What is the Great Ocean Road like in winter?
Wild and quietBig seas on the Shipwreck Coast, and the Apostles without the crowds.
Cool, green and at its most dramatic. In winter the Southern Ocean throws big swells at the Shipwreck Coast, and the car parks at the Twelve Apostles are quiet. At Warrnambool, the western end of the road, July averages 14°C by day and 6°C at night, about a degree cooler than Melbourne, and August is the wettest month at 88mm. The trips run year round, so the koalas at Kennett River and the rainforest at Maits Rest are all still there. A day from Melbourne is from $139, children from $100.
Checked on 28 October 2026.
Most people picture the Great Ocean Road in summer sun. Winter gives you a different road: the Shipwreck Coast with the swell running, and the viewing platforms with room to stand. It is cooler and wetter, and the sights are all still there.
The western end in winter, by the numbers
| Month | Day | Night | Rain | What it is like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 17°C | 7°C | 73mm | Autumn turning. Still mild by day |
| June | 14°C | 6°C | 81mm | Winter arrives. Cool and quiet |
| July | 14°C | 6°C | 84mm | The coolest month. The swells are in |
| August | 15°C | 6°C | 88mm | The wettest month. Dramatic skies on the Shipwreck Coast |
| September | 16°C | 7°C | 74mm | Spring, and warming |
| January, for comparison | 25°C | 12°C | 36mm | The warmest month |
Bureau of Meteorology long-term monthly averages for Warrnambool Airport (station 090186), at the western end of the road, from 27 years of records.
What winter gives you
- Big seas.Winter brings the swells to the Shipwreck Coast, breaking around the Twelve Apostles and into Loch Ard Gorge.
- Quiet car parksat the Apostles. The viewing platforms are a few minutes from the car park, so there is no long walk in the cold.
- Wild koalas at Kennett Riverin the gums beside the road, whatever the season.
- The rainforest at Maits Resta complete change from the surf beaches, and made for a wet day.
- Mild, not freezing.14°C by day in July and 6°C at night: a warm jacket, not snow gear.
The trips run all winter
| Trip | Length | Adult | Child | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Great Ocean Road + Rainforest Tour | 1 day | $139 | $100 | — |
| 1 Day Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour (with lunch) | 1 day | $149 | $139 | — |
| 2 Day Great Ocean Road Tour | 2 days, 1 night | $369 | — | — |
| 3 Day Great Ocean Road & Grampians | 3 days, 2 nights | $695 | — | — |
Effort is rated 1 to 5 on each trip's own page. The day trips pick up and drop off at your Melbourne accommodation. Where no child price is shown, ask us. Prices update on their own.
Which one in winter
- The classic day, $139the coast road out, lunch at Apollo Bay at your own cost, and the Twelve Apostles at sunset from the viewing platform. All park entrance fees are included. Children $100.
- The reverse day, $149inland through Colac first so you reach the Apostles ahead of the crowds, with a picnic lunch included. Groups of 9 to 21.
- Two days, $369a night at Apollo Bay in hostel and cabin rooms, dorm share, and the Apostles in the morning light. Morning tea on both days.
- Three days with the Grampians, $695a night at Warrnambool in a motel, with private ensuite rooms or triple share, then Halls Gap and a barbecue dinner. A warm bed on the coast is the best way to see it in winter.
There is the full list of stops in order on our what to see on the Great Ocean Road page, and how long to give it on are two days enough.
1 Day Great Ocean Road + Rainforest Tourfrom $1391 day1 day. The Apostles at sunset, children $100View trip
1 Day Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour (with lunch)from $1491 day1 day, reversed. Picnic lunch includedView trip
2 Day Great Ocean Road Tourfrom $3692 days, 1 nightHostel and Cabin2 days. A night at Apollo BayView trip
3 Day Great Ocean Road & Grampiansfrom $6953 days, 2 nightsHostel and Cabin3 days. Warrnambool and the GrampiansView tripPeople also ask
- What is there to see on the Great Ocean Road?
- Can you do the Great Ocean Road in a day from Melbourne?
- Great Ocean Road — are two days enough?
- When is the best time to visit Melbourne?
Where this comes from. Temperatures and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology long-term monthly averages for Warrnambool Airport, station 090186, from 27 years of records, and Melbourne (Olympic Park), station 086338, for the comparison. What each trip visits and includes, where you sleep, child prices, effort ratings, group sizes and prices are each trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own.