Melbourne & Great Ocean Road (Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Victoria) Travel Guide 2026
Melbourne & Great Ocean Road is a city / lga (local government area) in Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Victoria (Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Victoria), Australia, with a population of 450,000 and regional transit links via Melbourne & Great Ocean Road Central Station and Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL — SkyBus to Southern Cross A$23.90).
Highlights & What to See in Melbourne & Great Ocean Road
- Melbourne CBD Laneways, Block Arcade & Degraves Street Espresso — Sip a 'Magic' (double-ristretto three-quarter flat white) in Degraves Street and explore Hosier Lane street art inside the Free Tram Zone.
- National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International & Ian Potter Centre at Fed Square) — Australia's oldest and most visited art museum (Permanent collection 100% free!).
- Queen Victoria Market, Fitzroy (Gertrude & Brunswick Streets) & St Kilda — Ride Tram 96 to St Kilda Pier at dusk to see the resident colony of Little Penguins (free viewing).
- Great Ocean Road & The Twelve Apostles (243 km) — Drive past Bells Beach, Lorne (wild koalas at Kennett River), Apollo Bay, and the towering limestone sea stacks of Port Campbell National Park.
- Phillip Island Penguin Parade & Yarra Valley Wineries — Watch hundreds of Little Penguins waddle ashore at Summerland Beach at dusk (A$31; book ahead).
Transit & Getting There
Connect to Melbourne & Great Ocean Road via Melbourne & Great Ocean Road Central Station (Sydney Trains / Opal Network, Melbourne V/Line & Free Tram Zone, Queensland Translink (50¢ Flat Fares!) & Journey Beyond (The Ghan / Indian Pacific)) and local transit using Sydney Opal.