Things to do near Anglesea
McQueen sits on the edge of the Great Otway National Park, with the surf coast, Bells Beach, and the start of the Great Ocean Road all within easy reach. Anglesea itself is a proper beach town, unhurried outside of summer, with a river, a golf course full of kangaroos, and a main beach that doesn't need much introduction.
Eating and drinking
Love House Dining, at the Anglesea Surf Life Saving Club, is a local favourite of ours. Share plates, bao buns and house-made dumplings, cocktails, and one of the best views on the surf coast, right on the sand at Main Beach. For breakfast or lunch, Poppie's Nursery does good food alongside its garden shop, and 4 Kings is a reliable spot for coffee and cafe fare in town.
The beaches
Bells Beach is the obvious pilgrimage, home of the World Surf League's Easter contest and worth a visit even if you've never surfed a day in your life. Main Beach is the pick for swimming and body surfing, patrolled through summer. Roadknight Beach sits tucked behind a point, sandy and sheltered, with rock pooling at low tide. For a longer walk, Urquharts Bluff is only accessible at low tide, which keeps it quiet, with Mermaids Pool about halfway along for a swim off the rocks.
Split Point Lighthouse and Aireys Inlet
A short drive along the coast, Split Point Lighthouse has stood watch over Aireys Inlet since 1891, with clifftop views along the walk. Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary sits at its base, good for snorkelling when the swell is small, with rock pools, kelp forests, and the odd octopus. Aireys Inlet has become something of an eating destination in its own right, we love Le Comptoir for French breakfast and lunch, Pasta di Puglia, Kiem's, and Al La Greque, and the Aireys Inlet pub is something of an institution with a great outdoor area.
Mountain biking
Anglesea has informal trails running out of town in almost every direction, plus a purpose-built bike park tucked away on Camp Road, open around the clock. For something bigger, Forrest is about an hour west, with over sixty kilometres of signposted single track through the Otways, a full day out on its own.
Walks, waterfalls and the rainforest
The Otways start right across the road, with walking paths through the bush from the Anglesea Heath, known for its wildflowers and orchids in spring. The Surf Coast Walk runs forty-four kilometres from Torquay to Fairhaven, with the Point Addis to Anglesea stretch a particular highlight. Further into the Otways, Hopetoun, Triplet and Beauchamp Falls are all worth the drive, along with the Redwood Forest near Beech Forest and Otway Fly's treetop walks and zipline. It's a big, layered part of the world, we've only scratched the surface here, there's plenty more to say about the Otways proper.
Local beer and wine
Bellbrae Estate, ten minutes toward Bells Beach, is the only winery directly on the Great Ocean Road, known for cool-climate shiraz, pinot and chardonnay. Salt Brewing Co, based out of the Aireys Inlet pub, has been brewing since a group of locals saved the pub from developers in 2012. Torquay, fifteen minutes away, has a cluster of craft breweries worth a crawl if that's the mood.
Further along the Great Ocean Road
The Twelve Apostles and Gibson Steps are further west, past Lorne and Apollo Bay, a proper day trip rather than a quick detour. And if you're after something special, Brae, Dan Hunter's restaurant in Birregurra, is forty-five minutes away and consistently ranked among the world's best. Book well ahead.
This is only a taste of what's on offer. Once you've booked McQueen, we'll send through our full local guide, favourite cafes, bars, restaurants and hidden corners we've come to love over our time here.
Fleur July 2026