Holiday houses in Port Fairy

Port Fairy is a picturesque coastal town at the end of Victoria’s famous Great Ocean Road, around 3.5 hours from Melbourne. It’s characterised by wide streets lined with old stone churches and 19th-century buildings, more than 50 of which are protected by the National Trust of Australia. There’s also an array of boutiques, antique stores, and craft shops to explore in Port Fairy, not to mention a mix of trendy cafes, locally focused restaurants and pubs. All this historic charm sits alongside a six-kilometre stretch of beach that is consistently rated as one of the best in Victoria. Port Fairy is a short drive to the Budj Bim National Park, one of only two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the state. Port Fairy is also known for major music festivals. Every year the town hosts one of Australia's largest music festivals which brings more than 40,000 people to town.

Summer in Port Fairy is filled with warm days for enjoying the beach and the many outdoor activities on offer. The Moyneyana Festival runs annually from Christmas Eve to Australia Day on the 26th of January. It starts with a free BBQ and a sing-along on Christmas Eve and continues with various events including a float parade, live music, and fireworks displays.

In spring and autumn, you can expect changeable weather in this part of Victoria, with a mix of sunny and cooler days. In March a world renowned four-day folk festival takes centre stage in town — featuring local and international artists performing jazz, blues, folk, rock, and bluegrass music. Whenever you decide to visit, there is a great range of holiday rentals in Port Fairy to enhance your stay.

Port Fairy’s East Beach

Spend a day enjoying Port Fairy’s East Beach, consistently voted one of Victoria’s favourite beaches. The six-kilometre crescent of white sand is patrolled by lifesavers in spring and summer, so you can feel safe swimming here. The most famous spot on the beach is Oigles, where waves break over an old shipwreck. This spot is popular with surfers. The Northern end of the beach is beautiful but avoid swimming here as the rips can be strong.

Griffiths Island

Just a short walk from town is Griffiths Island. Here you’ll find a series of walking tracks that wind through low-lying scrub, where you’re bound to spot the abundance of birdlife living here, including one of Australia’s largest breeding colonies of shearwaters and mutton birds. Keep an eye out for swamp wallabies bouncing around. Make your way to the stunning lighthouse and Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, which were built in 1859. The lighthouse is still operational and the views from here are amazing.

The Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles

Take the 25-minute drive to the start of one of Australia’s most iconic scenic routes — the Great Ocean Road. The 240-kilometre road starts from Warrnambool and hugs the rugged coastline nearly all the way to Torquay. The road is a great route to and from Melbourne, but you don’t have to do the whole journey to enjoy the experience. There are many scenic lookouts along the way, including the Twelve Apostles, which is just 45 minutes from Port Fairy. This is one of Victoria’s most famous natural landmarks — a series of rock formations rising spectacularly from the ocean.