Mighty campervan hire Great Ocean Road: sleep, stop, drive

You can technically drive Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles and back in one long day, but doing that in a campervan is like buying a meat pie and only eating the foil. For a Mighty campervan Great Ocean Road run, 3 days is the bare minimum, 5 days is comfortable, and 7 days lets you add the Otways without watching the clock.

The Great Ocean Road itself is about 243 km from Torquay to Allansford, but your practical loop from Melbourne is usually 550–650 km once you add airport pickup, camps, lookouts, supermarket detours and the inland return through Colac or Geelong.

• 3 days: Torquay, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, then inland return.
• 5 days: Add Lorne, Cape Otway, Warrnambool and a slower Twelve Apostles morning.
• 7 days: Include Otway rainforest walks, Johanna Beach, Port Fairy or a relaxed recovery night near Geelong.
• Don't: plan to collect your van at 3 pm, shop, drive the coast and reach Apollo Bay before dark. Kangaroos and tired drivers both get silly at dusk.

The main Great Ocean Road is sealed and fine for a 2WD campervan or Mighty motorhome Great Ocean Road itinerary. The catch is speed: between Lorne and Apollo Bay the road bends around cliffs, cyclists appear like punctuation, and a 6 m campervan does not corner like a hatchback.

Allow 40–60 km/h average on the windiest coastal sections. Summer weekends, Easter and the Christmas school holidays can turn lookout car parks into slow-motion chess games involving reversing cameras, families with ice creams and one bloke who thinks his ute is a birthright.

• Melbourne to Torquay: about 105 km, mostly freeway, allow 1 hr 30 to 2 hrs depending on pickup location and traffic.
• Torquay to Apollo Bay: about 92 km, allow 2–2.5 hrs before stops.
• Apollo Bay to Port Campbell: about 97 km via the Twelve Apostles, allow half a day if you walk and stare properly.
• Do: use slow-vehicle turnouts and let locals pass.
• Don't: take signed steep or narrow side roads just because your phone says they save 8 minutes.

This coast is not a free-for-all. Several coastal councils actively patrol no-camping areas, especially around Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay and the Twelve Apostles. Sleeping in a beachfront car park because the sunset was nice can end with a fine, and nobody wants a $300-ish souvenir before breakfast.

Powered sites are the easy first-night choice: plug in, test the fridge, fill water, find the dump point and learn which cupboard flies open on corners. National park campgrounds in the Otways are cheaper and wilder, but usually have no power and must be booked through Parks Victoria.

• Powered holiday parks: common at Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell and Warrnambool; expect higher demand in summer.
• National park camping: Aire River, Johanna Beach and Blanket Bay suit self-contained campers, but access roads may include gravel.
• Free camping: limited close to the coast; use signed legal sites only and check current council rules.
• Do: book your first and last nights before you collect the van.
• Don't: assume a day-use picnic area allows overnight stays just because another van is there.

The Great Ocean Road is not the Nullarbor, but campervan planning still matters. Fuel is available in larger towns such as Geelong, Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell and Warrnambool, though prices generally rise in smaller coastal stops. If your tank is under half at Apollo Bay, top up rather than playing fuel-range roulette through the Otways.

Fresh water, grey-water habits and toilet cassette timing are what separate relaxed self-drivers from people whispering urgently near the amenities block. Many holiday parks offer dump points for guests; public dump points are commonly found around larger towns and recreation reserves, but access can change, so check current listings before relying on one.

• Fuel range: keep at least 150 km in the tank; more if detouring inland or travelling late.
• Water: refill at holiday parks or signed potable taps only — not every tap at a beach shower is drinking water.
• Dump points: plan around Apollo Bay, Port Campbell or Warrnambool rather than leaving it to the final morning.
• LPG swap/fill: larger servos and hardware outlets in Geelong, Colac and Warrnambool are safer bets than tiny coastal villages.
• Don't: empty grey water roadside. It gives campervanners a bad name and councils a reason to tighten rules.

Most first-timers beeline for the Twelve Apostles, and fair enough — the limestone stacks do their brooding theatre well. But the best campervan days are built from smaller pauses: coffee in Lorne, a short rainforest walk in the Otways, koalas near Kennett River if they are around, and a slow morning at Port Campbell before the tour-bus rush.

Parking is the trick. A campervan is easy enough in town streets and signed visitor areas, but peak season fills quickly. Arrive early at the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and Gibson Steps, especially in January when half of Melbourne seems to be wearing thongs and holding a camera.

• Bells Beach: easy detour near Torquay; respect surf-event closures and parking signs.
• Erskine Falls: good from Lorne, but the access road and car park can be tight in busy periods.
• Cape Otway Lightstation area: check road conditions and entry fees before committing.
• Twelve Apostles: use the main visitor car park; no overnight camping.
• Do: carry a rain jacket even in summer — the Otways can drop 10°C and turn misty fast.

Summer brings long daylight and busy beaches, but also booked-out powered sites, hot vans and school-holiday prices across the coast. Autumn is the sweet spot: March to May often gives mild days around 16–23°C, lighter traffic and calmer campgrounds once the Easter rush clears.

Winter is moody and excellent if you like empty lookouts, pub meals and testing the heater. Expect 8–15°C days, wind, rain and muddy boots. Spring brings wildflowers, changeable weather and the occasional reminder that Victoria can do four seasons before lunch.

• Peak pressure: late December to late January, Easter and long weekends.
• Best balance: March, April, May, September and October.
• Wet-weather plan: keep one inland option such as Colac or Warrnambool if coastal wind gets feral.
• Heat note: on 35°C-plus days, choose powered sites for air-conditioning if your vehicle setup allows it.
• Book online early: check availability online before flights and annual leave are locked in.