If you are heading down the coast to come and experience the Great Ocean Walk, why not stop and visit the Surf Coast Walk on your journey to Apollo Bay? With easy access from the Great Ocean Road this is a perfect way to warm up for your Great Ocean Walk adventure!
The Great Ocean Walk is more remote than the Surf Coast Walk, so you do encounter a lot less people as you hike the Great Ocean Walk trail (making it perfect for a ‘back to nature’ experience – see our Six-Day Great Ocean Walk or even Three-Day Great Ocean Walk options). However, although busier, the Surf Coast Walk still offers the chance to enjoy wonderful ocean vistas, walks along pretty beaches and boardwalks, and maybe even the chance to spot some Australian wildlife. Read on for some Surf Coast Walk tips and highlights, or get in touch for more details on the best way to experience the Great Ocean Walk trail. We have Great Ocean Road guided walking tours and self-guided experiences to suit every type of traveller.
Visitor Centres Along the Great Ocean Road
If you are driving through tourist towns in Australia, one of the best ways to get the most out of your trip is to pop in to the local Information Centres or Visitor Centres. You will always be greeted by friendly locals who know the area well and are happy to offer the best advice on how to get the most out of your visit. In most cases, they will be able to supply maps or leaflets, often free of charge. (However, if you are heading to the Great Ocean Walk, we do recommend you purchase the Official Great Ocean Walk Map or booklet as it contains important safety tips and information (and there is no suitable free map to navigate the Great Ocean Walk trail).
If you are driving into Apollo Bay, you will find the Information Centre opposite the petrol station as you drive into town. However, if you want to explore the Surf Coast Walk first, on the way to the Great Ocean Walk, simply pop into the Torquay Visitor Centre in Surf City Plaza, Beach Road or you can visit the Lorne Visitor Centre, 15 Mountjoy Parade.
Where does the Surf Coast Walk begin and end?
The Surf Coast Walk starts near Torquay, which is 100 km south west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The walk starts at Point Impossible and finishes at Fairhaven.
Traversing along the coast, passing through towns along the way, you will be walking on the traditional lands of the Wadawarrung people. (We acknowledge the Wadawarrung people as the traditional owners of this land and pay respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging.)
You are able to walk between townships, depending on your fitness levels, and some paths are used by cyclists and hikers alike. Or, because you can split the walk up into multiple sections, you can hop out of the car and maybe choose a loop walk back to the car, before driving on to another section.
What Are the Different Sections of the Surf Coast Walk?
The sections of the Surf Coast Walk trail are graded according to difficulty, with Grade 1 being the easiest and Grade 4 the hardest.
If you grab a complimentary map from one of the information/ visitor centres, you will see that the walk has been broken up into 12 unique trails, helping walkers plan their trip according to their fitness levels. Here is a quick summary of each of the different walking sections on the Surf Coast Walk:
1. Point Impossible to Yellow Bluff (Grade 2) is approximately 5.7 km, mostly on a flat path with no steps. See sand dunes and coastal vegetation. Bikes are permitted.
2. Yellow Bluff to Point Danger (Grade 1) is approximately 1.6kms, mostly flat with no steps and a concrete path. Enjoy a stroll along the Torquay promenade. Bikes are permitted. Wheelchair friendly.
3. Point Danger to Bird Rock (Grade 2) is approximately 3.3 km. It is mostly flat, but there are steps and some sandy sections. Enjoy the sheltered beaches and watch surfers in action. Bikes are permitted.
4. Bird Rock to Bells Beach (Grade 2) is approximately 3.2 km, with some small hills but no steps. Enjoy wonderful views of Bells Beach, one of the most famous surf breaks in the world. Bikes are permitted.
5. Bells Beach to Point Addis (Grade 3) is approximately 8.2kms, with some steep hills, steps and sandy sections. The terrain changes as the trail winds into the forest past fern trees and wildflowers.
6. Point Addis to Anglesea (Grade 3) is approximately 7.3 km, with some beach walking, rugged tracks, and steep hills. Enjoy cliff top views and walk through the heathland, and look out for kangaroos!
7. Anglesea Riverbanks to Anglesea Visitor Centre (Grade 1) is approximately 1.6kms, flat easy walking, and offers access to where you can choose to hire paddleboats and canoes or stop and have a BBQ. Wheelchair friendly.
8. Anglesea to Point Roadknight (Grade 2) is approximately 3.1km, with good tracks and no steps. You can look back over Anglesea, which offers a great view and is worth the walk. Bikes are permitted.
9. Point Roadknight to Urguhart Bluff (Grade 3) is approximately 4.5 km, but be ready for some beach walking. It is best to check for a low tide first before you set out.
10. Urguhart Bluff to Sunnymead (Grade 4) is approximately 3kms along a rough track with rugged steps and also some beach walking. Here you can discover sections of the original Great Ocean Road. (This is one of the harder sections of the walk).
11. Sunnymead to Airey’s Lighthouse (Grade 2) is approximately 2.8kms, with no steps but a narrow track with small hills. Enjoy the beach, great views, the coastal bush and Airey’s Inlet township.
12. Airey’s Lighthouse to Fairhaven (Grade 2) is approximately 2.1kms, with small hills and only a few steps. Here you can discover the Lighthouse Discovery Trail and viewing platforms.
Safety Tips to Keep in Mind Whilst on the Surf Coast Walk
- Bikes are permitted on several of the Surf Coast Walk tracks, which are clearly marked. However, remember to make a note of this before you start walking so that you are prepared to share the trail where required.
- If you are not a very fit walker, remember to choose the tracks that are graded as a 1 or 2 (grade 4 being the most difficult). Any tracks described as rugged will be more difficult to navigate.
- Be prepared! Ensure you dress appropriately for all kinds of weather i.e. for hot sun (layers of clothing and a hat are recommended) and possibly cold winds and rain (a raincoat is always very useful when heading to the Otways!).
- Always carry a mobile phone. Coverage may vary, but similarly to the Great Ocean Walk, we have found Telstra mobiles to tend to offer the best overall service. However, please note that mobile reception can still be patchy in some areas.
- Dogs are welcome on the some of the Surf Coast Walk tracks, but you do need to check the surfcoast.gov.au website for regulations. (Please note that dogs are not permitted on the Great Ocean Walk due to the danger posed to indigenous wildlife).
- If you need a track that’s accessible for a wheelchair, only the concrete paths in central Torquay and Anglesea are suitable, but some grade 2 tracks are flat, so check this out in advance on the Surf Coast Walk website or ask at the Informations Centres.
- Remember that you need to call 000 in Australia for emergency assistance and make sure you are aware if it is a code red day i.e. total fire bands are in place. You can check the Victorian bushfire information line on 1800 24667.
How to Get to the Surf Coast Walk Tracks
If you’re travelling by car, it is approximately a 75-minute drive from Melbourne to Torquay via the Geelong Ring Road. You may also prefer to use the VLine Coach Service, which operates daily from Geelong, stopping at Torquay, Anglesea, Aries Inlet, Fairhaven, Lorne (and on to Apollo Bay for the Great Ocean Walk).
The Highlights of the Surf Coast Walk
Although we believe that you just can’t compete with the magnificent lookouts on the Great Ocean Walk, the Surf Coast Walk does have some wonderful views of its own to boast about.
Some of the best lookouts found along the way are at Point Danger, Bird Rock, Point Addis, Anglesea Cliffs, and the Aries Lighthouse.
As found on the Great Ocean Walk, there are plenty of wildflowers to see, especially in spring. Look out for wild orchids, flowering shrubs, native grasses and lots of forest species. To help protect the local flora, please make sure you stay on the tracks provided as the coastal vegetation is fragile, and remember, picking native wildlife flowers is illegal!
A highlight for those interested in surfing is a visit to Bell’s Beach. Bells Beach is a world-renowned break for the Ripcurl Pro and other surfing competitions. These tend to run over the Easter period if you want to try and spot some surfing legends! (If you’re passionate about surfing, we recommend reading our Where to Surf Along the Great Ocean Road blog.)
National Marine Parks on the Surf Coast Walk
Covering 103,000 ha, the Great Otway National Park encompasses the Surf Coast Walk and the Great Ocean Walk. However, in the Surf Coast region, the most significant are the Point Danger Marine Sanctuary, Point Marine National Park, and Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary. In the winter months, look out for whale sightings, such as the Southern Right Whale. For information on whale sightings, check out Great Ocean Road Whale Watching.
Book Your Great Ocean Road Walking Holiday…
There is so much to enjoy an experience on your journey from Melbourne to the Great Walk, so make sure you leave enough time to relax, enjoy, and truly soak in this magnificent Australian coastline for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
And, if you do need any further information on navigating the Great Ocean Walk, please get in touch. Before you go, explore our Best-Selling Great Ocean Walk Tours and Guided Tours of the Great Ocean Walk.
