Visitor Information, Museums, History and Heritage, Pennyroyal Valley, Great Ocean Road and Region, Victoria, Australia

Visitor information

Visitor Information Centres

The Great Ocean Road has several local accredited Visitor Information Centres. Drop in or call for more information on the region and help with planning your holiday.

	Geelong and Great Ocean Road Princes Hwy Little River, Victoria 3211 Phone (toll free): 1800 620 888 Ph: +61 3 5283 1735 Fax: +61 3 5223 2069
	Geelong 26 Moorabool St Geelong, Victoria 3220 Phone (toll free): 1800 620 888 Ph: +61 3 5222 2900 Fax: +61 3 5223 2069
	Apollo Bay 100 Great Ocean Road Apollo Bay, Victoria 3233 Ph: +61 3 5237 6529 Fax: +61 3 5237 6194
	Colac Cnr Queen & Murray Sts Colac, Victoria 3250 Ph: 1300 689 297 Fax: +61 3 5232 2764
	Lorne 15 Mountjoy Pde Lorne, Victoria 3232 Ph: +61 3 5289 1152 Fax: +61 3 5289 2492
	Queenscliff 55 Hesse St Queenscliff, Victoria 3225 Ph: +61 3 5258 4843 Fax: +61 3 5258 3726
	Torquay Surf City Plaza Torquay, Victoria 3228 Ph: +61 3 5261 4219 Fax: +61 3 5261 4756

Look for the sign. Offices are open 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week.

When in Melbourne...

If you're in Melbourne we suggest you visit the Visitor Information Centre at Federation Square.

Situated on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets, directly across from Flinders Street train station and its tram interchanges, the Visitor Centre is a one-stop shop for discovering what Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road have to offer visitors.

Open: 9am to 6pm, 7 days a week
Ph: +61 3 9658 9658

Highlights

Lorne

Lorne Heritage Buildings

The Grand Pacific Hotel The Grand Pacific Hotel was built in the 1870’s as one of the first hotels along the Great Ocean Road. Victoria's Lieutenant-Governor declared the Great Ocean Road officially open at a ceremony near Lorne's Grand Pacific Hotel, the site where the project's first survey peg had also been hammered into the ground 14 years before. The Pier became a new focal point for the town’s people, especially after 1879 when Henry Gwynne built the impressive three-storey Grand Pacific Hotel. Henry Gwynne suffered a serious blow-out of costs during construction and the estimated $12,000 ended up costing $24,000. Opening day for the hotel was January 1880, and Cobb and Co Coaches provided a special express service for early guests. Originally it was accessed only by sea with superb views in one of the most unique settings on the coast, opposite the Lorne pier. It has been fully restored and now offers all modern services in a classic restored building. Erskine House Erskine House is of significant historical importance as the oldest guesthouse in Victoria and has been in continuous operation for 136 years. These days, the guesthouse is under redevelopment and is now known as Mantra Erskine on the Beach. Cora Lynn Lorne had two hotels and fifteen guesthouses in its heyday. The Cora Lynn was one of the last early guesthouses still to be seen after crossing the bridge. During 1998 the former Cora Lynn guest house was developed into 26 units. The two large statues are named Cora and Lynn. These statues were made by Graeme Wilkie from Qdos. The name Cora-Lynn came from a gentlemen by the name of “Hunt” who had a property in Deans Marsh named Cora-Lynn.

Lorne

Lorne History

The Surf Coast has a long Koori history with various Wathaurong tribe clans living in the area for tens of thousands of years. White settlement began in the mid-1800s and soon overwhelmed the indigenous population. Commercial and agricultural pursuits helped establish settlements along the coast, including Lorne, and inland. A brief history Prior to European settlement, the area was occupied by the Kolakngat Aborigines. Lorne is situated on a bay named after Captain Louttit, who sought shelter there in 1841 while supervising the retrieval of cargo from a nearby shipwreck. The coast was surveyed five years later in 1846. The first European settler was William Lindsay, a timber-cutter who began felling the area in 1849. The first telegraph arrived in 1859. Subdivision began in 1869 and in 1871 the town was named after the Marquis of Lorne from Argyleshire in Scotland on the occasion of his marriage to one of Queen Victoria's daughters. Rudyard Kipling In 1891 the area was visited by Rudyard Kipling who was inspired to write the poem Flowers, which included the line:"Buy my hot-wood clematis, Buy a frond of fern, Gathered where the Erskine leaps Down the road to Lorne." Kipling was one of the most popular writers in English, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India, and best known today for his children's books The Great Ocean Road connection By 1922 the Great Ocean Road was extended to Lorne, making the town much more accessible. The first passenger service to Geelong was established in 1924 and guesthouses began to appear after 1930. The Great Ocean Road which stretches along the South Eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Geelong, Lorne and Warrnambool is the world's biggest war memorial. It was built between World War I and World War II by returned servicemen in honour of their fallen comrades. The road took 16 years to build and it was all done by hand using picks, shovels and dynamite.

Packages & Offers

See, Do, Stay & Save

Welcome to goTravlr, your passport to great deals in Geelong, the Bellarine and the Great Ocean Road.

BIG 4 Beacon Resort Blues Train Package

A unique musical experience! Toe tapping entertainment, a cool drink and a good laugh. Rock your stay in Queenscliff with Blues Train tickets and award winning accommodation at BIG4 Beacon Resort.

Seahaven Village - Taste of The Bellarine $495

Relax at stunning Barwon Heads Friday and Saturday night in a cosy 4.5 star one bedroom spa suite.

Barwon Heads Golf Club Winter Escape

$240 per couple per night

Wyndham Resort Torquay Couples Spa Indulge Package

$379 per night (Double or Twin share)

Geelong Riverview Tourist Park Summer Special

15% discount per night

Museums, History and Heritage

Stay Connected