24 Hours on Victoria’s Surf Coast: Where To Stay, Eat and (Obviously) Surf

The surf towns along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road pulse with activity over the summer. But when the seasons change and the tourists go home, it becomes a perfect place to unplug. The towns are sleepy, the weather is wild, and the surf’s good year-round. Just don’t forget your wetty.

Right now, Broadsheet Access members can win a $5500 getaway to The Wensley, a timber house with space for 10 mates, inland from Anglesea. Plus, you’ll be treated to lunch by Harriet Tomlinson (a local chef with Manze and Julie cred), and score a $1000 Carlotta & Gee voucher.

Join Access and enter to spend 24 hours like this.

On your first morning at The Wensley, though it might be hard to leave the Carlotta & Gee linen sheets, you head to the open-plan kitchen and fire up the Nespresso. Take your brew (and blanket) to the deck, which overlooks 80 acres of hinterland, accompanied by rosella song.

Then make a beeline to Bells Beach down the hill – it’s acknowledged as one of the top surf spots in the country, and hosts the Rip Curl Pro every year. Watch the pros from the sand, jump in and join them, or walk the coastline trail, which offers lookouts from each headland.

Take the group to Torquay’s well-loved sanga shop, Mortadeli, which often has a queue spilling into the piazza. Try the seasonal jam, sweet ricotta and pistachio focaccia, or a loaded mortadella and stracciatella number.

Back at The Wensley, light up the firepit and crack open the bottle you picked up from one of the surrounding wineries, and lounge while Masterchef 2022 contestant Harriet Tomlinson whips up a hearty feed for the group. You can curate the lunch with her, which might include a green bean fattoush, seasonal fruit salad, or honey-glazed bread.

If you’re ambitious, venture to Currawong Falls, just 2o minutes away by car. You might even stumble across a koala. Otherwise, stay back at the accommodation and keep sipping away at that wine.

For dinner, there are two notable options – Brae and Samesyn. Brae’s a Hot-Listed fine diner, consistently recognised as one of the World’s 50 Best, close to The Wensley. It’s run by chef Dan Hunter, and the degustation menu is akin to a comforting (if highly technical) Christmas feast. Samesyn is a “profit for purpose” restaurant, where each dish spotlights an item usually discarded as surplus – think plant stems and offal. You can’t lose with either restaurant. Just book in advance if you’re seating 10.

Head home to The Wensley and lay your head on that exquisite Carlotta & Gee pillow. Before you drift off, poke your head outside and look up. The Milky Way is on full display.

If you’d like to win this trip, join Broadsheet Access today.