Best time to visit the Great Ocean Road

The Otways can be hot and humid – wet weather gear is a must – whilst the coastal towns of Lorne, Apollo Bay and Warrnambool are much milder. Conditions vary greatly depending on where you are with ocean winds keeping winters warm and summers cool. The best time to visit the Great Ocean Road is late summer (March-April) as the weather is still warm (warm to Aussies is 28°C plus; hot is anything over 38°C) and more settled. September is a great time to witness the return of short-tailed shearwaters and see southern right whales before they return to replenished feeding grounds.

Visiting the Twelve Apostles is best attempted as early or as late in the day as possible to avoid crowds. Jeremy Redmond from our Great Ocean Road small group holiday company, Australian Natural Treasures, explains the benefits of planning your trip “the diversity of the region is spectacular and it is not long between the varying landscapes. It is easy to misjudge the timings and spend too long in one place and totally miss another. The trick is in the local knowledge or good planning to avoid the crowds and not get caught up in the convoy. Try and see the Twelve Apostles in the morning but remember it is not about the destination, but the whole journey.”

Brett Neagle, owner and walking guide at our Aussie tour experts Auswalk, shares his best time to take off on the Great Ocean Road: “The best time is anytime outside of July and August. Even then temperatures don't dip below 12 or 13°C, it's just the winds whipping off the ocean and the heavy hits of rain that you've got to look out for in the Aussie winter. For me, April and May, especially, are sensational – warm temperatures, no rain and a refreshing offshore breeze.”