'No other town like it': why Lorne locals say their seaside patch is like paradise

Rob Lowther knows when he’s onto a good thing. He’s only in his 30s but when asked if Lorne is likely to be his forever home, he doesn’t hesitate.

“We’ll always be in Lorne,” he says. “It’s an awesome place to live, there’s just no other town like it.”

The young restaurateur grew up on a dairy farm in nearby Deans Marsh before heading to high school in Lorne and is now raising his own family and running three busy eateries in the seaside town on Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road.

After a driving tour of Europe in his early 20s, Lowther returned to Lorne and opened Pizza Pizza with school mate Brett Graham. Two years later, the pair opened the Bottle of Milk, a gourmet burger cafe that frequently appears on lists of Australia’s best burger joints.

And this year, after a research trip to ice cream-mad Iceland, they opened an ice cream parlour on the main street.

Team effort

A key ingredient to the pair’s ongoing success is the support and skills of the local community.

“It’s a family affair,” says Lowther. “In our business, my mum cooks the relishes, biscuits and sauces, my dad does the recycling and tip runs, my sister is the manager at the Bottle of Milk and Brett’s sister does the books.”

School mates were engaged to complete the shop fit-outs and graphic design elements and Lowther’s aim in business is to be “approachable for everyone”.

When he’s not busy feeding the town, he likes to soak up the town’s natural charms, swimming and surfing or walking in the surrounding bush.

Agent Ian Stewart from Great Ocean Road Real Estate describes Lorne as “a brilliant place of natural beauty”, where the locals enjoy a tangible sense of place.

“People who live in Lorne have a great passion towards the town,” he says. “When you’re in an area like this, and can enjoy the town for the natural amenities it has, it’s not hard to walk around with a smile on your face.”

Tourist favourite

Popular with tourists in summer, Lorne also attracts crowds at festival times. The annual Falls Festival at the end of the month will bring top music talent to town, while the world’s largest ocean swim, the Lorne Pier to Pub, will mark its 40th year in January.

Unique sculptures transform Lorne’s foreshores every two years in October and each year in May thousands of runners hit the pavement between Apollo Bay and Lorne for the Great Ocean Road Running Festival.

Lowther reckons Lorne has the perfect balance between sleepy town and buzzing beachside retreat.

Top home in the area

You can watch the sun rise over the ocean from Big Hill Estate, located about 50 metres from the beachfront.

The two-storey residence adjoining beachfront reserve is clad in timber and Corten steel and has multiple outdoor living spaces making the most of the ocean and bush vistas.

There’s also a large studio space with an equally spectacular view, a large water tank and plenty of storage.

The property is for sale with a price guide of $4.45 million, through Great Ocean Road Real Estate Lorne.