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Forrest to Apollo Bay, Great Otway National Park, Victoria
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Drives Victoria, Australia Melbourne, the Surf Coast and the Otways

Forrest to Apollo Bay

Forrest - Apollo Bay Road, Forrest-Apollo Bay Road, Skenes Creek Road · Forrest → Skenes Creek

Twisty19.7 mi35 min2,700 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,800 ftOne way
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The drive

This drive runs 32 km (20 mi) from Forrest, a village of about 250 people in the Otways hinterland, down to Skenes Creek on the coast, just north of Apollo Bay. It descends from the plateau through tall mountain ash forest in tight, shaded bends, with a high point of about 1,800 feet.

Forrest sits about 30 minutes from Colac and 40 minutes from Apollo Bay. It is known for nearly 100 km of mountain bike trails, a brewery and a general store famous for its pies, and it is a base for Great Otway National Park. Stevensons Falls is about a 20-minute drive away.

The drive ends where the road meets the Great Ocean Road at Skenes Creek, so it connects the Otway forest with the coast route to Lorne and Port Campbell.

Along the way

  1. Forrest (Forrest-Apollo Bay Road)
  2. Skenes Creek (Great Ocean Road junction)
Elevation
2,700 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,800 ft
ForrestSkenes Creek
Curves
Twisty most of the way
ForrestSkenes Creek
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The road is twisty most of the way and has few buildings between Forrest and the coast.
  • Storms and fires can close roads and sites in the Otways, so check VicTraffic and Parks Victoria's change of conditions before you go.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check VicTraffic.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Forrest to Apollo Bay road take?

The drive from Forrest to Skenes Creek, at the Great Ocean Road near Apollo Bay, is 32 km (20 mi) and takes about 35 minutes.

Is the Forrest to Apollo Bay road twisty?

Yes. It is twisty most of the way, with tight, shaded bends through tall forest as it drops about 1,800 feet toward the coast.

What is there to do in Forrest?

Forrest is known for mountain biking, with almost 100 km of trails, as well as Lake Elizabeth, a local brewery and a general store with homemade pies.

Does the Forrest to Apollo Bay road close?

Fires and storms can close roads and parks in the Otways. Check VicTraffic and the Parks Victoria change of conditions page before you go.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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More drives near here

All 19 drives in Victoria, Australia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Forrest to Apollo Bay, from Forrest to Skenes Creek