The other way to Lorne
The Great Ocean Road gets you from Torquay to Lorne in about 45 minutes when it's moving, and a lot longer when it isn't. The inland road through Deans Marsh is the alternative: farm country and rolling hills, a small town with a good general store, then a forest road that drops into Lorne from behind.
It isn't quicker on a clear day. It's about an hour to Deans Marsh and another 20 minutes down to Lorne, so call it an hour and a quarter or so. But it's the road to take when the coast is jammed, when you've already seen the cliffs, or when you want a coffee stop in the hills.
The drive from Torquay
From north Torquay, take Grossmans Road and Coombes Road to Hendy Main Road, then a string of local roads (Grays, Forest, Larcombes, Nobles and Layard) across to Cape Otway Road. From there it's the Winchelsea-Deans Marsh Road into town. Put Deans Marsh into your map rather than trying to remember all that. It's about 55 km and an hour, and you shouldn't be sent through Geelong or down the Great Ocean Road.
The road's sealed all the way, but it's narrower and bendier than the highway. Fill up in Torquay before you go, because there's no servo in Deans Marsh.
Photo: Longboy Media for The Store Deans Marsh,
used with permission 
Photo: The Store Deans Marsh,
used with permission 
Photo: The Store Deans Marsh,
used with permission The Store
Deans Marsh is a small farming town, and the place to stop is The Store, at 1419 Birregurra-Deans Marsh Road. It's a café, general store and bottle shop in one, run by Dale and Jayne Stringer, who took it over in late 2025. It's open from 8am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 3pm on Sundays and public holidays.
There are egg and bacon rolls and breakfast wraps every day, a deli cabinet, and seasonal specials from Friday to Sunday. On the first and third Sunday of the month, they do a full cooked breakfast. Out the back, there's a garden with tables under pink umbrellas.
The Deans Marsh Market is on the last Sunday of November, February and March, from 10am to 2pm at the recreation reserve in town. For wineries, food and farm gates nearby, Dale and Jayne point people to the Otway Harvest Trail, which has a trail map you can download.
You'll see plenty of bikes. The town's a coffee stop for road and gravel riders, and the men's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race has come through here on its way back to Torquay. Expect road closures on race day.
Down to Lorne, or on to Forrest
From the town, the Deans Marsh-Lorne Road runs south through forest and comes out on Mountjoy Parade in Lorne. It's about 24 km and 20 minutes. You miss the Memorial Arch and the cliffs, but you also miss the queue if the coast road's stopped between Fairhaven and Lorne.
A good loop if you've got the day: inland to Deans Marsh in the morning, down to Lorne for lunch, then home along the Great Ocean Road in the afternoon. The Lorne day trip has Teddy's Lookout, the pier and the falls above town.
Forrest is the other way, about half an hour west of Deans Marsh via Birregurra. It's a longer day, but The Store makes a good stop on the way to Lake Elizabeth and Stevensons Falls. Don't try to fit Lorne and Forrest into one day. Pick one.
Birregurra, a short drive north, has Brae, a well-known restaurant. You'll need to book well ahead. It's not somewhere to drop into for a quick lunch.
When to take it
Take it
Summer weekends and January, when the traffic backs up from Anglesea. Days when the coast road's closed. Grey days when you can't see the sea from the Great Ocean Road anyway.
Skip it
Your first trip down the coast, on a clear day with no hurry. The run through Anglesea and Aireys Inlet is the one you came for. And give it a miss on Cadel Evans race day if the course is on these roads.
Watch for wildlife
Kangaroos and wallabies are out on these roads at dawn and dusk. Slow down then, especially through the forest, where the trees come right up to the road.
Deans Marsh FAQ
How long is the inland drive to Lorne?
About an hour to Deans Marsh, then about 20 minutes down the Deans Marsh-Lorne Road. The coast road is about 45 minutes when it's clear.
Is it faster than the Great Ocean Road?
Not on a quiet day. It can be when the coast is busy, and it's the way to go if the coast road's closed.
What's open in Deans Marsh?
The Store, at 1419 Birregurra-Deans Marsh Road, is the café, general store and bottle shop. It's open seven days: 8am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 3pm on Sundays and public holidays.
When is the market?
The last Sunday of November, February and March, from 10am to 2pm at the Deans Marsh recreation reserve.
Can I get to Forrest this way?
Yes. It's about half an hour from Deans Marsh via Birregurra. The direct route from Torquay goes through Birregurra and takes about an hour and a quarter.
Is the road sealed?
Yes, all the way from Torquay to Lorne. It's narrower and bendier than the highway, so take your time, especially at dawn and dusk.
Is Brae open for lunch?
Brae is in Birregurra, not Deans Marsh, and you'll need a booking. Don't count on a table if you just turn up.
Lorne itself is in the Lorne day trip. The forest past Forrest is Lake Elizabeth and Stevensons Falls, and the treetop walk further on is the Otway Fly. Race weekend on these roads is on the Cadel Evans page. To stay at the house, check dates and send an enquiry.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 30 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Store details (email to Holyday House, 30 October 2026) — The Store Deans Marsh
- Otway Harvest Trail — Otway Harvest Trail
- The Store Deans Marsh — The Store
- Menu — The Store
- Things to do in the Otways — The Store
- Deans Marsh Markets — The Store
- Brae Restaurant — The Store