Lara Kittel from REDARC’s Team, takes us through her experiences camping for a week along the Great Ocean Road. This camping road trip occurred in the winter of 2023, so prices at campgrounds may have adjusted since, be sure to check local information for the latest news and pricing.
Knowing how to find a good campsite can make or break any road trip, so with that in mind I want to share the fantastic places we stayed on a week-long road trip along the Great Ocean Road.
How Long To Allow For A Great Ocean Road Trip
The Great Ocean Road is a magnificent self-drive touring route starting from surf capital, Torquay, to the famous Twelve Apostles and ending at the historic fishing village, Port Fairy. The route can be completed in a single day if you’re setting off at dawn, but it is not unusual to complete across a few more leisurely days.
I spent a week camping from town to town, checking out almost every stop along the way and then completing my adventure in Melbourne. Keep in mind that the more time devoted to exploring the attractions, means the more time you will get to enjoy them. If you’re lucky enough to be choosing van life you could easily spend longer along this beautiful section of the coast.
Where To Camp On The Great Ocean Road
A quick tip and something to remember, some caravan parks close for the winter months. Plan ahead with a back-up option and make sure you’re organised on the road so you can stop whenever you need to. This list of campsites takes you from Adelaide to Melbourne, so be sure to reverse it if you are travelling in the other direction.
Port Campbell Recreation Reserve Powered Camping
After visiting the world-renowned rock formations on the first day of our road trip, (see below for the sights we saw!), we arrived at our campsite at Port Campbell Recreation Reserve on the first night when the sun had gone down. Even though there was no front office, it was an easy stay as I paid in an envelope as I arrived.
This campsite was the sort of scenario where you could set up camp anywhere. There were 40 powered sites and 20 unpowered sites. Amenities included showers, a laundry, an outdoor kitchen, two BBQs, free WIFI, a nature play space for kids and a large communal area with a fit pit. Powered sites started from $10 a night, it was super affordable and a very relaxed environment.
Bimbi Park
On the second night after exploring, instead of camping at Johanna, I decided to continue driving to save time in the morning. Bimbi Park is family-owned by Frank and Katrina, and the best campsite that I have ever stayed at. It offers a variety of amenities such as an outdoor theatre, shop to purchase basic groceries, laundry, campfires, a free phone, and gas refills.
I also heard that during peak seasons, the park offers fish and chips and wood-fire pizza nights. The park’s accommodation range is unmatched, with bush camping, group camping sites (powered and unpowered) cabins from standard to deluxe, bunkrooms in the form of caravans and camping pods. Its seriously has everything!
Johanna Beach Camping For Surfers: Unpowered
A popular place that almost always has great surf, Johanna Beach has 25 non-powered sites available to book. On this trip, we came prepared for camping away from power. While we did not bring a full dual battery setup as we’d planned to stay in powered campsites along the way, we packed our REDARC GoBlock portable power system.
This portable power solution saved the day for off-grid power and made our camping experience so easy — if for any reason we didn’t make it to the planned campsite, we’d still be able to stay charged up.
The Go Block is convenient in size to pack and simple to use with the Power Dock (which doubles as an anti-theft device for those crowded campsites). It kept our fridge cold the whole trip. This meant we could keep meat, eggs, and milk and not worry about it going off.
This system is fantastic, as it's both a portable dual battery system and a flexible portable power station that's easy to monitor from your phone. The variety of outputs means the GoBlock is ideal for charging your smart devices, phones, games, cameras, drones, as well as powering lights, compressors, a portable fridge or CPAP machine if needed, perfect for a short coastal camping trip.
See it in action: GoBlock Powers OutBack Cleanups Australia
Accommodation At Cape Otway Lighthouse
My partner decided he would buy an app called WikiCamps Australia, which helped us find all the hidden gems along the way. We came across the Cape Otway Lighthouse, which happens to be the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia.
While you can’t pitch a tent or set up for car camping here, there is accommodation you can book for a treat on your journey.
Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park
We stayed our last night at Torquay Caravan Park, located right on the foreshore of Torquay Surf Beach, a convenient camping location for surfers on the coast. At night we walked down to the local Japanese restaurant called Sober Ramen and it was so good! I highly recommend eating here.
My partner got up at sunrise for a surf and while waiting, I had a coffee at Third Wave kiosk overlooking the ocean where he was surfing.
Top Sights Along The Great Ocean Road
When I used to think of the Great Ocean Road, I often pictured a long stretch of road beside the beach, where people can stop for a picture at the Twelve 12 Apostles. I did not imagine the towering clifftops, lush eucalyptus forests, massive waterfalls, windswept shorelines, and vast ocean views.
Port Fairy: Fishing Paradise
I started the road trip in Adelaide and my first stop, after Mount Gambier, was Port Fairy. This town has fantastic options if you’re looking to catch something for tea or are a keen fisher. The typical place to fish includes, river fishing at Moyne, surf fishing at East Beach and off-the-boat fishing in Port Fairy Bay.
Boat ramps can be found at Port Fairy, Killarney and Yambuk Lake, that are suitable if you are towing a small boat. A cruisy coastal walk around Griffiths Island took me to see the Port Fairy lighthouse. The area around the lighthouse is a large breeding colony of short-tailed shearwater seabirds, so it’s important to respect your surroundings.
Port Campbell National Park: Shipwrecks And Rock Formations
The fierce Antarctic winds created the huge winter swells, carving the coastline, that I was driving alongside. Known as the ‘shipwrecked coast’ it is thought to have taken over 700 shipwrecks, and only around 240 vessels have been discovered. I drove past the spectacular coastal formations such as, London Bridge, The Grotto, The Arch and the Twelve Apostles.
Surf Fishing Opportunities Abound At Johanna Beach
On our second day of driving, we passed Johanna Beach. It’s well-known to Victorian surfers for being a saviour when the swell starts dropping. The best time of year for surfing Johanna, with consistent clean waves, is during winter and most often in the month of June.
Johanna Beach is also a fantastic surf fishing beach, try your hand at catching mullet or salmon. My partner was interested in collecting fresh bait in the form of beach worms, with no luck. This coast usually picks up a few feet more swell than the Bells area, so if Bells is flat, it can still be up to four-feet at Johanna.
Johanna Beach is an important nesting area for the threatened Hooded Plover. This small bird nests just above the high tide between August and February. If you are walking along the beach, it’s recommended that walking should be done below the high tide mark.
Explore The Historical Cape Otway Lighthouse
We wandered into the station with no expectations and decided to each buy a ticket, costing us around $20 each. The whole experience was worth it, we listened to the history talk and self-guided ourselves through the precinct, walking to the top of the lighthouse.
Lightkeeper’s Café overlooks the Lighthouse and is open to visitors from 10:30am to 4pm, so we stopped in for a quick coffee to warm up. It was a delightful place to visit, everyone was kind and made it a fantastic educational experience.
Rainforest Walks
A must see are the rainforests along the way, Madsen's Track Nature Walk in Melba Gully is a 35-minute loop that takes you through mossy trees and cool fern gullies. We started at the picnic area, following the information signs along the track, and listening to the soothing sounds of Anne's cascade, a 3-metre waterfall. My partner and I really wanted to stay for the glow-worms that light up the night, but we missed out this time.
Maits Rest rainforest walk is just as magical, and we had a look the next day. These rainforests are known as the habitats for the dinosaurs, as footprints were found preserved in rock back in the 1980s, and the towering Myrtle Beech trees could be some 300 years old. We were able to see the inside of the trunk of the Mountain Ash Eucalypti, the world’s tallest flowering trees, as one had fallen. I was in the real-life Jurassic World.
Take A Side Trip For Stunning Waterfalls
We had a bit of a drive from Cape Otway National Park to Lorne, but the waterfalls and coastal stops made it exciting. Carisbrook Falls and Sheoak Falls are just off the road and took around 30 mins each to complete. Erskine Falls in Lorne is one of the many gems to explore, but again we were unable to fit it in. There are so many waterfalls around this Lorne area, and you will feel spoilt for choice.
More Surfing Opportunities At Bells Beach
Bells is well known as the home of surfing in Australia. Surfers are found year-round catching breaks including Winkipop, Southside and Steps. Bells beach was iconic, we started the drive early from Lorne to Torque and drove from our campsite at Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park. Be prepared for ascents and descents and plenty of winding trails, which may involve passing cars with inches to spare. I was honestly exhausted by the time I reached Bells, especially due to my detour to see the famous “Round the Twist” light house - which was worth it. We went back to Bells the next day, having some fish and chips from the local shop and even though the swell was small, there were still heaps of surfers. I could feel the sense of community the famous beach has.
The best time to go camping along the Great Ocean Road
I left for my week-long Great Ocean Road trip in winter, and it turned out to be the perfect time to visit. Crowds were minimal and parking was a breeze. The month of June is an ideal time for surf, with several beaches along the way popular places for surfing or surf fishing.
During the wintertime short-tailed shearwater seabirds and southern right whales are often sighted in the region before they return to their feeding grounds, so it’s the perfect time to travel this beautiful coast.
Thanks for following my journey along the Great Ocean Road. If you’re keen to read more Australian travel blogs have a look at Van Life in Port Lincoln and Van Life in Port Macquarie. For more information about the writer, you can find her at larakittel.com and Instagram.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sleep in my car on the Great Ocean Road?
No - unless you are in a designated camping area. Due to the natural beauty and wildlife habitats found along the Great Ocean Road, camping or sleeping in a car or van is limited to designated campsites, RV parks and caravan parks along the way. This protects the local flora and fauna to ensure the integrity of this stunning coastline. It’s also for your own safety — especially when travelling solo.
Where can I sleep in a van on the Great Ocean Road?
Camping locations where you can park and sleep in a van or caravan include Port Campbell Recreation Reserve, Princetown Recreation Reserve, Johanna Beach Campground, Aire River East and West, Bimbi Park, Blanket Bay Campground, Marengo Holiday Park and many more.
Can you tow a caravan along the Great Ocean Road?
The Great Ocean Road is suitable for towing caravans and driving motorhomes, with care in some sections. There are twists and turns as well as long straight sections of road and a single lane in each direction so take precautions to avoid caravan sway and tow as safely as possible, before you leave home.
