Lorne

Lorne sits in a shallow bay about 140 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, sheltered by the foothills of the Otway Ranges to its west and south. The town was first settled in the 1850s and became a fashionable seaside resort in the 1870s after a coastal track was cut through from Aireys Inlet. Today it is one of the most popular holiday towns on the Victorian coast, with a permanent population of around 1,100 that swells to more than 10,000 in summer.

The main beach at Lorne is a long crescent of sand facing east, which gives it morning sun and afternoon shelter from the prevailing westerly winds. It is a patrolled surf beach in summer and a reliable spot for learner surfers. The foreshore reserve behind the beach has a large grassed area with barbecues, a playground and a swimming pool, and connects directly to the Mountjoy Parade shopping strip where most of the cafes, restaurants and galleries are concentrated.

Behind the town, the Great Otway National Park offers some of the best short rainforest walks in Victoria. Erskine Falls, a 30 metre cascade in a fern-lined gully, is a 10 minute drive and a short walk from the car park. The Sheoak Falls track and the longer Won Wondah Falls circuit are quieter alternatives. The St George River walk, starting from the centre of town, follows a creek through tall mountain ash and blackwood forest and is one of the most pleasant town-edge walks anywhere on the coast.

Lorne hosts the annual Falls Music and Arts Festival over New Year, which draws around 15,000 attendees to a bushland amphitheatre site above the town. The Pier to Pub ocean swim in January is one of the biggest open-water swimming events in the world, attracting over 4,000 swimmers for a 1.2 kilometre dash from the pier to the surf club.

The town is at its liveliest in summer but has genuine appeal in winter too. The cafes stay open year-round, the waterfalls are at their most powerful after rain, and the Otway forest takes on a moody beauty in the cooler months. Lorne is a natural overnight stop on a two-day Great Ocean Road drive from Melbourne.