Ten new ways to experience one of our most compelling destinations

It’s impossible to take the Great Ocean Road for granted: those sweeping ocean views at every twist and turn simply won’t let you. International travellers have made it Victoria’s most popular region for overnight stays, and Visit Victoria chief executive Brendan McClements describes it as “one of Australia’s most compelling destinations”.

But whether you’re crossing oceans to get here or you live close enough for a weekend getaway, it’s easy to stick to the same tourist stops. From off-grid retreats to sustainable dining, here are 10 ways to bypass the obvious and make travelling this spectacular stretch of bitumen a truly memorable experience.

The 12 Apostles rightly remain a must-see for tourists, even if there are only seven of the limestone pillars left. However, mere moments away, Loch Ard Gorge has similar stunning sights with fewer onlookers. Here you can delve into maritime history, including the famous shipwreck for which the gorge is named, before finding the blowhole lookout Poombeeyt Koontapool . Meaning “breath of the whale” in the Keerray Woorroong language, the elevated viewing platform allows you to hear the deep rumbles that precede crashing waves and the ocean whispers that carry calmer waters. Give the view time: watching it shift from serene to explosive can be mesmerising.

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Two private villas set among the vines at boutique vineyard Basalt Wines (near Port Fairy ), feel as luxurious as a 1920s boudoir with lush textiles and rich colours that entice you to curl up on the couch with a pinot noir. The only thing likely to draw you away is the cellar door restaurant , which pairs regional ingredients with Basalt’s own wines. Each villa has its own kitchenette, fireplace, deck, outside fire pit and breakfast hamper of local goodies. Killarney Beach and Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve are less than 10 minutes drive away.

Staying at Sky Pods makes you feel as if you have the edge of the ocean to yourself with 180-degree views across the Cape Otway coast. At dusk, a mob of grazing kangaroos hop into view before the sun sets over the Southern Ocean. Star gazing is unrivalled on clear nights but if too cloudy, a projector screen turns the luxury pod into a boutique cinema. This off-grid retreat, fed by solar power and filtered rain water, sits on 81 hectares of land being restored to its pre-farming state; 60,000 native trees have been planted over the past decade. A 20-minute walk down a bush track leads to Station Beach and access to the Great Ocean Walk , Aire River and Rainbow Falls. It’s a stay and view you will never forget.

At Wildlife Wonders (five kilometres from Apollo Bay ), expert guides take groups through protected bushland for close encounters with koalas, emus, kangaroos and many more. Visitors may be lucky enough to meet the rufous-bellied pademelon , a small wallaby-like marsupial that is extinct on the Australian mainland, or the even smaller long-nosed potoroo , while listening to the sounds of kookaburras, cockatoos and tree frogs.