Lorne

5 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

Visit Great Ocean Road calls Lorne the place where the ocean meets the rainforest, and the town fits the line. A sheltered beach of about 2 km runs along Louttit Bay, with a boardwalk along part of it, and the waterfalls of Great Otway National Park are a short drive inland. The main street has restaurants, boutiques and day spas.

From central Melbourne it is about 150 km via Geelong and Torquay, roughly 2 hours 20 minutes without stops. Torquay to Lorne alone is about 47 km and 55 minutes. On the way you pass the Memorial Arch at Eastern View, between Aireys Inlet and Lorne. The first arch was built in 1939 and later replaced. The road itself was built by returned servicemen between 1919 and 1932, mostly with hand tools.

The beach and the foreshore

The main beach is protected from large swells, and the park authority describes it as good for swimming. Lorne Surf Life Saving Club patrols it in the summer months. Swim between the red and yellow flags, since lifesavers are only on duty while the flags are up. The foreshore has picnic areas, barbecues, toilets, cafés and a large wooden playground, with a skate park in town.

At the western edge of town, Point Grey and the Lorne Pier are being redeveloped. The area is expected to reopen in December 2026 with a new Co-Op building with historical displays, a café, an angling club and public toilets. The Doug Stirling Track, an easy 1 km path on gravel and boardwalk, links the surf club with the pier and passes plaques about the ships wrecked in Louttit Bay.

Teddy's Lookout

About 2 km from the centre, at the end of George Street, Teddy's Lookout looks down on the coast road as it bends around the hills, the mouth of the St George River and the open Southern Ocean. It is a short drive and a common tour stop. One minibus tour from Melbourne lists it between Lorne and Apollo Bay, and private tours stop here too.

Waterfalls after the 2026 flood

A flash flood in January 2026 washed away or badly damaged bridges and walkways in the national park, and in November 2026 several walks were still closed: Erskine Falls, the Phantom Falls walk, Won Wondah and Henderson Falls, the St Georges River Loop (5 km) and the Cora Lynn Cascades walk (5.5 km). No reopening dates had been given.

Some walks were open. The Sheoak Falls walk is 1.2 km return from the Sheoak Picnic Area, about nine minutes from town, where Sheoak Creek drops 15 metres. From the same picnic area a 9 km circuit leads past Swallow Cave to the Castle Rock lookout and back via the falls. The lower Kalimna Falls walk starts about 10 minutes' drive from Lorne. The Cumberland River trail involves many river crossings and some scrambling over rocks, so it suits experienced walkers.

Erskine Falls lies about 5 km inland. The falls drop 30 metres into a fern-filled gully; a short stepped path leads to the upper lookout, and more than 300 steps go down to the base. Our page on Great Otway National Park covers the rest of the forest.

Lorne on a day tour

Classic day tours from Melbourne reach Lorne after a coffee stop and the Memorial Arch, and continue to lunch in Apollo Bay. Some coach tours add the Cumberland River lookout. Reverse tours come through on the way back, and one boutique reverse tour for up to 12 guests lists Lorne as its last stop before Melbourne.

Without a car, V/Line coaches run from Geelong along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay; check the current timetable for a stop in Lorne. A tour leaves little time in town. If the beach, a waterfall walk and an evening meal in Lorne are what you want, a night here or your own car works better; see tour or self-drive.

Road and event dates

Early in 2026 the coast road between Lorne and Skenes Creek, towards Apollo Bay, was closed in both directions after extreme weather, flooding and possible landslips. Check VicTraffic before you set out. On Friday 8 January 2027 the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club holds its Mountain to Surf run and walk over 8 km, on a route adjusted because of flood damage to the St George River track.