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Great Ocean Road (Lorne & Apollo Bay) in January
Good month: January is in the middle of the recommended season (October – April). Against it: Bushfire Season. Plan around: Summer School Holidays: Full and Dearest.
The season runs to the end of April, 3 months away. Bushfire Season: usually over after February.
2 days in Great Ocean Road (Lorne & Apollo Bay) in January · from ₹30,147 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
The weather in January
What the season does to Great Ocean Road (Lorne & Apollo Bay) this month.
Worth knowing
Bushfire Season
December to February is bushfire season. On days of extreme or catastrophic fire danger, national parks and walking tracks close and total fire bans apply. Check the state fire service app (Fires Near Me in NSW, VicEmergency, Alert SA, Emergency WA) each morning, keep plans flexible, and leave early if told to.
Before you book January
Closures, crowds and rules at Great Ocean Road (Lorne & Apollo Bay) this month.
Heads up
Summer School Holidays: Full and Dearest
Australian schools break from about mid-December to late January. Beach towns, camping grounds and domestic flights fill up and prices rise 30-60%, with minimum stays over Christmas and New Year. Book months ahead, or come in February or March.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹30,147 for two
- Room a night₹9,810
- Food a day, each₹4,251
Mid-range
₹63,979 for two
- Room a night₹17,000
- Food a day, each₹9,810
Luxury
₹1,44,212 for two
- Room a night₹35,970
- Food a day, each₹22,890
What January does to prices
- Beach towns, camping grounds and domestic flights fill up and prices rise 30-60%, with minimum stays over Christmas and New Year.
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Australia yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Melbourne (MEL), 154 km away
Then: Transfer · 3h 30m (Rental car along the Great Ocean Road, per vehicle)
Flights from India: from 7 cities, one way from ₹38,000
Fly into Adelaide & the Barossa (ADL), 620 km away
Then: Transfer · 9h 30m (Rental car via Port Campbell, Mount Gambier and the Coorong, per vehicle)
Flights from India: from 5 cities, one way from ₹40,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹16,350
- Apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist stream, online in ImmiAccount (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) at least 6-8 weeks before you fly. The fee is AUD 250 (about ₹16,350) and is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- If asked, give biometrics (photo and fingerprints) at an Australian Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global; some applicants are also asked for a medical check.
- Wait for the grant letter before booking non-refundable flights: it is an electronic visa linked to your passport, with no sticker. Check the stay it allows (usually 3 months a visit) and any "no further stay" condition.
- On the plane, fill in the Incoming Passenger Card and tick "yes" for any food, spices, seeds or plant and animal products you carry. Declare it all; officers will check it and most packaged food is allowed.
Carry: Passport valid for the whole stay (6 months beyond is safest), the same one used for the visa; Visa grant letter (ImmiAccount, printout or PDF); Return or onward ticket; Proof of funds: recent bank statements and income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer or proof of your business; Hotel bookings or an invitation letter from your host in Australia; Travel insurance with medical cover (visitors are not covered by Medicare).
The visa fee went up on 1 July 2026: newer sources give AUD 250 for a Tourist-stream application made outside Australia, one older page AUD 200; check the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay. Australia's biosecurity rules are strict: declare all food, or risk a fine and the cancellation of your visa.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Australia in January
Also in season this month.
- Adelaide & the Barossa · great month
- Byron Bay · great month
- Cradle Mountain · great month
- Hobart · great month
- Melbourne · great month
- Perth & Rottnest Island · great month
- Kangaroo Island · good month
- Margaret River · good month
Nearby in Melbourne & Victoria:
Want this as a real plan?
Great Ocean Road (Lorne & Apollo Bay) in January, day by day, priced for your group.