We are going to take our kid to Great Ocean Road on Oct 1st. Road trip all the way. Plan to start from Apollo Bay on Oct 3rd, pass Melbourne and arrive at Phillip Island. Has anyone ever driven like this? How long will it take? Is it possible to take a short train in the middle? Do you think this arrangement is appropriate ?

Have you considered going to the Twelve Apostles first and then heading to Phillip Island via Apollo Bay on the way back? I've thought about it too.

If you don't stop at Apollo Bay to Melbourne, the time on the light train should be enough. You will also have enough time to get to Phillip Island.

Yeah, I'm not sure if we'll make it in time. I'm also with a child, so I'll probably need to take a break in about an hour and a half.

The small train can be booked in advance on the official website or travel agency, remember to print the paper ticket, catch the earliest train, the journey from Melbourne to Puffing Billy is about 1.5 hours, the tour time on the small train is about 2 hours, the journey from Puffing Billy to the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is about 1.5 hours, it is recommended to take the children to have a look, choose one of Churchill Farm and Koala Conservation Centre, it is relatively hard for children over one year old to wait for the penguins to return, it is cold and time-consuming, it is recommended to book VIP tickets, and must be booked in advance! And must stay on Phillip Island, to go to the Great Ocean Road, you can choose the high-speed Melbourne direction and Geelong direction, or go to Sorrento by ferry to Queen's Cliff and Geelong direction. The journey from Apollo Bay to Puffing Billy is about 4.5 hours, it is relatively tired to take the children, it is recommended to rest for one day in Melbourne after returning from Apollo Bay, or rest near a winery or hot spring hotel in the Mornington Peninsula.

The child I'm taking care of needs to get off and take a break every hour and a half.