Colac

Lifestyle & dining

Life in Colac revolves around the lake and the town centre, with Murray Street's shops, cafes and pubs forming the social hub. The Colac Botanic Gardens and the lake foreshore are popular for weekend walks, and the town's proximity to the Otway Ranges means day trips to waterfalls, forest drives and the Great Ocean Road are all within easy reach.

It's a genuine working town rather than a tourist strip, so dining tends toward solid country pubs, bakeries and casual cafes rather than fine dining, though that no-fuss character is part of the appeal for many residents.

Schools & families

Families are well catered for locally, with Colac Primary School, Colac South West Primary School, Colac West Primary School and Lake Colac School offering plenty of choice at primary level. Secondary students generally head to Colac Secondary College or Trinity College Colac, both established local institutions that mean families rarely need to look outside town for schooling.

Getting around

Colac is well positioned on the Princes Highway, making Geelong and the Surf Coast an easy drive and Melbourne accessible within a couple of hours. The town also sits on the Warrnambool railway line, with regular train services linking Colac to Geelong and Melbourne's Southern Cross Station, a genuine drawcard for those who need occasional city access without wanting to live there.

Locally, Colac is compact enough to get around by car in minutes, and the surrounding pockets of Elliminyt, Colac East and Larpent are all just a short drive from the town centre.

Housing & architecture

Housing in Colac is dominated by detached houses, which make up 81% of current listings, with a further 12% land and a small 6% share of apartments or units — townhouses are essentially absent from the market. Expect a mix of older weatherboard and brick-veneer homes on generous blocks in the older parts of town, alongside newer builds on the fringes and in growth pockets like Elliminyt.

The property market

Colac's median house price sits at $500,000, having posted growth of 9.6% recently, a sign of steady demand in a market that remains accessible compared with coastal towns further along the highway. Units and apartments are considerably cheaper, with a median of $360,000, though they represent only a small slice of the market given how few are built or listed here.

Median weekly rent of $480 reflects solid rental demand from a mix of workers, families and those unable or unwilling to buy immediately, and with houses so dominant in the listings mix, renters and buyers alike will find far more choice in freestanding homes than in units or townhouses.