What to do on your day trip to Lorne, Victoria

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Planning a day trip to Lorne? This guide is the key on how to spend the ultimate day in this charming Victorian town.

The Details:

Where is Lorne?

Lorne is located a two-hour drive away from South-West Melbourne.

 

Great Ocean Road to Lorne, VIC
Take the Great Ocean Road for scenic drive down to Lorne.

Population

The 2016 census showed a population of 1,114. But in the summer months, expect flocks of tourists to swarm the area.

What’s it all about?

Beautiful surf and hinterland.

Best months to go?

May to October is prime time for a visit down to Lorne.

Why go?

Lorne is a seaside retreat of Melburnians. A quick weekend down the coast with beaches, vibes and a close proximity to the Otway Ranges.

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9am

Head over to Health and Hire (HAH), Lorne’s local lifestyle café. Owned by resident Katie Walker, this café is only five short steps away from the local beach and boasts jaw-dropping views of the area. In summer, head up to order brekkie after your surfing session, but in winter, grab a morning hot chocolate and watch the whales play in the bay.

Health and Hire HAH, Lorne VIC
Head over to HAH for a spot of brekkie right on the beach.

The best thing on the menu here is the acai power smoothie bowl, topped with the freshest seasonal fruit, sided with a slice of freshly baked banana bread drizzled in locally-produced honey. Everything at HAH is sustainably sourced and eco-friendly.

10am

After you’ve licked your bowls clean and mopped up all the crumbs, it’s time to head out for a quick cycle. The good thing about HAH is that you can hire out bikes, stand-up paddle boards and surfboards straight from the café. Cycle out until you reach the beautiful beach path to Lorne Pier. Wave hi to the fisherman as you cycle pass and don’t forget Sammy the Seal, Lorne’s resident seal.

Lorne Pier, VIC
Hop on a bike and cycle through Lorne and down to the pier.

11:30pm

Lorne is known for their boutique shops, so take a wander down Mountjoy Parade to check out all the awesome little stores. La Sirena, Vic and Bert and Lorne Beach Books have all set up shop in this coastal town. Search along the strip to find rare antiques, quirky homewares and of course a souvenir or two.

12:30pm

You must be starved after all of that retail therapy. Luckily, Lorne has a whole heap of epic eateries around for you to choose from. It may not look it, but QDOS Arts (two minutes behind Lorne) is home to an art gallery and cute café. Set amongst bushland, enjoy slices of the tastiest wood-fried pizzas or if you have more of a sweet tooth, try their home-made pastries under the sun. After lunch, take a look through the grounds to search for hidden sculptures and artistic gems.

Qdos Art Gallery, Lorne VIC
Pop into QDOS Art Gallery to roam the grounds for hidden sculptures.

If art isn’t your style and you’re in the mood for an Aussie greasy burger, The Bottle of Milk along Mountjoy Parade will satisfy your cravings. Known grilling up the best burgers in the state, this place has quite the reputation. Situated right across from Anzac Park, ask for takeaway and have a picnic on the grass.

2pm

Now is the time to work off that over-filling lunch and what better way to do that than a brisk walk around the best areas in Lorne’s hinterland. Depending on how far you want to walk, Lorne has got a heap of tracks for you to stroll down.

 

But the locals all swear by the St Georges River Walk. A 5 kilometre walk through the beautiful apple orchards of Allenvale and up to Phantom Falls. This area is home to the tallest eucalyptus trees in Australia. And where the trickle of St George River meets the falls, it feels like you’ve entered a different tropical world. Surrounded by shady fern gullies, revel in the rocky pools to cool off.

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4pm

Take a visit to the Lorne Sea Baths to de-stress. With a mix of activities and wellness sessions you won’t be able to pull yourself away. Mini Golf, Bumper Boats and Aqua Orbs are available if you’re up to the challenges.

 

Otherwise, head into Lorne Salt therapy for a detoxifying appointment. The rooms are fitted out with reclining chairs and a television, and most importantly a fresh air filter to assist in the elimination of airborne particles. During your session, a halo-generator machine will grind up the salt to a fine dust, allowing it to be absorbed through the skin.

7pm

To finish off what has already been a pretty spectacular day, make a booking for the town’s favourite Greek establishment, IPSOS Restaurant & Bar. Bringing a traditional Greek menu to the table, feast on Kalamata olives, chargrilled octopus and slow cooked lamb shoulder all night long. Grab a seat on the outside deck and enjoy a shot of Ouzo under the stars.

 

Planning to stay?

If you’re planning on staying in Lorne, that’s a wise choice. Accommodation in the area is really affordable considering you’re basically getting million-dollar views wherever you stay.

Allenvale Cottage Lorne, VIC
Stay at this cosy cottage hideaway located just outside of Lorne.

Three minutes away from the town centre, you’ll find a hideaway cabin that is perfect for making you feel a million miles away from civilisation. Check out our review of Allenvale cottages in Lorne.

Hoping to take a holiday to Victoria? We’ve created a complete guide on absolutely everything you need to know.

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Meet the makers shaping Ballarat’s new era of creativity

    Margaret Barca Margaret Barca
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    Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

    Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

    “Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

    Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten, the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

    heritage buildings in Ballarat
    Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

    Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

    Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

    Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery
    Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

    For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

    You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery, a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

    How Ballarat is preserving the past

    artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat
    The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

    While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

    The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

    artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat
    Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

    Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

    A city steeped in food and flavours

    Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho
    Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho, José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

    The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

    a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat
    Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits. At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

    the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat
    The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

    The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

    one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat
    The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

    Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

    Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Getting there

    It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

    Staying there

    Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial, which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

    a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat
    Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

    Eating there

    dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat
    The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

    Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

    Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

    dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat
    Dining at Grainery Lane.

    Playing there

    a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat
    An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

    a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery
    Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

    The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

    Dalwhinnie Wines in the Pyrenees
    Dalwhinnie Wines in the Pyrenees.

    Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle, ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.