Torquay

Torquay is a city in Victoria, Australia. Renowned for its beaches, it is a popular seaside destination along the Great Ocean Road and a must-see for any avid surfer or any traveller looking for a beachside getaway.

Understand

Located at the eastern end of the Great Ocean Road, Torquay is a famous surfing spot, with Quiksilver and Rip Curl headquartered here and Bells Beach just around the corner.

Get in

Torquay is 97 km south of Melbourne, 22 km south of Geelong and 253 km east of Warrnambool at the other end of the Great Ocean Road.

Torquay is serviced by the V/Line coach between Geelong and Apollo Bay, which runs four times a day each direction on weekdays and two times on weekends, connecting to rail services from Melbourne at Geelong Station. Alternatively, Route 50 (map) and 51 (map) operate between Geelong Station and Jan Juc, a suburb in the south of Torquay, via Marshall Station in Geelong's south. These services operate more frequently, about every hour, although stop more frequently so have a slightly longer travel time.

Get around

Routes 50 and 51 between Geelong and Jan Juc form the town's only public transport, as an extension of Geelong's bus network (map). Both routes largely follow the same route down the Surf Coast Highway, although Route 50 diverts to serve the north-eastern area of Torquay, including The Sands Resort. A map is available on the PTV website.

See

• 1 Fisherman's Beach. (updated Aug 2015)
• 2 Australian National Surfing Museum, 77 Beach Rd, ☏ +61 3 5261 4606. The largest surfing museum in the world. (updated Aug 2015)
• 3 Torquay Surf Beach. (updated Aug 2015)
• 4 Torquay Front Beach. (updated Aug 2015)
• 5 Point Impossible Beach. A "clothes-optional" beach, designated as a legal nudist beach. (updated Mar 2021)

Do

• 1 Tiger Moth World Adventure Flights, Torquay Airport, 325 Blackgate Rd, Torquay (7 min NE of Torquay township), ☏ +61 3 5261 5100. 9AM-5PM. Step back in time and climb aboard an authentic World War II open cockpit Tiger Moth. Also an adventure park at the site. 

Buy

• 1 Torquay Books, 14B Gilbert St, ☏ +61 3 5261 2311, torqbook@bigpond.net.au. M-Sa 9:30-5PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Friendly bookstore with a broad collection, including a kids' section. (updated Mar 2021)
• 2 Rip Curl Torquay, 101 Surf Coast Hwy, ☏ +61 3 5261 0008. 9AM-5:30PM. Torquay is the home of Rip Curl, and this is a good place to get surfing and swimming equipment. (updated Mar 2021)
• 3 Surfcoast Wholefoods, Shop 104, 41 Bristol Rd, ☏ +61 3 5261 5555, hello@surfcoastwholefoods.com.au. M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 8AM-5PM. Organic and wholefoods specialty store. (updated Mar 2021)

Eat

• 1 Italo’s Wood Fired Pizza, 7 Gilbert St. M W 4:30-9:30PM, Th F 2PM-9:30PM, Sa Su 11:30AM-9:30PM. This little restaurant offers Italian wood-fired pizzas. Waitstaff are friendly, and if you're going on the weekends around lunch time it's usually pretty quiet. Sides such as pasta and chips are also available. $12-$25. (updated Mar 2021)
• 2 Squires Loft, Shop 6/15 Bell St. W-Su from 5:30PM. 10% surcharge on public holidays. Chain steak restaurant with gluten free options. (updated Mar 2021)
• 3 Fisho's Torquay, 36 The Esplanade, ☏ +61 3 5264 7739. Noon-3PM and 5PM-8PM. Fish and chips restaurant opposite the surf beach serving locally sourced seafood. Fish $22-24. Kids $12. Sides $2.50-$16. 15% surcharge on public holidays. (updated Mar 2021)
• 4 Pholklore, 38 The Esplanade, ☏ +61 3 5261 4270. M-F 5-9PM, Sa Su noon-9PM. Vietnamese street food. $8-22. (updated Mar 2021)
• 5 Growlers, 23 The Esplanade, ☏ +61 3 5264 8455. 8:30AM-late. Beachfront eatery that serves bistro food. Breakfast $7.90-25, lunch $20-24, dinner $12-$36. (updated Mar 2021)
• 6 Las Olas, 10 Pearl St, ☏ +61 3 5264 8877. Californian-style Mexican cuisine. $6.40-22.50. (updated Mar 2021)
• 7 Bomboras, 37 The Esplanade, ☏ +61 3 5264 7881. 6AM-late. Cafe offering Mediterranean cuisine. Main $29-$37, salads $22-25, sides $9-10, pizzas $14-24. (updated Mar 2021)

Drink

• 1 Blackmans Brewery and Pizza Bar, 26 Bell St, ☏ +61 3 5261 5310. W-M from noon. Walk-in brewery that serves a variety of beers and local spirits as well as wood-fired pizza. (updated Mar 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Bells Beach Backpackers, 51-53 Surf Coast Hwy, ☏ +61 3 5261 4029, info@bellsbeachbackpackers.com.au. Check-out: 8-10AM. Despite the name, it's right in the middle of Torquay. This hostel offers 4 bed and 6 bed dorm rooms (all mixed), as well as "vanpacking", where if you have a caravan to sleep in, you will be able to access the hostel's amenities for $30, which includes a kitchen, bathroom and laundry. $35-38. (updated Mar 2021)
• 2 Peppers The Sands Resort, 2 Sands Boulevarde, ☏ +61 3 5264 3333. Golf resort on the north headland of Torquay, with a modern design. Comprising two interconnecting, three-level buildings, the design offers beautiful views over the surrounding Whites Beach and Sands Golf Course. 
• 3 RACV Torquay Resort, 1 Great Ocean Rd. Expansive resort at the beginning of the Great Ocean Road with a golf course, spa, and other facilities. (updated Mar 2021)
• 4 Wyndham Resort Torquay (Crowne Plaza Torquay), 100 The Esplanade. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Upscale resort with a combination of guest rooms and apartments. From $389. (updated Mar 2021)

A little outside

• 5 Anglesea Backpackers, 40 Noble St, Anglesea (Noble St turns off the Great Ocean Rd south of the main shops and just south of the bridge – be careful if driving over the bridge, Noble St has a weird split at the intersection and it’s easy to go the wrong way up a one-way lane), ☏ +61 3 5263 2664, angleseabackpacker@iprimus.com.au. A very clean and tidy small hostel with two 6-bed dorms and an ensuite room with a double and single bed. The walls are a bit thin so noise travels. The shower for the dorms is a bit cramped and the arm for the shower head is a bit manked. After dark a ring-tail possum walks along the power lines in front of the hostel – the manager might point it out to you. Internet $5 per half hour. Dorm beds summer from $23, winter from $20; ensuite room summer from $70, winter from $60. http://home.iprimus.com.au/angleseabackpacker 

Connect

Torquay has mobile phone coverage from all major Australian providers on the 4G network. Internet access is available from PCs at 1 Torquay Library, Surf City Plaza, ☏ +61 3 4201 0667. M-W 10AM-5:30PM, Th 10AM-8PM, F 10AM-5:30PM, Sa 10AM-1PM, Su 1:30-4:30PM. (updated Mar 2021)

Go next

• Geelong is Victoria's second largest city and the gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula with a wide range of options for activities.
• Warrnambool is located at the end of the Great Ocean Road and has a rich maritime history. It's Australia's largest coastal city not on the Port Phillip Bay.

Routes via Torquay (Victoria)

Warrnambool ← Anglesea ←

W B100 N

→ Geelong → END