Park, which we will be entering shortly after lunch. The Otway Ranges rise dramatically behind the town, their deep green forests providing a stunning backdrop to the sparkling waters of the bay.

If you are feeling energetic after lunch, a walk along the Apollo Bay foreshore offers lovely views back toward the ranges and out to sea. The town is also a popular base for activities including surfing, sea kayaking, horse riding, and bushwalking — though today we will be moving on to explore the rainforest and the iconic formations of the Shipwreck Coast after our break.

We will meet back at the bus in the Hardy Street Foreshore car park. Please ensure you are back on time so we can make the most of the afternoon ahead.

We are now entering the Great Otway National Park, and I want you to take a deep breath and appreciate the remarkable transformation in landscape that is happening around us.

The Otway Ranges extend from Anglesea in the east to Princetown in the west, covering some of the most spectacular and diverse terrain in Victoria. The Great Otway National Park alone covers over 103,000 hectares and protects an extraordinary range of ecosystems — from heathlands and wetlands along the coast, to the magnificent temperate rainforests we are about to walk through.

Our destination is Melba Gully, one of the most magical and serene spots along the entire Great Ocean Road. Named after the famous Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, who visited this area in the early twentieth century, Melba Gully is home to one of the most accessible and beautiful pockets of cool temperate rainforest in Victoria.

As we walk along the boardwalk, you will be surrounded by towering myrtle beech trees, tree ferns, and a rich carpet of mosses and lichens that give the forest its distinctive emerald glow. The air here is cool, clean, and incredibly fresh — a world away from the city.

Keep your eyes on the ground and along the edges of the boardwalk, because Melba Gully is home to one of nature's most extraordinary curiosities — the glow worm. These tiny bioluminescent larvae produce a soft blue-green light to attract insects, and while they are most spectacular at night, you may spot them in the darker, sheltered sections of the gully even during the day.

The Otway Ranges are also home to 23 species of mammals, including koalas, platypuses, wallabies, and kangaroos. Please stay on the boardwalk at all times to protect this fragile ecosystem, and take a moment to simply stand still and listen — the sounds of this rainforest are truly remarkable.

As we leave the rainforest behind and return to the coast, we are now entering one of the most dramatic and storied stretches of Australian coastline — known simply as the Shipwreck Coast.

The name tells its own story. This rugged and treacherous section of coastline, stretching from Cape Otway to Port Fairy, was the site of approximately 200 recorded shipwrecks between the early 1800s and the early 1900s, making it one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world for early navigators.

The reasons for so many disasters are easy to understand when you look at this coastline. The Southern Ocean here is one of the most powerful and unpredictable bodies of water on earth. The coastline is lined with hidden limestone reefs, powerful currents, and sudden weather changes that could transform a calm day into a raging storm with very little warning. Ships approaching from Europe or the Americas after months at sea would often be making landfall for the first time, navigating by the stars with no detailed charts of the reef systems below.

The limestone geology of this coastline is itself the product of ancient history. These cliffs were formed from the shells and skeletons of billions of marine organisms that lived in a shallow sea covering this region approximately 10 to 20 million years ago. Over millions of years, the relentless force of the Southern Ocean has carved these limestone formations into the spectacular arches, gorges, and rock stacks we are about to see — including the most famous natural landmark in Australia.

We have arrived at one of the most iconic natural wonders in the world — the 12 Apostles.

These extraordinary limestone rock stacks rise dramatically from the Southern Ocean, some standing over 45 metres tall, carved over millions of years by the relentless erosion of wind, rain, and waves. What you are seeing is the result of an extraordinary geological process — the cliffs were gradually undermined by the sea, forming sea caves that eventually collapsed to create arches, and then when those arches fell, isolated pillars of rock were left standing alone in the ocean.

Despite their famous name, there were never actually twelve of them. When they were renamed the 12 Apostles in 1922 — previously they had been known by the far less appealing name of "Sow and Piglets" — there were only nine stacks visible. Today, only eight remain. In July 2005, one of the stacks collapsed suddenly into the sea — a reminder that this coastline is constantly, slowly changing, and that what we see today is simply a moment in a much longer geological story.

The viewing platform here offers spectacular 360-degree views along the coastline, and the walkway allows you to see the apostles from several different angles. The light here changes dramatically throughout the day, and at sunrise and sunset the stacks glow a brilliant orange and gold against the deep blue of the Southern Ocean — truly one of the most beautiful sights in Australia.

Please take your time, explore the viewing platforms, and do not forget to look in both directions along the coastline — the cliffs and formations in each direction are equally impressive. We will meet at the bus in the visitor centre car park when you are ready.

Just a short distance from the 12 Apostles lies a place of extraordinary natural beauty — and equally extraordinary human tragedy. This is Loch Ard Gorge.

The gorge is named after the Loch Ard, a three-masted iron sailing ship that departed Gravesend in England on 2 March 1878, bound for Melbourne with 54 people on board — passengers and crew, many of them families emigrating to begin new lives in Australia. After nearly three months at sea, the ship was approaching the final stage of its journey when, in the early hours of 1 June 1878, it was caught in fog and driven onto the reef near Muttonbird Island, just outside this gorge.

The ship sank within minutes. Of the 54 people on board, only two survived.

The first was Eva Carmichael, an 18-year-old Irish woman who clung to wreckage as the waves carried her into the gorge. The second was Tom Pearce, a 19-year-old ship's apprentice, who managed to reach the beach, then heard Eva's cries and swam back out through the surging water to rescue her. He pulled her to safety in a small cave at the back of the gorge, and the following morning climbed the steep gorge walls to raise the alarm.

When you walk through this gorge today on a calm, sunny day, it is almost impossible to imagine how such a disaster could occur in a place of such beauty. But when the Southern Ocean is angry, these cliffs funnel the waves with tremendous force — and that night in 1878, there was no escape for almost everyone on board.

Please explore the gorge and the clifftop walks, and take care on the paths near the cliff edges. We will meet back at the bus in approximately 35 minutes.

As we continue along the Shipwreck Coast, we pass through the small but charming town of Port Campbell, and nearby, another of the coast's famous natural landmarks — London Bridge.

Port Campbell itself is a tiny fishing village that grew around a natural harbour sheltered within a narrow gorge cut into the limestone cliffs. The harbour was named after Alexander Campbell, the captain of a whaling ship who took shelter here in the 1840s. For the isolated farming communities of the region, this natural harbour became an important supply point, with ships bringing essential goods that had previously been almost impossible to transport overland across the rugged terrain.

Today, Port Campbell is a peaceful and picturesque resort town, popular with visitors for its colourful streets, welcoming cafes, and proximity to the Shipwreck Coast attractions. It is a wonderful reflection of the small coastal communities that make this region so special.

London Bridge, located just a few kilometres to the east, is one of the most fascinating geological landmarks on the entire Great Ocean Road. This natural rock arch earned its name because its twin-arched formation closely resembled the famous London Bridge in England. For many years, visitors could actually walk out along the arch — until 15 January 1990, when without any warning, the seaward arch of the bridge collapsed suddenly into the ocean, leaving a group of tourists stranded on the isolated rock beyond. They were eventually rescued by helicopter — unharmed, but considerably shaken. Today, only the single remaining arch stands, a permanent reminder of the power of erosion and the constantly evolving nature of this coastline.

Welcome back to Melbourne!

Thank you so much for choosing to travel with Autopia Tours today. We hope you have had an absolutely wonderful journey along the Great Ocean Road — one of the most celebrated and beautiful coastal drives anywhere in the world.

Today you have experienced so much of what makes this corner of Australia truly special — from the powerful story of the returned soldiers who carved this road from raw wilderness with their bare hands, to the dramatic limestone formations of the 12 Apostles rising from the Southern Ocean, the lush tranquillity of the Otway rainforest, the heartbreaking history of Loch Ard Gorge, and the incredible wildlife encounters along the way.

Australia is a vast and diverse country, and today you have seen just a small but truly remarkable glimpse of what makes it so unique and so unforgettable.

If you have enjoyed your day, we would really appreciate you taking a moment to leave a review on Google, TripAdvisor, or your booking platform. Your feedback means the world to us and helps other travellers from around the world discover and enjoy this experience.

For those continuing your travels, we wish you safe and wonderful journeys ahead. It has been our absolute pleasure to share this incredible part of Australia with you today, and we very much hope to welcome you on another Autopia adventure very soon!