Visit Loch Ard Gorge- The Great Ocean Road
Updated: May 24, 2020
One of the most underrated stops along the Great Ocean Road is Loch Ard Gorge! It is located only a short drive from the famous 12 Apostles and has incredible lookouts, but is much less crowded.
How to get there:
The closest airport to the Great Ocean Road is the Melbourne- Avalon airport. We were able to book an easy flight through Jetstar directly to this airport and pick up a rental car. The Avalon airport is about 175 km away or a 2 hour drive if you drive inland from the Great Ocean Road. Personally, I enjoyed renting a car and having the freedom to drive down the Great Ocean Road to Loch Ard Gorge. If you prefer to join a tour bus, I would suggest booking this full day tour with Klook Travel.
When to Go:
We visited in late summer at the end of February. The crowds were much lower, but we also noticed how drastic the weather could be. The weather changed from seeing the sun, to sudden rain showers and heavy wind. Overall, we still had pretty good weather. During the summer months of November-January are peak season. Make sure to always pack a light rain coat and jeans as the weather is pretty unpredictable.
Where to stay:
We chose to stay in Port Campbell at the Port Campbell Motor Inn. To be honest, it was quite difficult to find places to stay in Port Campbell because there were limited options. We spent one night here and found the rooms clean and the location perfect. We also had a view of the beach from our room. I usually stay away from "Motor Inn" style accommodations, but this wasn't bad for one night. It is also the closest town to Loch Ard Gorge and only a 8 minute drive from the car park.
History of Loch Ard Gorge:
Although it is only a 3 minute drive from the 12 Apostles, the history of Loch Ard Gorge is much less known. The gorge was actually named after a ship that crashed into the rocks here in 1878. It was said that the ship couldn't see the shallow waters and realized too late. Only two survivors of the 54 people aboard survived. You can also visit the other lookout located close to Loch Ard Gorge named after Tom and Eva, the two survivors.
Tips for visiting Loch Ard Gorge:
The car park at Loch Ard Gorge. is quite large and free to park at. The lookout to the rock formation is a very small walk to get to. You can even walk down the stairs to visit the base of the beach. On a good weather day, I bet it is very nice to swim in the ocean!
Interested in more stops along the Great Ocean Road? Click here to see our full itinerary for the Great Ocean Road drive!
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