Barwon Heads is alive with ocean air and cool coastal vibes. The town has a dream position with a mix of gentle estuary, rocky coastal headland and ocean beaches.

Families love the river beach for paddling and water play, and the rockpools exposed near the Bluff at low tide. The river is perfect for stand up paddleboarding too. Around the corner, Thirteenth Beach has some of the best breaks to offer surfers on this part of the coast.

The main street has more than a couple of good places to eat and plenty of boutiques to shop up a storm – whether you favour on-trend fashion, chic homewares or local food and wine from provedores.

Just out of town, three of Victoria’s best public access golf courses overlook the Thirteenth Beach coastline. Barwon Heads Golf Club and the two courses at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links are regularly featured in the top 20 courses in Australia and the latter hosts the annual Vic Open tournament featuring golf’s best from home and abroad.

A little further, at Barwon Heads Airport, there are bigger thrills on offer – skydive onto the beach, adventure flights, scenic flights or aerobatics. All these are on routes often travelled by local Cadel Evans – and his mates each January – for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, a designated UCI world tour event.