Some journeys are about a single city. The Great Ocean Road is about the space between them — 240-odd kilometres of Victorian coastline where the Southern Ocean throws itself at limestone cliffs, rainforest comes right down to the sand, and every second bend asks you to stop the car again. For travellers flying out of Surat and Ahmedabad, it is the rare foreign holiday where the road itself is the attraction. This guide covers what the drive is actually like, how to reach it from India, whether to self-drive or take a coach tour, and what it realistically costs in rupees.
Why this coast earns the long flight
Australia is a long way from Gujarat, so the question is fair: what makes this stretch different from a hundred other scenic drives? Three things. First, the Twelve Apostles — limestone stacks standing offshore in water that changes colour by the hour, best seen in early morning light before the tour buses arrive. Second, Loch Ard Gorge, a few minutes further west, where a narrow beach sits between sheer cliffs and the story of an 1878 shipwreck is told on the boardwalks above. Third, the sheer variety packed into two days of driving: surf beaches at Torquay, the white Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, tall-tree rainforest in the Otways, and fishing-village calm at Port Campbell and Apollo Bay. It is also a genuinely family-friendly trip — no altitude, no long treks, and something worth looking at from every window seat.
Getting there from India: flights, visa and cover
There are no direct flights from Surat, so the usual routing is a domestic hop to Mumbai or Delhi and then a long-haul to Melbourne via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or a Gulf hub such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. Total travel time typically runs 15–20 hours including the connection, and most itineraries land in Melbourne early in the morning — useful, because it gives you a day to shake off the flight before you touch a steering wheel. Australia requires a visitor visa applied for online in advance; start with our Australia tourist visa requirements page and then work through the step-by-step Australian visitor visa guide for Indian passport holders, which covers funds documentation, the health requirements and realistic processing timelines. Rules and processing times do change, so verify current requirements close to your travel dates or let our visa documentation team in Surat check your file before you submit. Also arrange proper medical cover before departure — Australian healthcare is excellent and expensive, and our travel insurance explainer for Indian travellers walks through what a road-trip policy should include. If the alphabet soup of visa categories is confusing, our note on the different types of visas explained is a good starting point.
Driving it yourself: licence, left-hand roads and honest distances
Good news first: Australia drives on the left, exactly like India, so the basic instinct transfers. Everything else needs care. You will normally need your valid Indian driving licence plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) obtained in India before you leave — rules differ by state and by rental company, and they are updated from time to time, so please verify the current requirement with the rental firm and the Victorian road authority before booking. Vehicles are automatic by default, speed limits are enforced strictly by camera, and the road from Lorne to Apollo Bay is narrow, cliff-hugging and full of blind curves where the posted limit is optimistic. Distances look small on a map and feel long in practice: Melbourne to Port Campbell is roughly 250 km one way, but with stops it is a full day, and the return inland via Colac takes about three hours. Two days beats one, comfortably. If you have never driven abroad, that is not a reason to skip the road — it is a reason to consider the alternative below.
So: coach tour or self-drive? A one-day tour from Melbourne costs less, needs no licence or IDP, and gets you to the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge — but it is a 12–13 hour day, arrives at the main lookouts at the busiest hour, and gives you perhaps fifteen minutes at each stop. A two- or three-day self-drive costs more once you add the car, fuel and two nights of accommodation, but it buys you sunrise at the Apostles, an unhurried lunch at Apollo Bay, and the freedom to pull over whenever the sea does something spectacular. Our honest advice for most families from Gujarat: two nights on the road if anyone in the group is a confident driver; a small-group two-day tour if not. Skip the one-day version unless your Melbourne time is genuinely tight.
The highlights, from the Twelve Apostles in the west back east to Torquay
Reading the route from its western end: Port Campbell National Park holds the headline sights — the Twelve Apostles viewing platforms, Loch Ard Gorge with its staircase down to the beach, the Arch and London Bridge, all within a short drive of each other. Port Campbell village itself is a good, quiet overnight base with a sheltered bay. Heading east, the Otway Ranges turn everything green: tall mountain ash, tree ferns, the Otway Fly treetop walk, and short rainforest walks that feel a world away from the cliffs. Apollo Bay is the natural midpoint — a working fishing town with a broad beach and the best food stop on the road. From there the most dramatic driving section curls east through Kennett River and Lorne to Aireys Inlet, where the 1891 Split Point Lighthouse stands white against the cliffs and a short walk gives you the view in the photograph above. Finally comes the surf coast: Bells Beach, home of Australia's most famous surf competition, and Torquay, where the road officially begins and where most travellers stop for coffee before the last hour back into Melbourne. If Australia and New Zealand are both on your list this year, our New Zealand road-trip guide from India pairs naturally with this one.
Koalas, kangaroos and watching wildlife responsibly
The eucalyptus trees along Kennett River are the most reliable place on the road to spot wild koalas, usually wedged in a fork high above the car park, plus flocks of king parrots and cockatoos. A few ground rules that matter more than most visitors realise: never feed any wildlife, including the birds that will land on your arm expecting bread — human food makes them sick and feeding is discouraged or prohibited in many areas. Keep your distance, use zoom rather than steps, and do not touch or wake a sleeping koala. Kangaroos and wallabies come out to graze at dawn and dusk, exactly when visibility is worst, so drive slowly in those hours, watch the verges, and avoid driving this road at night altogether if you can. Anne Glennie Reserve near Lorne and the Otway forest tracks are also good for birdlife, and Apollo Bay runs seasonal boat trips to a fur seal colony.
When to go, the sunset crowds, and staying safe on the coast
December to February is Australian summer: long daylight, warm evenings, and the busiest roads and hotels. March to May is arguably the sweet spot — mild, clear, fewer people, lower rates. June to August is winter: cold, wet, dramatic seas, and the cheapest prices, but short days that make a two-day drive tighter. September to November brings wildflowers and changeable weather. Whenever you go, pack a windproof jacket — the Southern Ocean is cold in every season. Two honest warnings. First, the Twelve Apostles platforms get genuinely crowded at sunset, with full car parks and queues on the boardwalk; going at sunrise or in the first hour after opening gives you the same view with a fraction of the people. Second, some cliff lookouts and staircases close in high winds, heavy rain or after erosion, sometimes at short notice, so check the Parks Victoria alerts the morning you travel. And the surf coast is beautiful but dangerous — rips are strong, the water is cold, and many beaches are unpatrolled. Swim only at patrolled beaches, between the red and yellow flags, and keep children well back from cliff edges and blowholes.
Food, hotels, rupee budgets and a three-day plan
Eating well is easy and vegetarian and Jain-friendly travellers do fine — Melbourne has excellent Indian restaurants across Footscray, Dandenong and the CBD, and along the road most cafés in Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay list vegetarian and vegan dishes clearly. Outside Melbourne, plan ahead: carry snacks, fruit and instant options, because small coastal towns close their kitchens early and choice narrows after 8pm. For stays, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell are the two most practical overnight bases, with Lorne as a pricier alternative; our hotel booking desk in Surat can hold rooms in advance, which matters in summer and on Australian long weekends. On budget, treat these as approximate ranges and verify current rates before you book: return flights from India to Melbourne roughly ₹55,000–₹1,05,000 depending on season and how early you book; the visitor visa fee in the region of ₹12,000–₹20,000; a small automatic hire car around ₹4,000–₹7,000 per day plus fuel and insurance; two- and three-star coastal hotels roughly ₹8,000–₹16,000 a night; meals ₹1,200–₹3,000 per person per day; and a full-day coach tour from Melbourne broadly ₹9,000–₹15,000 per person. A comfortable three-day plan: Day 1 Melbourne to Torquay and Bells Beach, on through Aireys Inlet and Lorne to a night at Apollo Bay; Day 2 Otway rainforest in the morning, then west to Port Campbell for the Apostles at golden hour and a second night; Day 3 sunrise at Loch Ard Gorge, then the inland route back to Melbourne by early evening. Our flight and fare planning team in Surat can build the international legs around exactly that shape.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive the Great Ocean Road on my Indian licence? Usually you will need your valid Indian licence together with an International Driving Permit issued in India before departure, and rental companies apply their own age and documentation rules on top. Because these requirements are revised periodically, confirm them with both the hire company and the Victorian road authority before you finalise the booking.
How many days do I need? Two nights and three days is the comfortable answer, and two days is workable. A single day from Melbourne is possible only as a long guided tour, and you will see the famous stacks in a rush and little else. Add a further day if you want the Otway rainforest, the treetop walk and unhurried time in Apollo Bay.
Does an Australian visa open up other destinations? In some cases a valid Australian visa can ease entry or transit elsewhere in the region, though conditions vary a great deal by nationality and by country. We cover the current picture in our note on the countries Indians can visit with an Australian visa — treat it as a starting point and verify each destination's rules before you travel.
The Great Ocean Road rewards planning more than most trips: the right season, the right number of nights, the right paperwork sorted well in advance. If you would like us to shape the whole thing — Melbourne flights, visa file, car or coach, and coastal hotels booked in the right towns — talk to our travel team in Surat or browse our Australia and New Zealand holiday packages from Surat. We will build the itinerary around your dates, your budget and your family's pace, and tell you honestly when a plan is too tight.
