What To See and Do

Tourist Information 

The Lorne Visitor Information Centre is located at 144 Mountjoy Pde (the Great Ocean Road Lorne portion). It is open from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on weekdays and to 5.00 p.m.
 

Beaches and Foreshore Reserve

Part of the charm of Lorne are the pine trees. The fine sandy beaches of Lorne are, of course, one of its major attractions. The Lorne main beach is noted for its surfing potential (particularly at the northern end). The Lorne surf lifesaving club operates on the Lorne main beach in summer and you can hire surfboards etc. from the Lorne Surf Shop at 130 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne. The Lorne Foreshore Reserve, adjacent Mountjoy Parade, is a pleasant recreation area overlooking the ocean. There is a jetty and boat ramp at the southern end of Lorne. The Shipwreck Walk is an easy-going one hour stroll along the coastline, taking in a series of plaques which denote the shipwrecks which have occurred along the coast. 
 

Lorne’s ambience

Sip on a cold beer at the Lorne Pub and people watch. At the Lorne pier you can watch the fishing fleet unload its catch. Visit the Lorne fishing co-op where you can buy fresh locally caught seafood.
Fitness fanatics flock to the many endurance events held in Lorne each year. The Lorne  Pier to Pub Swim and the Lorne Mountain to Surf Run are both held in January and attract large numbers of competitors. Then there is also the Great Ocean Road Marathon which kicks off in May and the Anaconda Adventure Race in December.
 

The Lorne Falls Festival

For those who prefer to get their thrills from the raw energy of rock music, The Falls Festival, held every New Year’s Eve near Lorne, is an essential experience.
  

Lorne’s Buildings

St Cuthbert's Presbyterian (now Uniting) Church, at 86 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne is a weatherboard church with an asymmetrical tower. Directly adjacent the Lorne beach, on Mountjoy Parade, is Erskine House which started its life as a two-roomed domicile for early settlers the Mountjoy brothers in 1865. Lorne's first post office was established here in 1874 and the first church services were held here in 1879. It was bought by the state government in 1973. Erskine House, Lorne is surrounded by 6 ha of manicured lawns and gardens and now operates as an accommodation centre with lawn bowls, croquet, tennis courts and a putting green. Lorne’s All Saints Church of England was built in 1880 and the Lorne Post Office in 1889. The Grand Pacific Hotel was built in the tip of Point Grey, Lorne facing out to sea. The jetty here is the start of the Lorne Pier to Lorne Pub swimming race.
 

Teddy's Lookout, Lorne 

Teddy's Lookout lies at the end of George St, at the Lorne’s southern extreme. It offers fine views over the town and coastline. The rotunda dates from the 1880s. 
 

Lorne Historical Museum

The Lorne Historical Society Museum is located at the corner of Otway St and the Great Ocean Road. It displays memorabilia and photographs relating to the construction of the Great Ocean Road and other local history. It is open Sundays from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
 

QDOS Contemporary Art Gallery, Lorne

QDOS which serves as a contemporary art exhibition space, sculpture garden and function centre with a cafe/bar and certainly worth a visit. 
 

The Angahook-Lorne State Park

The Angahook-Lorne State Park covers 22,000 ha of coastline from Aireys Inlet to Kennett River. It incorporates the Otway Ranges and is characterised by cliffs, coves, sandy beaches and rock platforms. Between the ridges are deep valleys and gullies carved by the Erskine, Cumberland, Kalimna and St George Rivers. Vegetation ranges from dry heathland to cool temperate rainforest. Messmate, blue gum, mountain grey gum and mountain ash predominate while the wetter areas feature an understorey of blackwood, tree ferns, satinwood, blanket-leaf and musk daisy-bush. There is a plenitude of fauna including 170 bird species, such as the rare crested penguin and peregrine falcon, along with (mostly nocturnal) marsupials such as eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, marsupial mice, echidnas, ringtail and brushtail possums and bandicoots. In summer the park tends to be somewhat cooler than average and very pleasant. Lorne is a great base for day trips, both car, 4WD and foot into this fantastic nature wonderland.
 

Carisbrook Falls

Twenty-nine kms south-west of Lorne, on the Great Ocean Road, is a signposted turnoff on the right to the Carisbrook Falls carpark beside the Carisbrook Creek bridge. A one km return walk leads to the falls which are the highest in the Otway Ranges.
 

Tours

Tours of Lorne and the Great Ocean Road are available from:

  • Otwild Adventures, ph: (03) 5236 2119
  • Otway Ocean Tours, ph: (03) 5244 0944
  • Last Chance Tours, ph: (03) 5237 7413
  • Angahook Tours, ph: (03) 5241 3997
  • Paddle with the Platypus, ph: (03) 5236 2119
  • Natural Treasures, ph: (03) 9399 1797
  • Sunroad Tours, ph: (03) 5237 6080
  • Kalinda Personalized Tours, ph: (03) 5267 2581
  • Eco-Logic, ph: (03) 5263 1133