Great Ocean Road - Spring Cycle Tour

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Melbourne (transfer to Childers Cove) cycle to Port Campbell

   Your four day Great Ocean Road Bicycle Tour starts at Southern Cross Station at approximately 6:30am – bikes and luggage will be loaded into the vehicles and set off by vehicle transfer to Childers Cove, arriving early aftternoon. Before you know it you will be cycling the world-famous Great Ocean Road.
   

   The grandeur of the Bay of Islands is stunning with sheer cliffs of limestone and rolling surf that will awaken your senses and fill you with exhilaration as you ride the scenic 40km (25mi) to Port Campbell in the heart of this shipwreck coast. Tonight you will all enjoy an evening meal together so that you can get to know the group as you absorb the magnificent sea views and sunset.

   
   

   • 24.9 miles
   • Lodgings in Port Campbell
   • Lunch and Dinner
2. Day 2Port Campbell to Apollo Bay

   Leaving Port Campbell early, you rise above the cliffs to the unforgettable view and golden colors of Loch Ard Gorge and then the legendary Twelve Apostles Marine National Park. This is truly one of the most iconic locations in Australia and you will have plenty of time for a photo in front of the famous rocks before you pedal on past Princetown where the road leaves the coast for a while, cutting across the southern tip of land, Cape Otway.

   As you leave the ocean you begin climbing through the forest to the renowned Lavers Hill, deep in the Otway Ranges. This hill is a challenge for most riders and it is your choice to ride it, try it, or hop in the bus. Lunch at the top of Lavers Hill is a good refuelling stop with a few more ups and downs to come after lunch. The roller-coaster ride on today’s route will allow you magnificent views of the ocean before descending into Apollo Bay – a hub of activity on the coast known for its great seafood, surrounded by tranquil beaches, rolling green hills and the Great Otway National Park.

   
   

   • 59.7 miles
   • Lodgings in Apollo Bay
   • Breakfast and Lunch
3. Day 3Apollo Bay to Queenscliff

   This is it! The last stretch of the Great Ocean Road is squeezed between massive vertical cliffs and thunderous waves. An early morning start awakens your senses as the wild seas smash against the rocks below. Today is the longest day on the tour so get into your rhythm and keep pushing as you take it all in; the hang gliders overhead, breathtaking views all around, and koalas making their home in the gum trees around here (sometimes crossing the road for a new tree and a better view). This is a very exciting ride as you climb up and down around the cliff faces, marvelling at the scenery, punctuated by inlets and villages like Lorne, Anglesea, then our lunch stop Torquay (90km). Torquay is the official end of the Great Ocean Road – congratulations!

   After lunch in Torquay, you can hop in our support bus and skip the last 40km (24mi) to Queenscliff, or if you still have the legs, the route takes you through Ocean Grove before passing Point Lonsdale where you can view the dramatic scenery from high points along the ocean foreshore overlooking The Rip. This notorious ship entrance to Port Phillip Bay, where ocean and bay waters collide through a kilometre-wide channel, creates one of the world’s most dangerous stretches of water.

   You will finish the day in Queenscliff, a charming and cosy historic seaside village on the Bellarine Peninsula, with its elegant Victorian-era hotels, stately churches and quaint fishermen’s cottages situated on the mouth of Port Phillip Bay. Tonight you will get together to celebrate your journey along the Great Ocean Road, enjoying some laughs, stories and a nice dinner and drinks before heading to bed ready for your final day to Melbourne tomorrow.
   

   • 57.2 - 81.4 miles
   • Lodgings in Queenscliff
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
4. Day 4Queenscliff (ferry to Sorrento) to Melbourne

   Today is the day where the small riding group becomes thousands! Starting with an early morning ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento, you will ride the hugely popular eastern side of Port Phillip Bay on the last 100km (62mi) push to Melbourne as a part of the world-renowned Around the Bay event (optional). On the final stretch along Beach Road, you will be absorbed into Melbourne’s thriving cycling culture as scores of eager riders take part in this truly impressive event, stopping for famous Melbourne coffees, meeting new people and chatting to each other about all things cycling. Take it all in riding on your own or jump on the end of a peloton and hang on. Either way, it’s a great ride into Melbourne where you will finish at Albert Park Lake right on the F1 Grand Prix race circuit. Congratulations – what a ride!
   

   • 62.1 miles
   • Breakfast and Lunch