How to travel the Great Ocean Road by public transport

Jonathan Blake
8 min readApr 10, 2019

A guide for independent, budget-savvy travellers

The Great Ocean Road is one sight you won’t want to miss if you’re visiting Melbourne or Australia’s southern coast. The wild, ice-blue waters of the Southern Ocean smash against spectacular high cliffs, forming dramatic and beautiful features like the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge.

Australia is a challenge for any budget-conscious traveller. With car hire starting at around AU$110 (£60) a day, renting a vehicle can really eat into an already-stretched travel budget.

So how can you explore the Great Ocean Road on a budget? Or if you just don’t want to drive? It’s perfectly possible to enjoy this epic road trip even if you don’t have a car. I’ve done it and want to share my tips here, to help other independent travellers discover this amazing coastline on a shoestring budget.

Why travel the Great Ocean Road by bus and bicycle?

  • if you’re on a tight budget
  • if you don’t drive
  • if you haven’t planned in advance

But if I do want to hire a car…?

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