We’ve just returned from a fabulous coast-to-coast trip of Victoria, and we’d like to share with you some simply amazing Great Ocean Road scenic sights and astounding accommodation finds you really shouldn’t miss!

We’ll list them in the order in which we stayed at them, because if we had to pick a favourite – well, we simply couldn’t do it!

Here are our picks of where to stay on the Australian Great Ocean Road…

No time to read? Just watch the video…

No.1 – Cumberland Lorne Resort

2 hrs drive from Melbourne

The Cumberland Lorne Resort is the best located hotel in Lorne. It’s situated directly opposite gorgeous Lorne Beach and right upstairs from bakeries, eateries and shops. This means you don’t have to drive or park to get to all those lovely Lorne boutiques, cafes and restaurants!

The resort features huge apartments – many of them with stunning ocean views. They are fully serviced and fitted out, with open-plan living areas, full kitchens, a laundry and big, comfortable bedrooms. Here, the family can spread out in comfort without having to worry about spending the holidays living on top of one another!

Amenities on site include an underground car park, gardens, barbeques,  a (beautifully warm – bliss!) heated indoor swimming pool and tennis court.

These apartments are ideal for both short or longer holiday stays. Suited for singles, couples or large families, the Cumberland Lorne Resort is a great place to settle in and relax, and explore the nearby sights.

Prices

Apartments start from $207 per night

Take a look for yourself – watch our apartment walk-through

Learn more or book at the official Cumberland Lorne Resort website here

Things to do near here

Visit Lorne Beach (1 minute walk, lifesaver-patrolled family beach), Teddy’s Lookout (2 minutes drive), Lorne Pier (2 mins drive), Live Wire tree climbing and zip lining (7 mins drive) and (Erskine Falls (15 mins drive).

While in Lorne, you might like to try…

Feel like climbing  through the trees? How about Australia’s newest and highest zipline? Watch our fun day out at the fun new Lorne family attraction, Live Wire Park

No. 2 – Cape Otway Lighthouse

1 hr 20 mins drive from Lorne
3 hrs drive from Melbourne
1hr 14 mins drive to the Twelve Apostles

It would be difficult to find a more historic, unique place to stay along the Great Ocean Road, than Cape Otway Lighthouse, or Lightstation, as it is more formally known. So historic, that it is even known for its ghost in residence!

Accommodation consists of the haunted Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage (we had our own rather strange happenings here, both times we stayed!), which is a delight to stay in. A very large period house, the cottage is located at the end of the Lighthouse footpath which can sleep up to ten people easily. The big kitchen is set up to cater for many, as is the large dining room, living room and bedrooms with doubles and bunk beds. In winter, a wood fire and electric bedroom column heaters keep things nice and cosy.

During opening hours wifi is available in the café, along with yummy cooked meals, coffee and souvenirs. Be prepared to manage without the internet or even your mobile phone after hours, however there are some big advantages to this escape from the attention-seeking modern world. With no calls from work or text messages from friends, you can really relax together and perhaps play a board game or watch a DVD together. Or you can simply curl up in front of the fire with a shipwreck book from the cottages shelves – the choice is yours!

If you are really desperate, you can wander down to the Lighthouse where you may get a weak mobile phone signal.

At the end of the day, it’s the sheer isolation of this unique accommodation choice which makes the Cape Otway Lightstation totally unique. With little more than a handful of guests or perhaps a resident scientist staying on site after hours, you’ll find yourselves masters of your domain. It’s great fun to have free-run of the vast grounds of historical buildings, lookouts, rolling parklands and of course that amazing lighthouse!

Prices

Quoted upon enquiry

Learn more or book at the official Cape Otway Lightstation website here

Things to do near here

There is little reason to leave Cape Otway during your stay, as there is plenty to do and see! There are several historically significant buildings to explore. The most famous of course is the Cape Otway Lighthouse, which you can climb during opening hours. Be sure to visit the Aboriginal bush tucker hut and talks, whale art installations, World War 2 bunker, Telegraph building and more – and it’s all free with the price of your accommodation!

Don’t forget to keep your eyes open for the numerous members of the local koala population in the Otway National Park forest too, which you have to drive through to reach Cape Otway. Just watch out for the haphazardly pulled-over cars and people staring and pointing upwards!

Take a look for yourself – watch our tour of the Cape Otway Lightstation and attractions

No. 3 – Port Fairy Horizons Beach House apartments

3 hrs 20 mins direct drive from Melbourne

2 hrs 30 mins from Cape Otway

Whilst no longer strictly part of the Great Ocean Road which ends at nearby Warrnambool, the historic town of Port Fairy is a Victorian coast highlight which is far too good to miss. An absolute feast of natural beauty, Port Fairy is steeped in coastal Victorian history and it’s streets are lined with a plethora of beautiful old buildings.

Located just about as close as you can be to the incredible expanse of Port Fairy Easts Beach you’ll find the indulgent Horizons apartment. This beach house has been split into two gorgeous accommodation options – one upstairs (the Penthouse), and one down (Horizons). Both are big enough to sleep families of up to six people. These beautifully modern apartments are a deluxe way to enjoy this stunning part of the world in comfort, but without the massive price tag.

Panoramic ocean view windows along the entire front, huge open living areas and bedrooms with elegant furnishings make for a very pleasant stay. There is a full kitchen with everything you could ever need, a separate laundry, ensuite and bathroom. With room to move and the beach literally a stone’s throw away across a single lane access road, the whole family is going to adore staying at Horizons.

Prices

From $350 per night for 2 x adults, 2 x children

Take a look for yourself – watch our water front apartment walk-through

Learn more or book at the official website here

Things to do near here

Visit Port Fairy Beach (across the road), Port Fairy’s historical town and buildings (2 mins drive), Griffiths Island & lighthouse (3 mins drive), Tower Hill reserve (20 mins drive), Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (30 mins drive)

While in Port Fairy, you might like to try…

Just thirty minutes drive away at Warrnambool you’ll find the fantastic historical replica maritime village of Flagstaff Hill (don’t miss the light show!). Take a look at Flagstaff Hill in this video we made during our visit.

Have you ever visited the Great Ocean Road, or do you plan to go one day? Perhaps you have your own suggestions? Tell us in the comments below…

All driving times are approximate and do not include breaks. All information is correct as at July 2018, but prices can fluctuate – check supplied website links for any price and availability changes.
Let’s go Mum were hosted guests at all of the above hotels and paid activities, however all opinions remain firmly our own.

The post Great Ocean Road unique family accommodation stays appeared first on Let's go Mum.

Lorne is a great place to stay a while on the Great Ocean Road. It is a beautiful location, with a huge, stunning beach and lots of things to do with the children. It also has all the essentials a traveller needs, and is reasonably well serviced with a petrol station, mechanic, hairdresser and supermarket, and of course numerous fashion and tourist shops and cafes.

Lorne gives off a bit of a surfie-hippie vibe, as all good coastal towns should! A little farther on from the main street, up the hill and around the bend is a massive Grand Pacific old-fashioned hotel, overlooking the ocean and the Lorne Pier which extends right out into the sea. Here pedestrians are welcome to stroll to the end on it’s wide concrete walkway (no side barriers in some places, so take care with toddlers!) and we had the delight of watching a wild a seal frolicking about and eating fish thrown to it in the deep water at the very end!

The Cumberland Lorne Resort where we stayed in Lorne is a group of accommodation blocks, some privately owned, run by a central Reception office.

Reception does close between 7pm and 9pm on weekends, however we did get caught out with the reception closing ten minutes early, and also on another occasion the swipe door from the Plaza  locking off at least 15 minutes earlier than 9pm, so just be forwarned on those points, and don’t leave things until closing time!

One of the major features of the resort is its large heated indoor pool. There is an attached spa, baby pool, sauna and a reasonably-sized gymnasium – all of which is accessible using your room key-card up until 9pm (towels are supplied at Reception). There’s also a large games room area with pool tables, etc. – great for families with teenagers.

The Cumberland Lorne Resort is conveniently located at the very end of the Lorne main street. The complex has direct access to the main road and Plaza below by a stair case, or a steep-ish footpath from the side entrance. The handicapped may possibly find this hotel’s access to the Plaza and main road below a little challenging by anything other than car.

The Plaza and main road contain lots of takeaways which is great if you don’t want to cook your own meals, however the very well-outfitted apartment kitchen means you can self-cater to save some money on your stay – always a good family option!  Remember that you are on holiday though – it would be a shame not to utilise at least a couple of the local eateries during your stay, and then just stroll back home to your apartment – no washing up!

Traveller Tip! The Cumberland Lorne Resort is just across the road from the Lorne Hotel, which can get a little noisy with pub bands and dance music on the weekends, so it’s best to avoid staying at that end of the resort if you don’t like pub music keeping the baby or toddlers up!

Parking is free and undercover, and there are lifts up to each accommodation block, which are named after famous shipwrecks – after all, Lorne is situated on the Victorian Shipwreck Coast! Our apartment block was named after the 1932 shipwreck of the steamer “Casino”, which resulted in the loss of ten lives at nearby Apollo Bay.

Apartments are modern split-level townhouse-style accommodation, accessed with a key-card, and vary from non-ocean (garden) views right up to Penthouse two story apartments (two balconies). There are some great one and two bedroom ocean view apartments are available, and this is what we stayed in.

Looking across the main street through the pines to the beach, you may even get some resident Cockatoos perching on your balcony, who you are not supposed to feed. (Okay, we may have fed them just the once – we suffer from missing our pets badly whenever we travel, and end up trying to pet any animal that stays still long enough!)

The split-level (just three or four steps) apartments themselves are open-plan, modern and nicely furnished. They are well fitted-out with excellent appliances. Ours had a modern kitchen with a dishwasher, microwave, large fridge, all pots pans and cutlery and toaster.

The bathroom had nice toiletries, a Jacuzzi spa bath (with a large window through to the lounge) and hairdryer, and within the bathroom area there was also a washing machine and dryer, with an ironing board and iron in the hall cupboard. The lounge had a large flat screen with some basic cable TV channels and local digital channels. The master bedroom had built-in wardrobes.

Our apartment configuration was a large one bedroom with a queen bed and built-in wardrobes, and there was a fold out queen bed in the lounge area. The kids and I often end up piling in one bed together, and as this was a good-quality fold out, it was large and comfortable.

Rates at the Cumberland Lorne Resort are variable – definitely cheaper on Sundays and early in the week outside of school holidays, so book your accommodation during those times if you have the option – and ask for the best rate with Reception too – more than one night may well be cheaper!

So, the big question – would we stay at the Cumberland Lorne Resort again?

Yes, we definitely would. It’s a great Lorne accommodation option for families. The location was a real winner with that lovely view, across the road from the park, playgrounds and the beach, plus the indoor pool and large apartment with excellent facilities meant our stay was hassle-free and enjoyable.

You can read about what we did I Lorne on our road trip here, and  read all of the Let’s Go Mum! Victorian road trip blogs as we meander along the Shipwreck Coast of the Victorian Southern Ocean here.

Have you stayed in Lorne? Did you like it? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Cumberland Lorne Resort Review appeared first on Let's go Mum.

What an exciting day we’ve had today! We set out from Lorne this morning, dropping in to walk on the giant pier on the outskirts of Lorne before we left. The idea was just to snap a pic or two of the period Grand Pacific Hotel opposite and then walk to the end of the pier and back, but when we got to the end we had quite a surprise – there was a seal flipping about in the water! Needless to say we were thrilled to see such a big beautiful fellow enjoying himself in the Southern Ocean! A couple of other entranced tourists were there too, throwing in some bait fish for him to eat – which of course he did!

Onward we went, straight into the curves, bends and astounding views of the Great Ocean Road. Vantage point after vantage point – it was slow progress, as there was so many amazing views – each vista better than the last. After about half an hour on a low stretch of the road, we saw a Historical event sign. We pulled over to look and find a grave on the roadside – it was a memorial to two salvage-men who had drowned following a shipwreck. A nearby sign advised us that at low tide you could still see the winch or anchor – we eagerly scanned the shore-side waves and – spotted it! The top of the anchor of that old shipwreck, the WB Godfrey – we were all in awe of what must have been a frightful event. If you look carefully at this pic, you’ll see what we spotted…

Back on the road, we eventually drove into Apollo Bay, a small seaside village. From Lorne, even with our frequent stops it wouldn’t have been longer than an hour or so. In Apollo Bay you’ll find two small supermarkets and a petrol station, so the basics are covered. There’s also several boutique-y type shops, surf shops and cafes.

We decided to have lunch here, and enjoyed some delicious fish-and-chips, pancakes, pasta and chips from “Café 153”. The girls also seem to be developing a rather expensive Spider (lemonade and icecream drink) habit now – it’s going to be hard to kick that one when we get home! Best of all, this café sports a kids toy corner – so the kids are happy mucking around there until their meal arrives (rather than fifteen minutes of “where’s the food?”!)

We didn’t linger over lunch too long, because we were all excited about our next stop for the night – the Cape Otway Lighthouse! We were booked to stay at the Head Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, and so we were most eager to get there! An easy 30 minutes or so later, we turned onto the Otway peninsula road.

A few kilometres in we noticed a car pulled over and people pointing up at the trees – could it be – a koala? As bold as you like, there he sat – a plump grey bundle of fur, wryly watching us with one eye. He was sat on a branch that overhung the road – it certainly seemed as though Koalas weren’t too bothered by cars!

We pulled over and all tumbled out of the car to see him. A koala in the wild – there’s just something so amazing about that! All four of us were absolutely thrilled at such an experience. And he wasn’t the only one – we were to see two more koalas on roadside trees as we made our way to Cape Otway. This was indeed a very special forest in a unique part of the world, and if koala’s are your thing, this is the place to be. A peaceful, magical koala forest.

When we finally tore ourselves away from the koalas, we arrived at the Cape Otway Lightstation. What an amazing tourist destination this precinct is. Entry is through the souvenir shop – you’re going to need some time to check this shop out, as it’s jam-packed full of interesting souvenirs and everything-shipwreck! Here you can pay your admission (adults $19.50, concession $17.50, child $7.50) into the Precinct which covers all of the attractions inside, including the lighthouse, and helps to preserve it all.

As we were staying there the night, we set about settling into the Head Lightkeeper’s House house before going out for an evening walk. You can read our full review of the amazing Cape Otway Head Lightkeeper’s House accommodation here.

At 5 oclock the Cape Otway Lightstation Precinct closes to the public, and if you are staying in accommodation on site, you basically have the whole place to yourself – this is such a great bonus!

First we went for a walk to the Aboriginal Cultural area, discovering shelters, sculptures and atefact displays along the way. There is a 1km loop trail which is just the right length for a nice stroll – or for the kids to race excitedly along, which was pretty-much us! There are some great ocean vantage points along the way too, and best of all we had this charming little forest all to ourselves. I made a mental note to make sure we came back tomorrow when there was an indigenous guide.

We completed the day with an evening walk down to the now-closed lighthouse for some scenic coastal photographs, and to just wonder at the size and splendor of it – just beautiful.

We headed back to our gorgeous accommodation, ate up a yummy Cafe dinner we had arranged earlier, and settled down for a peaceful night. We’ll explore the Cape Otway Lightstation Precinct thoroughly tomorrow.

Today’s route…

You can read our Road Trip! daily posts here:

Read the Road Trip! Day 1 blog here  -Canberra to Gundagai to Wangaratta
Read the Road Trip! Day 2 blog here – Wangaratta to Glenrowan to Aireys Inlet
Read the Road Trip! Day 3 blog here – Aireys Inlet to Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 4 blog here – Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 5 blog here – Lorne to Apollo Bay to Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 6 blog here – Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 7 blog here – Cape Otway to 12 Apostles to Port Campbell
Read the Road Trip! Day 8 blog here – Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 9 blog here – Hearn’s Beach & Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 10 blog here – Port Fairy to Warrnambool to Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 11 blog here – Sovereign Hill gold mining village, Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 12 blog here – Ballarat and the road home…

Tomorrow we will be spending another night at the fabulous Cape Otway Lightstation…we’ll check in with you then!

Have you travelled (or want to) travel to Lorne,  Cape Otway or along the Great Ocean Road with your family? Comment here!

The post Road Trip! Day 5 – Lorne – Apollo Bay – Cape Otway appeared first on Let's go Mum.

Ah, a nice relaxing day again – no driving. Only problem was, the weather was cold and rainy! Oh well, you can’t win them all…

On the bright side, the weather was an excellent excuse for wandering along the shops – and grabbing a yummy, laid-back lunch!

The shops in Lorne are an eclectic mix. Most of the clothes shops are surf shops or over-priced designer clothes. Some were really nice – others had you scratching your head at the price tag. It was fun to just take the time to browse though – even though the kids were bored silly, I figure they owed me just a little down-time!

We stopped at the Kaos Juice Bar for lunch. The prices were a little hefty (average $20 for a main), however the food was heavenly, and even the kids voted their approval when they received their Spider drinks – fizzy drink over ice cream – mmmm!

How’s this for innovation? A board full of powerpoints and computer and phone charger cables for Kafe Kaos’s patrons – the local electrician knocked it up for them apparently – very clever!

After lunch, my mum went back to the hotel room to sit on the balcony and enjoy the view while the kids dragged me to the beach in near arctic conditions to try out their newly-purchased buckets and spades. For the next couple of hours they built sand castles and squealed in the freezing-cold surf.

Finally I talked them into leaving, and after showering off what appeared to be a truck-load of sand from them, we headed for the hotel heated pool and Jacuzzi. Even I agreed to swim here, as it was toasty – just my cup-a-tea!

We got dinner from the same place as yesterday, Andrew’s Chicken shop, as the food was great, and I didn’t have to walk far to go and get it! A band was blaring nearby at the Lorne Hotel, and this went until late evening – clearly, Lorne parties hard, even on a Sunday night!

We gobbled up our assorted dinners of fish and chips and pizza, and after a little school work the kids were tuckered out and fell into bed – which is exactly where I am headed now – I have all that packing and loading the car to do before 10am again tomorrow – goodnight! ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Today’s route…a rest day in Lorne!

You can read our Road Trip! daily posts here:

Read the Road Trip! Day 1 blog here  -Canberra to Gundagai to Wangaratta
Read the Road Trip! Day 2 blog here – Wangaratta to Glenrowan to Aireys Inlet
Read the Road Trip! Day 3 blog here – Aireys Inlet to Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 4 blog here – Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 5 blog here – Lorne to Apollo Bay to Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 6 blog here – Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 7 blog here – Cape Otway to 12 Apostles to Port Campbell
Read the Road Trip! Day 8 blog here – Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 9 blog here – Hearn’s Beach & Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 10 blog here – Port Fairy to Warrnambool to Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 11 blog here – Sovereign Hill gold mining village, Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 12 blog here – Ballarat and the road home…

Tomorrow we will be heading off towards Apollo Bay and Port Campbell to the 12 Apostles area…we’ll check in with you then!

Have you travelled (or want to) travel to Lorne, or along the Great Ocean Road with your family? Comment here!

The post Road Trip! Day 4 – Lorne appeared first on Let's go Mum.

We did a grand total of 19kms today – we hit a town we just had to stop at – Lorne, Victoria!

We left the Lightkeeper Motel at Aireys Inlet and visited the nearby lighthouse before moving on. Seeing a lighthouse close-up is always fascinating, and this one was a beauty. Stark white, tall and

beautiful, it made for some great photos. The kids thought it looked like something straight out of an adventure story, and the coastal vistas from the wooden viewing platforms next to it were to die for!

We then drove on down the Great Ocean Road, stopping at a couple of scenic spots, as they were just too spectacular not too! The Memorial Arch is that iconic wooden-log arch way with “The Great Ocean Road” etched into it. The road itself is a memorial to the Victorian 1st World War solidiers – and was actually built by returning soldiers as a work project.

There are many beautifully situated houses built into the cliffs overlooking the road – here’s one of the more memorable ones – and quite the engineering feat! This pole house is available to stay out, however it’s for couples only 🙁

Big Hill is a high vantage point that you can pull off the road at to take a panoramic shot of the ocean – just magnificent! Another tourist pulled up and stepped over the guard rail to take a photo that probably would have been just as effective from the roadside – we all looked on from inside our car in horror that he might slip and fall! There always has to be one…

After a windy, picturesque drive we pulled into Lorne within just 20 minutes or so – a lovely seaside town with a long, stunning beach. There is a string of boutiques, cafes and surf shops along the front, and opposite the shops is a children’s paradise, with not only the beach on offer, but also an outdoor trampoline park and supervised high-climbing frame – in addition to the obligatory council children’s playground, which is actually a great one too – a mock-up wharf, complete with boat! We all voted to stop at Lorne for at least one night even though we’d only driven a few kilometres that morning.

We headed into “the bottle of milk” café so that I could jump onto my laptop and search for a nice ocean view room or apartment for the night – no easy task on a Saturday when the place swells with weekend Melbourne visitors. After about half an hour of Google-ing I found the perfect thing – the Cumberland Lorne Resort – a spacious apartment complex located at the end of the main street. It ticked the box of extensive ocean views and had the bonus of all the creature comforts for a great price of only $255 – that’s not bad for this area on a weekend where many apartments are topping the $400-a-night mark.

We checked in and were delighted to find a large and luxurious apartment, complete with washing machine and dryer (oh joy – how my priorities have changed since becoming a parent!), a Jacuzzi glassed-off from the lounge area (like that’s ever going to happen!), ocean view balcony and large kitchen – now we could self-cater breakfast too! The complex also boasted an indoor heated pool – perfect considering how cold the weather had been, which was now also throwing the odd shower into the mix!

Here’s a quick video grab of Lorne beach – almost deserted!…

Once settled I took the kids over to the playground and beach, which was mostly deserted. This didn’t stop the kids from wanting to go in though, and as there were surf lifesavers on duty, I told them they could go in to ankle depth between the flags (it was pretty wild surf!). Once the kids had frozen solid we headed back to the Motel. Some delicious pizzas from the nearby Andrew’s Chicken shop topped off the day nicely, and we all decided that an extra night in Lorne would be just the thing, and extended our stay.

Today’s route…

You can read our Road Trip! daily blogs here…

Read the Road Trip! Day 1 blog here  -Canberra to Gundagai to Wangaratta
Read the Road Trip! Day 2 blog here – Wangaratta to Glenrowan to Aireys Inlet
Read the Road Trip! Day 3 blog here – Aireys Inlet to Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 4 blog here – Lorne
Read the Road Trip! Day 5 blog here – Lorne to Apollo Bay to Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 6 blog here – Cape Otway
Read the Road Trip! Day 7 blog here – Cape Otway to 12 Apostles to Port Campbell
Read the Road Trip! Day 8 blog here – Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 9 blog here – Hearn’s Beach & Port Fairy
Read the Road Trip! Day 10 blog here – Port Fairy to Warrnambool to Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 11 blog here – Sovereign Hill gold mining village, Ballarat
Read the Road Trip! Day 12 blog here – Ballarat and the road home…

So tomorrow will be another day in Lorne – we’ll check in with you then!

Have you travelled (or want to) travel to Lorne, or along the Great Ocean Road with your little beachcombers? Comment here!

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