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2 adults · 6m camper bus

Melbourne Round Trip by Campervan: Two Weeks, 7 Stops

7 – 22 February · 15 nights · A relaxed Victorian loop from Melbourne's coast to the Grampians and back, pairing Twelve Apostles cliff walks and Halls Gap hikes with Daylesford springs, Yarra vineyards and Phillip Island's penguins. Easy driving days suit a couple wanting nature and wine without rushing.
1,177 kmtotal distance
8 / 7drive days / rest days
147 kmaverage drive
251 kmlongest drive
22 hbehind the wheel

The route

Day by day

Every campsite links straight to its OpenStreetMap entry, so you can check it exists before you drive there.

Start · Melbourne, Victoria
7 – 8 February · Stop 1 of 7

Torquay

1 night★ Bells Beach surf lookout★ Torquay foreshore walk★ Great Ocean Road start marker
Powered site · ~0.3 km from Torquay
Getting there: 104 km · 1 h 52 from Melbourne · Easy, wide freeway and dual-carriageway out of Melbourne with no tight turns, giving the bus an easy first day before the coast road proper begins.
7 Feb · Arrive Torquay
  • 10:00Pick up/settle into the camper and leave Melbourne
  • 12:30Arrive Torquay, set up at the campsite
  • 14:00Stroll the foreshore and check out the surf at Bells Beach
  • 18:00Sunset drinks looking over Bass Strait
8 Feb · Depart
  • 08:30Coffee in Torquay's surf shops precinct
  • 09:30Pack up and head off along the Great Ocean Road toward Apollo Bay
8 – 10 February · Stop 2 of 7

Apollo Bay

2 nights★ Cape Otway lighthouse★ Great Ocean Walk section hike★ Mait's Rest rainforest boardwalk
Powered site · ~0.5 km from Apollo Bay
Getting there: 91 km · 1 h 59 from Torquay · The classic cliffside stretch of the Great Ocean Road with tight bends hugging the coast — take it slow in the bus and watch for oncoming traffic on the narrower corners past Lorne.
8 Feb · Arrive Apollo Bay
  • 12:00Scenic drive via Lorne, stopping at lookouts
  • 15:00Check in and settle at the campsite
  • 17:00Wander the town and pier
9 Feb · Explore
  • 09:00Drive to Cape Otway and visit the lighthouse
  • 11:00Walk the Mait's Rest rainforest boardwalk
  • 14:00Short section of the Great Ocean Walk near Blanket Bay
  • 19:00Seafood dinner in Apollo Bay
10 Feb · Depart
  • 09:00Morning market or bakery stop if on
  • 10:00Continue west toward the Twelve Apostles
10 – 12 February · Stop 3 of 7

Port Campbell

2 nights★ Twelve Apostles lookout★ Loch Ard Gorge walk★ London Bridge formation
Power not recorded · ~0.2 km from Port Campbell
Getting there: 96 km · 1 h 53 from Apollo Bay · The most spectacular section of the route, past limestone stacks and gorges — pull-offs are compact so allow patience manoeuvring the bus in and out of the busiest lookout car parks.
10 Feb · Arrive Port Campbell
  • 12:30Stop at the Twelve Apostles viewing platforms
  • 15:00Continue to Port Campbell and set up camp
  • 17:30Sunset over the town's small beach
11 Feb · Explore
  • 08:00Early light photography at the Twelve Apostles before the crowds
  • 10:00Walk down into Loch Ard Gorge
  • 13:00Visit London Bridge and the Grotto
  • 16:00Relax at Port Campbell beach
12 Feb · Depart
  • 08:30Last coastal photo stop
  • 09:30Head inland toward the Grampians
12 – 15 February · Stop 4 of 7

Halls Gap

3 nights★ The Pinnacle walk★ Reed Lookout to Balconies★ MacKenzie Falls hike
Powered site · ~3.9 km from Halls Gap
Getting there: 251 km · 4 h 34 from Port Campbell · A long inland transfer across farmland and forest roads with a few winding sections climbing into the Grampians foothills — nothing steep but a big change of scenery from the coast.
12 Feb · Arrive Halls Gap
  • 14:30Arrive and settle into the campsite
  • 16:00Easy stroll around Halls Gap village, kangaroos likely on the oval
13 Feb · Hike
  • 07:30Morning hike up to The Pinnacle for the view over the valley
  • 13:00Lunch back in town
  • 15:00Visit the Brambuk Cultural Centre
14 Feb · Explore
  • 08:00Drive to Reed Lookout and walk to the Balconies
  • 11:00Continue to MacKenzie Falls and walk down to the base
  • 15:00Relax at the lake in Halls Gap
15 Feb · Depart
  • 09:00Pack up and start the drive toward Daylesford
15 – 17 February · Stop 5 of 7

Daylesford

2 nights★ Lake Daylesford walk★ Hepburn Bathhouse mineral springs★ Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens
Power not recorded · ~1.4 km from Daylesford
Getting there: 183 km · 3 h 08 from Halls Gap · Rolling farmland and forested hills lead into the spa country, with a couple of gentle climbs near the Wombat State Forest — an easy, uncomplicated drive for the bus.
15 Feb · Arrive Daylesford
  • 13:30Arrive and set up camp
  • 15:00Walk around Lake Daylesford
  • 17:00Browse the town's boutique shops
16 Feb · Explore
  • 09:30Soak at Hepburn Bathhouse mineral springs
  • 12:30Lunch in Hepburn Springs
  • 14:30Wander the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens
17 Feb · Depart
  • 08:30Farmers' market or bakery stop if on
  • 10:00Head off toward the Yarra Valley
17 – 19 February · Stop 6 of 7

Yarra Glen

2 nights★ Vineyard visit at Yering Station★ Yarra Ranges National Park rainforest walk★ Healesville Sanctuary wildlife
Powered site · ~10.9 km from Yarra Glen
Getting there: 155 km · 2 h 57 from Daylesford · A cross-country run skirting Melbourne's outer edge into vineyard country, mostly on wide rural roads with only gentle undulations, easy for the size of the bus.
17 Feb · Arrive Yarra Glen
  • 13:00Arrive and set up camp
  • 15:00Wander around Yarra Glen village
  • 17:30Sundowner with valley views
18 Feb · Vineyards
  • 10:00Vineyard visit and tasting at Yering Station
  • 13:00Long lunch at a cellar door
  • 15:30Short rainforest walk in the Yarra Ranges near Marysville road
19 Feb · Depart
  • 08:30Morning visit to Healesville Sanctuary
  • 10:58Pack up and drive south toward Phillip Island
19 – 22 February · Stop 7 of 7

Cowes

3 nights★ Penguin Parade at Phillip Island★ Nobbies Centre boardwalk★ Cape Woolamai coastal hike
Powered site · ~1.9 km from Cowes
Getting there: 155 km · 3 h 02 from Yarra Glen · A straightforward run down through Gippsland farmland and across the San Remo bridge onto the island — the bridge and island roads are wide enough for the bus but can be busy at peak times.
19 Feb · Arrive Cowes
  • 14:00Arrive and set up camp
  • 15:30Relax on Cowes foreshore
  • 20:00Evening Penguin Parade at Summerland Beach
20 Feb · Explore
  • 09:30Visit the Nobbies Centre and boardwalk over the blowhole
  • 12:00Lunch overlooking the coast
  • 14:30Hike the Cape Woolamai coastal track
  • 18:00Fish and chips by the beach
21 Feb · Wildlife & wine
  • 09:00Koala Conservation Reserve boardwalk
  • 12:00Vineyard visit at Phillip Island Wines
  • 15:00Free time on the beach or foreshore
22 Feb · Depart
  • 09:00Pack up and drive back to Melbourne
22 February · End of the trip

Melbourne

★ Return the camper★ Final coffee in the city
Getting there: 141 km · 2 h 38 from Cowes · A quick run back into the city on major roads, retracing only the short unavoidable stretch near Melbourne's outskirts.
22 Feb · Arrive & drop off
  • 12:30Arrive back in Melbourne
  • 13:00Return the camper and wrap up the trip
A plan, not a promise. Campsites, roads and opening times can be wrong or out of date — check anything you'd be sorry to get wrong.
  • Campsites come from OpenStreetMap, which volunteers maintain. A site listed here may have closed, be full, open only in season, or be tagged wrong. We link the record we used and the site’s own page where there is one — always confirm it exists, and book it yourself.
  • Distances and times are measured on real roads, not guessed. But a router doesn't know about roadworks, a closed pass, a ferry that stops running in October, or the height, width and weight limits that apply to a large motorhome. Treat them as good numbers, not gospel.
  • The day-by-day plan is written by AI. Opening hours, prices, whether a thing runs in your season, and whether it suits your vehicle or your party can all be wrong. Check anything you'd be sorry to arrive and find shut.
  • Local rules are yours to know. Where you may park and sleep overnight, what a licence permits, and what the road demands of a big van vary by country and change without telling us.

Use your own judgement, and see our Terms for the rest.

Want this trip, but yours?

Different dates. A different start. Shorter driving days, or no toddler in the back. Change the shape of it and re-plan any stop — you get your own copy, and one link to share with everyone in the van.

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