​The Great Ocean Road stretches for over 234kms from one end to the other and the region is bigger than that again, including many nearby inland towns. If you are visiting the Great Ocean Road with your dog, we have collated walks, activities, things to do and places to stay which are pet friendly around Port Campbell, Timboon, Princetown and Peterborough.

Dogs are permitted off leash at:

• The Port Campbell Recreation Reserve oval (lower level)
• Peterborough beach between the bridge and the monument at the carpark south of Irvine Park. Restrictions prohibit dogs between 9am and 6pm daily between 1 December and Easter Monday inclusive.
• Logan’s Beach Warrnambool

Dogs are permitted on lead only at the following places:

• Port Campbell Jetty
• Port Campbell Soldiers Memorial Walk
• Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail
• 12 Apostles Bicycle Trail
• Timboon Bushland Reserve (Cowley’s Creek)
• Timboon Power Creek Reserve
• Timboon Recreation Reserve
• Peterborough Walking Track
• Peterborough Wild Dog Cove
• Princetown Serpentine Boardwalk
• Princetown Old Coach Road East to the Recreation Reserve
• Princetown Recreation Reserve
• Johanna Beach
• Sandy Cove in the Childers Cove area
• Dogs are allowed on leash in all Corangamite Shire townships. These towns include but are not limited to Port Campbell, Princetown, Timboon, Cobden, Camperdown and Terang.

If spending the day or more in Warrnambool, find out more about designated dog friendly areas. 

​Timboon is the easiest town to get around with dogs as there are plenty of grassed areas and easy access to walking trails from the town centre which are dog friendly. Timboon is only a 16-minute drive from Port Campbell and a 29-minute drive from Princetown. There are also a few good take away places including Timboon Take Away and The Fat Cow Food Co so you can grab something food and drinks to go, then sit and enjoy your food outside with your fur baby.

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is dog friendly with a large outdoor seating area and grass plus they make ice cream suitable for dogs in maple bacon, banana, vanilla and peanut butter flavours. Their doggie ice cream is inspired by owners Tim and Caroline's dogs Winnie and Rose. Winnie and Rose doggie ice cream is low lactose, low sugar and low fat and is churned with hemp seed oil to make those furry coats shine. 

Dogs are also welcome in the gardens with outdoor seating area at Schulz Organic Creamery and Café just a few minutes drive from Timboon township.

Dogs are welcome at 12 Rocks Café in Port Campbell. We recommend calling ahead to check with Port Campbell Hotel (pub) and Sow and Piglets Brewery which both have small outdoor areas.

Daysy Hill Country Cottages, Port Campbell – There are one and two bedroom cottages and two bedroom cabins suitable for staying with your dog. Comfortable and clean accommodation. Daysy Hill has an undercover bbq area, fire pit and picnic table with a view. Both cottages and cabins are well suited for you and your furry friend to relax. Pets are unable to stay in the suites but are welcome in the cabins and cottages. Please bring your pooch’s own bedding and bowls. There are a number of animals including chickens that wander the gardens, friendly sheep and some cattle on the property.

Seahorse Coastal Villas, Peterborough - Set off the Great Ocean Road and surrounded by countryside, this unassuming collection of villas is 1 km from Peterborough Golf Course, 5 km from The Grotto rock formation and 25 km from the Twelve Apostles scenic point. Relaxed, air-conditioned villas provide Wi-Fi access, TVs and kitchens, as well as laundry facilities. Some villas have bunk beds.

12 Apostles Motel & Country Retreat, Princetown - Set on 3 hectares of country property on the edge of Port Campbell National Park, this tranquil motel is 3 km from The Twelve Apostles rock formations and 7 km from Loch Ard Gorge. The cosy rooms feature microwaves, tea and coffeemaking facilities, flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi (surcharge). Room service is available. There are also cottages with kitchenettes. Amenities include a restaurant/bar and a barn, plus a playground, BBQ facilities and gardens. Breakfast is offered for a fee.

Bayview no. 2 at Bayview Villas, Port Campbell - This beachfront 2 bedroom apartment is located just across from the beach & only a 1 minute walk to the nearest coffee shop.

Surf break at Bayview Villas, Port Campbell - Beautiful views over looking the bay of Port Campbell and just a few meters from the beach edge.

Princetown Recreation Reserve Powered and unpowered sites. Undercover BBQ Area, Picnic Tables, Childrens' Playground, Tennis Court, Toilets. The Princetown Recreation Reserve is located 6km's east of the 12 Apostles, adjacent the Gellibrand River. Dogs are allowed within the Recreation Reserve when walked on a lead and kept at owners camp but unfortunately they are not allowed on the beach as it is a National Park. 

More pet friendly accommodation

Ride With Us provide offer pet friendly bike hire and transport for Timboon, Cobden, Port Campbell and surrounds.

Finishing your hike with a view of the 12 Apostles is undoubtedly a stand out experience on the Great Ocean Walk, however there are many other highlights of the walk.

Popular features include the Cape Otway Lightstation (also known as the Cape Otway Lighthouse), Wreck beach, spotting wildlife including wallabies and koalas and the dramatically different scenery from the tall trees to the cliff top beach views. 

We asked Great Ocean Walk hikers which were their favourite parts of the Great Ocean Walk and there was a general sentiment that the entire trail is worth doing for it's beautiful scenery which changes as you walk. However hikers told us if they had to choose, the walk between Cape Otway and Aire River has great views from cliff tops. There is also the bonus in this section of having the option to walk on Station Beach and down to Rainbow Falls if the tide permits. Other hikers said their favourite sections included Blanket Bay, Devil's Kitchen and Aire River to Johanna Beach. If planning on camping overnight, the Johanna Beach campsite is often the most mentioned as a favourite spot due to its views. Another Great Ocean Walker said if you are only going to do one section, Johanna Beach to the end of the walk has many spectacular highlights.

For those new to hiking and looking to ease your way into it, Elliot Ridge to Blanket Bay or Cape Otway to Aire River are some of the best sections of the walk to try.

There is no right or wrong way to plan your itinerary for the Great Ocean Walk. All hikers are different. Some people plan to hike approximately 10km per day and others choose to walk as far as 30kms in one day. If you are not in a hurry just to tick off the goal of finishing the walk, we recommend factoring in a little bit of extra time to go slow and enjoy your surroundings, spot wildlife and enjoy your time in nature (perhaps allowing for the odd detour and photo opportunity).  We have heard of hikers who spent an 11 hour day hiking 27kms only to regret it later and wish they'd been able to slow down and enjoy their surroundings.

There are suggested time frames for completing the walk depending on your preferred pace/fitness level however the terrain can be challenging at times which is why the recommended kilometres per day often appear shorter than what you might have expected. There are also factors like mud to consider during Winter, Spring or periods of heavy rainfall. We recommend purchasing the official Great Ocean Walk visitor guide/map which gives detailed information about the trail.  

The Great Ocean Walk can generally be divided into eight walking sections, although many people choose to combine sections or alter the start and finish locations of each day's hike to match their ideal overall hiking time frame.

There are numerous variations of how you can complete your Great Ocean Walk in anywhere from 5 to 7 days. Below is an indication of how you might consider completing the walk in six one day hikes:
1. Apollo Bay to Blanket Bay
2. Blanket Bay to Cape Otway
3. Cape Otway to Castle Cove
4. Castle Cove to Milanesia Gate
5. Milanesia Gate to Gables carpark
6. Gables Carpark to the 12 Apostles

Great Ocean Walk hikers planning a day hike from the start of the trail will usually walk from Apollo Bay to Shelley Beach, Elliot Ridge or Blanket Bay. Although not as common, the more ambitious hikers will walk from Apollo Bay all the way to Cape Otway in one day.

Recently Sandra Timmins from Ride With Us spoke to Geoff Edlund from Weekend Notes about the many things to do when visiting Port Campbell, on the Great Ocean Road.

Sandra talked to Geoff about the taxi, tour and bike hire services on offer from Port Campbell. Tours can be local to Port Campbell and take in the iconic sights including The 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge or you might like to venture inland and explore some of the hidden gems of the region.

The Great Ocean Walk is a 100km hiking trail traversing from Apollo Bay and ending at The 12 Apostles. The trail has views to die for. Imagine dramatic coastlines where many shipwrecks lay, beautiful beaches, rolling hills and plenty of bushland to experience.

Sandra was excited to share the news with Geoff that a new 12 Apostles Bicycle Trail is almost complete which joins with the Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail. Sandra said "a new trail will extend from Timboon to Port Campbell, with the option to stayover on the coast for the night - creating more of a holiday experience".

Read more about what to do and where to stay in Port Campbell on Weekend Notes.

Two bridges were recently replaced on the Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail which is now open again from Camperdown to Timboon.

Timber bridges 11 and 12, located on the trail between Glenfyne and Timboon have been replaced with steel bridges with higher rails to accommodate horse riders and are weight rated for the committee to be able to maintain the trail. The two original bridges were initially built by volunteers in the nineties and made of timber. There are still three timber bridges which the rail trail committee are working towards having replaced in the future.

The Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail is pet friendly and is available for walking, cycling, ebikes and horse riders, however because of weight limits on the three bridges which need replacement, no horses are permitted between Merrett's Road and Bridge 15, about 1 km north of the Timboon Trestle Bridge. Motorbikes and trail bikes are also not permitted on the trail.
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The trail meanders its way through forest and grazing paddocks and passes by historic railway trestle bridges. A lesser known regional Victorian rail trail, the trail is a hidden gem and makes for a very peaceful ride. ​

Feeling peckish along the way? Stop in Cobden at the Cobden Golf Club for a bite to eat in the bistro (you'll be riding right through the middle of the golf course) or detour into the main street for a pub meal at Thommo's or a quick bite to eat at one of the cafes or the local bakery. If you have more time on your hands, stroll through the op shops and locally owned clothes, gifts, homewares, lolly and sewing stores. 

When you reach Timboon, reward yourself with lunch at Timboon Railway Shed Distillery or a local cafe then enjoy an ice cream at the famous Timboon Fine Ice cream(ery). Wander the shops for more lollies, gifts, clothes and homewares.

The Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail now also connects to the Twelve Apostles Trail at Timboon. Some sections are still in progress however once complete, the trail will take cyclists right to the coast at Port Campbell. Please check weather conditions and updates about the current status of the Twelve Apostles Trail before commencing your ride.

The wonderful thing about rail trails is we get to see parts of Australia which are inaccessible by car. The peaceful and almost hidden locations are often seemingly undiscovered, and at times you will rarely pass another trail user. This is true for the Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail which is located in the Great Ocean Road hinterland region in Southwest Victoria.

The Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail takes bike riders and hikers from Camperdown to Naroghid then approximately 30 kilometres along the rail trail through dairy farms to Timboon which is renowned for its farm gate produce and locally made gourmet fare. The rail trail also joins up with the newly constructed 20 kilometre 12 Apostles Trail which is a bicycle, walking and running path from the Great Ocean Road hinterland town of Timboon to the coast at Port Campbell.

The Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail is a treelined compacted earth track, taking hikers through the middle of dairy farms, past relics of the old railway trestle bridges and over the historic Timboon Trestle bridge. A peaceful walk through a combination of flat grazing country and rolling hills, the trail has varying difficulties depending on which section of the trail you choose to walk. During wet weather some sections of the trail can be muddy or slippery at times. Nobby bike tyres or hiking boots are recommended in Winter, Spring and after rain.

Camperdown to Naroghid
Due to parts of the old railway line being used as farmland, the section of trail between Camperdown to Naroghid requires riders to ride along country roads without a footpath however the remainder of the trail from Naroghid to Timboon is a scenic off-road ride. To avoid the roads, it is recommended you start your ride from Naroghid or another section of the trail rather than Camperdown.

Naroghid to Cobden
There is a rail trail car park on Cross Forest Road at Naroghid where the off-road section of the Camperdown to Timboon Rail Trail starts. This is a good place to start your ride. From here the trail is mostly flat, travelling in between dairy farms with an easy, almost unnoticeable descent into Cobden. Once you arrive at Cobden, the trail goes through the middle of the Cobden Golf Course, past the relics of an old rail bridge. The Cobden Golf Club is available for riders to stop in for a toilet break, drink and a bistro or bar meal. Alternatively, ride or walk 1km into Curdie Street, Cobden’s main street for a variety of options from a sandwich to a sit down or take away hot meal.

When you are ready to continue on, there is a short detour from the rail trail at the end of the golf course to rejoin the trail. Walk along McKenzie Street towards the CFA building, along Neylon Street to Grayland Street, then rejoin the trail on Grayland Street behind Hewitt & Whitty.

Cobden to Glenfyne
This 11km part of the trail is fairly flat and runs alongside farms, often running adjacent to or weaving across the Cobden-Warrnambool Road. There are a few major road crossings along this section of the trail, so watch for vehicles travelling at speed and please cross with care. On either side of the Cobden-Warrnambool Road at Glenfyne there are large shelters and the Glenfyne Public Hall has under cover picnic area, BBQ facilities and parking available.

Looking for things to do in Cobden? Here are our top things to do covering a variety of family friendly, art, history, nature and outdoors.