Jan Juc and Torquay sit on Victoria's Surf Coast at the start of the Great Ocean Road, roughly 95 kilometres south-west of Melbourne and about 21 kilometres south of Geelong. Bells Beach is a few minutes further along the coast from Jan Juc.
Driving from Melbourne
Take the Princes Freeway (M1) south-west towards Geelong, then follow the Geelong Ring Road and the Surf Coast Highway south to Torquay. Jan Juc is immediately south-west of Torquay, and Bells Beach is signposted off the Great Ocean Road shortly after.
Allow around an hour and a half in normal conditions. Expect that to stretch on summer weekends, over Easter while the Rip Curl Pro is on, and on Sunday afternoons heading back to Melbourne.
Driving from Geelong
The Surf Coast Highway runs straight from Geelong to Torquay in about twenty-five minutes. This is also the route if you have come in by train.
By train and bus
There is no train to Torquay or Jan Juc. The usual public transport route is a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station to Geelong, then a connecting bus down the Surf Coast Highway.
Plan the whole journey, including the bus connection, through Public Transport Victoria. Timetables change, so check before you travel rather than relying on this page.
By air
Avalon Airport is the closest, about 35 kilometres away, though it handles far fewer flights than Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine. Most visitors fly into Melbourne and drive down.
Parking and getting around
Parking at the Torquay and Jan Juc beachfronts is mostly free, but it fills early on hot days and through the summer holidays. The Bells Beach car parks are small and can close entirely during the Rip Curl Pro, when shuttle arrangements usually apply — check the event details before driving out.
Torquay's shops and the Surf City outlets are walkable from the town centre. Getting between Torquay, Jan Juc and Bells Beach realistically needs a car or a bike; the coastal paths connect Torquay and Jan Juc on foot.
Where Jan Juc and Torquay are
Weather and surf
This is an exposed stretch of coast: it can be warm and still in town and blowing hard at Bells on the same afternoon. Check the forecast with the Bureau of Meteorology before you set out, particularly if you are planning to get in the water.
While you are here
See where to stay, where to eat and drink, where to surf and what else there is to do.