Possibly the Great Ocean Road’s best-kept secret, Aireys Inlet is a pint-sized seaside village with a family-friendly soul that’s larger than life. Scale a lighthouse, picnic with a view, surf or dive, discover local history or chill out and take in an amazing coastal landscape.Lighthouse LovingThe 34-metre Split Point Lighthouse is Aireys Inlet’s most famous…

Where beach, bush and river collide for lots of fun and natural adventure. There’s a relaxed, eco-friendly vibe to Anglesea that will have you treading lightly on beautiful beaches and idyllic riverside trails.Expect to fall in love with funky little shops and the renowned hospitality of the local pub.One quarter of Victoria’s plant species grow…

Apollo Bay is the easy-going all-rounder destination of the Great Ocean Road region – a smorgasbord of quality experiences hosted in the most picturesque of settings nestled into the foothills of the Otways Ranges. Charming all year-round, Apollo Bay makes a perfect location to base yourself for a few days. You’ll be spoiled for accommodation…

Armstrong Creek was gazetted in February 2012 as part of the Armstrong Creek Growth Area, from largely undeveloped land which had formerly been part of Connewarre and Mount Duneed.The Armstrong Creek urban growth area will be developed into a sustainable community that sets new benchmarks in best practice urban development. Natural and cultural features will…

Somehow Barwon Heads manages to retain its seaside village charm, no matter what the time of year or how many people might have landed there for the day. It’s a vibrant town, home to an artistic community, a laid-back atmosphere, and, of course, beautiful beaches.Surrounded by WaterBarwon Heads is as pretty and picturesque as any…

Bellbrae is a bounded rural locality in Victoria, Australia located just off the Great Ocean Road between Torquay and Anglesea. At the 2006 census, Bellbrae had a population of 1,388.Bellbrae Post Office opened on 1 July 1923 (renamed from an earlier Jan Juc office) and closed in 1982.Bellbrae has a public hall, a football oval…

Bells Beach is a coastal locality of Victoria, Australia in Surf Coast Shire and a renowned surf beach, located 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road near the towns of Torquay and Jan Juc. It is named after John Cavert Bell of the family that first took up a pastoral run there…

Belmont is a southern suburb of Geelong. The name means “beautiful hill”. Belmont is geographically separated from the Geelong central business district by the Barwon River. The suburb is primarily residential, with some light industry along Barwon Heads Road.RecreationBelmont has a large number of reserves and a number of local sporting clubs.The extensive Belmont Common…

Breamlea, Victoria, Australia, is a secluded seaside hamlet located on the south coast of the Bellarine Peninsula, 18 kilometres south of Geelong and halfway between Barwon Heads and Torquay. It is divided between the City of Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast Shire. Breamlea is nestled in the sand dunes between Thomsons Creek and the…

Clifton Springs, often grouped with its neighbouring town, Drysdale, overlooks Corio Bay, the You Yangs and Geelong. This combined urban area had an estimated population of 12,882 at June 2015. The area has undergone significant changes over the past decade, with new housing developments on the north side of the town.

Connewarre, Victoria, Australia, is located in south-east of Geelong, and is named after Lake Connewarre which is situated immediately to its north-east.

The suburb of Curlewis underwent significant growth in 2010 when the Curlewis Urban Growth Area began construction. This development includes Bayview on the Bellarine, Curlewis Parks, Baywater Estate, Bellaview Estate and Coriyule Estate. Centennial Boulevard is home to the Curlewis shopping centre which features Woolworths, a medical centre, pharmacy and other shops. This is located…

Drysdale is a charming rural village central to the attractions of The Bellarine. Vistors can enjoy the the rural setting, whilst sipping on some of the regions best wines nearby. Visit some of the fanastic attractions such as the Local wineries, Drysdale Goats Cheese, the historic steam train, Mcleod’s Water Holes, Lake Lorne, the Bellarine…

Eastern View is a small coastal town in the Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia. Eastern View was a remote coastal area prior to the construction of the Great Ocean Road, which was opened to Eastern View, albeit in the form of a narrow gravel track, in March 1922. Only four houses were located in the…

Fairhaven is a small coastal locality in the Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia. The village is a popular holiday destination, with many homes being used for that purpose. It adjoins Fairhaven Beach, which at 6 km long is the longest beach on the Great Ocean Road. The village is separated from adjoining Aireys Inlet by…

Freshwater Creek is a small town in the Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia. It is named after the drainage creek that flows through the area after heavy rain. The town has only two shops: a petrol station, general store, and restaurant, and a bakery, Freshwater Creek Cakes. Freshwater Creek Cakes is well known within the…

Geelong is Victoria’s second largest city, located on Corio Bay, and within a short drive from popular beach-front communities on the Bellarine Peninsula as well as being the gateway to the famous Great Ocean Road, which begins just south of Geelong at Torquay.The city itself boasts a large commercial centre which extends down to the…

Geelong West is a commercial and residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. When Geelong was founded, the area was known as Kildare but its name was changed to Geelong West in 1875. The main street is Pakington Street.

Gherang is a small rural township in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Surf Coast Shire local government area, and is located on the northern edge of the Great Otway National Park and the Anglesea Heath.The area is mostly farmland, although there has been some rural residential subdivision. Quarries in the area produce good quality…

Grovedale is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong.It was originally named Germantown due to several families of Lutheran German origin who arrived in 1849 and the community expanded during the 1860s. German Cottage, a house from this period located on Torquay Road, is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.In September 1915, after the outbreak…

Hamlyn Heights is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It located to the west of the city on hills that overlook Corio Bay. The suburb boundaries are Church St, Ballarat Rd, Moorabool River and two unmarked boundaries extending between Church St to Moorabool River and between Moorabool River and Ballarat Rd. Hamlyn Heights has…

Highton is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is bordered by Ceres and Wandana Heights to the west, the Barwon River to the north and east, the former Kardinia Creek to the south-east, and the Princes Highway and Pigdons Road to the south.EducationThe Highton Primary School was the first school in the area,…

Indented Head is a small coastal township located on the Bellarine Peninsula, east of Geelong, in the Australian state of Victoria. The town lies on the coast of the Port Phillip bay between the towns of Portarlington and St Leonards. Indented Head’s population fluctuates throughout the year, increasing drastically during the summer months, and is…

A surf beach favoured by local surfers, also home to Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club. Has car parking, public toilets and great viewing platforms from the top of the cliffs. This is also the start of the 30km Surf Coast Walk and where local conservation groups have mounted a major revegetation program to protect…

Just a short distance away from the heart of Geelong, Lara easily has the best view of the impressive You Yangs. The impressive granite peaks are surrounded by a mecca of lovely picnic grounds, family friendly walking tracks and loads of wildlife.If you’re seeking adventure, there are a number of mountain-bike trails and rock-climbing opportunities,…

There are many reasons to love Leopold, and even more reasons why we think it’s a great place to live! Leopold is a residential eastern suburb of Geelong and is the Gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula. The area was formerly known as Kensington. The post office opened as Kensington on 19 May 1858, and was…

Lorne is the stylish, elegant lady everyone wants to lunch with. Her setting is perfect and sophisticated – a cosmopolitan coastal village with a magnificent beach against a backdrop of the majestic rainforest of the Great Otway National Park.Chic and DelishLorne has an enchanting small town warmth mingled with a delightful touch of urban chic.…

Modewarre is a locality in the Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia. The town adjoins Lake Modewarre. Modewarre Primary School began as a local Anglican school in the 1850s, became a vested National School in 1859, and closed in 1971. A post office at Modewarre opened in 1859 and closed in 1967. The Modewarre Memorial Hall…

Moolap is a residential and industrial suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The name Moolap is derived from an Aboriginal word for nearby Point Henry, moo-laa, thought to mean ‘men gathering to go fishing’.

Moriac is a rural town in Victoria, Australia, located approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Geelong. It forms part of the Surf Coast Shire. The town was surveyed in the 1920s as a village that had developed around the Moriac railway station on the Port Fairy line. The station had been provided to serve…

Mount Duneed is a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is divided between the City of Greater Geelong and Surf Coast Shire local government areas. Much of the locality north of Lower Duneed Road is part of the large Armstrong Creek Growth Area, which was opened up for urban development from 2010. With the gazetting…

Newcomb is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The Post Office opened on 2 July 1962 as the suburb developed. The suburb has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Bellarine Football League. The majority of Newcomb residential areas consist of mid 20th century homes, with no capacity for new housing estates, although…

Newtown is an inner western suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is a primarily residential area occupying one of the highest points of urban Geelong, has always been a desirable place of residence and it is the location of many of Geelong’s oldest and most valuable properties.Sport and RecreationQueens Park is also the home ground…

Geelong North is a suburb of Geelong in the Australian state of Victoria. The suburb was bypassed by traffic from Melbourne coming from the Princes Freeway by the creation of the Geelong Ring Road, which was complete in 2009. It is often referred to as North Geelong The head office of Australian department store, Target,…

Ocean Grove has appealed to holiday-makers for a century or more, and it’s not hard to see why. The face of the town has changed dramatically over that time, but the reason people flock here hasn’t.Sun, Sand and SurfEven at the busiest of times you can find an uncrowded bit of beach at Ocean Grove.…

Paraparap is a rural locality in the Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia. The Paraparap Parish was made available for sale in the 1850s, but was much less successful than other sales in the region, with slightly more than half of the lots being sold in the initial sales. The remaining lots were sold gradually over…

Point Lonsdale is a coastal township on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia. The town is divided between the Borough of Queenscliffe and the City of Greater Geelong. Point Lonsdale is also one of the headlands which, with Point Nepean, frame The Rip, the entrance to Port Phillip. The headland is dominated by the…

It’s not hard to see why Portarlington is so popular in summer, but it oozes charm any time of the year. It’s one of the bigger villages on the Bellarine.The panoramic views across Corio Bay to the west and Port Phillip Bay to the north are magnificent, and on a clear day you can see…

Queenscliff’s charm is unique. Historically, it’s been a 19th century holiday destination for Melbourne’s elite, a busy maritime centre and a strategic defence base. Today, visitors continue to flock there throughout the year. Hesse Street is the main strip, and there’s a variety of shops of many descriptions, including antique stores, boutiques, interior shops and…

Buzzes with vitality and a sun- blessed spirit that embraces the great outdoors. It’s where the Great Ocean Road officially begins, where Australia’s colourful surfing culture was born and where you’ll discover a world of fun and adventure.Surf CityTorquay is the birthplace of global surf brands like Rip Curl and Quiksilver. Surfing gear, fashion and…

The township was settled in the early 1870s, the Post Office opening on 22 February 1872. Its surrounding suburbs are Leopold, Curlewis, Ocean Grove and Marcus Hill. It is well known for its popular annual strawberry festival, the Wallington Strawberry Fair, a fundraising event held by Wallington Primary School. A popular water theme park, Adventure…

Waurn Ponds is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The suburb is bounded by Rossack Drive, Princes Highway, the Geelong to Warnambool railway, Reservoir Road, Draytons Road, Pigdons Road, Deakin University and Honeys Road. It is home to the main Geelong campus of Deakin University and the regional Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre.…

Hinterland towns like Winchelsea and Deans marsh whisper of the pioneering efforts of colonial settlers and pastoralists. They boast unique character-filled bed and breakfast cottages and a palpable appreciation of the natural environment.Wonderful WinchWinchelsea is a natural beauty…a lovely, historic township on the shady banks of the Barwon River, inland from the Surf Coast. The…

These not-so- famous escapes on the Great Ocean Road are quiet achievers – for those ‘in the know’ Wye River, Kennett River and Wongarra hide a perfectly laid-back and bare-foot ambience in contrast with the busier coastal hubs.Snap HappyPhotographers of all levels find a bounty of click-worthy landscapes along this coastline – there are some…