Things to See and Do
The Apollo Bay Community Market
The community market in Apollo Bay happens every Saturday from 9am-1pm, selling the freshest produce - grown,
cooked or created from the best local ingredients. Also sellins arts, crafts, jewelry, homewares and lots more and better still its
all produced locally.
The Twelve Apostles
The amazing Twelve Apostles stand in the powerful waters of the Southern Ocean with the dramatic backdrop of seacliffs
sculpted by weather and relentless waves. These towering rock pillars emerge from the crashing seas and stand as high as
45 metres. The Apostles date back 20 million years, and have been shaped by the forces of nature.
The relentless, stormy Southern Ocean and forceful winds gradually eroded the limestone, forming caves then arches and finally stacks.
These giant rock stacks are a central feature of the spectacular Port Campbell National Park.
To find out more about The Twelve Apostles go to the Parks Victoria web site at
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
The Apollo Bay Music Festival
If you like music The Apollo Bay Music Festival is one to mark on the calendar. Renowned for its relaxed but
festive atmosphere, it offers a unique celebration of music and life in a friendly country town. The Apollo Bay Music Festival is
held in April every year and attracts a broad range of artists,
from rock, jazz, blues and funk, to opera and spoken word.
To find out more about the music festival go to their web site at
www.apollobaymusicfestival.com
The Otway Fly
Enter the treetops via the specially constructed 2.5km high walkway through the forest. The longest treetop walk of its kind in the world.
Climb the 47m tower or walk the cantilever. See giant rainforest trees such as Myrtle Beech and Mountain Ash, or gaze down at the fern gullies.
To find out more about The Otway Fly please go to their web site at www.otwayfly.com
Kayaking to see the Seal Colony with Apollo Bay Surf and Kayak.
Paddle out to the Seal Colony viewing the coasts beautiful hills and reefs from the ocean.
Have fun paddling as a team in our 2 seated kayaks, and then the adventurous can catch waves back to the shore!
Learn about the Australian Fur Seals and how they live. Experience them up close and personal and fingers crossed they may swim over to learn about you!
Apollo Bay Surf and Kayak can also provide you with Surf Lessons, Snorkelling, Rafting, Indigenous Tours,
Rock pool Rambles, Fishing, Body Board & Mountain Bike Hire.
To find out more about Kayaking with the Seals go to Apollo Bay Surf and Kayaks web site at www.apollobaysurfkayak.com.au
Swimming and Surfing Beachs.
Besides some of the Great Ocean Road's best scenery, there is a string of swimming and surfing beaches
between Lorne and Apollo Bay/Marengo. They range from small sandy coves to the sweeping expanse at Apollo Bay.
Apollo Bay has a lovely sandy beach right in front of town.
The main beach at Apollo Bay, like that of Lorne, is very popular for swimming or just taking it easy on the golden sand,
both are patrolled by lifesavers during the summer holidays.
Along the coast, between Lorne and Apollo Bay, there are good surf spots at Cumberland River, Wye River, Baldy Rock, Skene’s
Creek, Sawmills and Kennett River. The monsters around Apollo Bay are Marengo, and Boneyards.
35 kilometres west of Apollo Bay lies the windswept Johanna Beach, one of the top surfing beaches in Victoria.
Often used as a back up for the Bells Classic at Easter.
To find out more about the different Beachs go to the Great Ocean Road web site at
www.greatoceanroad.org
The Lorne Pier to Pub
The Lorne Pier to Pub held every year in january, up to and more than 20,000 spectators line the Lorne foreshore.
Basking in the summer sun, beachgoers wade in the cool waters to watch the 4,300 swimmers make the 1.2km journey from the pier to the pub.
To find out more about or how to enter the Lorne Pier to Pub go to the Lorne Surf Club web site at www.lornesurfclub.com.au
Otway Waterfalls
Plunging waterfalls amid peaceful cool, temperate rainforests are an Otways specialty.
It is fair to say that no trip to the Great Ocean Road is complete without visiting at least one of the peaceful yet breathtaking
Otways waterfalls. Most of the waterfalls are accessed by walks of varying lengths through beautiful forests of tree ferns and towering ancient eucalypts.
Waterfalls including the spectacular Triplet Falls, Hopetoun Falls and Beauchamp Falls are located in the
areas surrounding Beech Forest, with walks in varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. Carisbrook Falls, near Wongarra
also offers picnic and toilet facilities just off the Great Ocean Road.
To find out more about Waterfalls in the Otways go to the Great Ocean Road web site at
www.greatoceanroad.org
Seanic Ocean Tours on the Moonlight.
The Moonlight is a large 17 meter vessel. Tours start by traveling north out of the Apollo Bay Harbor, to
visit the site of the sunken ship S.S Casino. If visibility permits you can view the wreck 2 meters below. From there you travel back to south of the Harbor
to the Seal Breeding colony and Marengo Marine Sanctuary. Young or old people enjoy watching the seals and their pups lazing on the safety of the rocks
or playing nearby in the waves. The crew of the Moonlight give a detailed commentary on the seals and are on hand with all their local knowledge to answer questions.
To find out more about taking a tour on the moonlight go to the Apollo Bay Fishing and Adventure web site at www.apollobayfishing.com.au
The Cape Otway Lighthouse
The Cape Otway Lighthouse built in 1848 at the northern end of the eye of the needle and was the oldest operational
lighthouse with unbroken service on the mainland Australian coast, until it was decomisioned in january 1994.
It has been replaced by a low powered solar light in front of the original tower.
For thousands of immigrants, after many months at sea, Cape Otway was their first sight of land after leaving Europe.
To find out more about The Cape Otway Lighthouse go to their web site at
www.lightstation.com
The Great Ocean Road Marathon
The next Great Ocean Road Marathon will be held on May 16 and 17 - 2009. The marathon runs between Lorn and Apollo Bay,
the Great Ocean Road is closed to all traffic for the time of the race and this makes it a unique opportunity to run this magnificent
piece of coast without vehicular interference.
There are four different events over the weekend and you can enter or watch many as
you wish.6.5km and 14km, plus 25km OR 45km!
To find out more about or how to enter the Great Ocean Road Marathon go to their web site at
www.greatoceanroadmarathon.com.au
Shipwrecks
The western coast of Victoria has seen lives lost and dozens of ships wrecked more than any other stretch of Australian coastline.
The seafloor is littered with what remains of the wrecks whose cargoes included migrants, hopeful gold miners and convicts.
Some of the wrecks around Apollo Bay include the Casino, which sank in the harbour with the loss of 10 lives in 1932,
and the City of Rayville, a US cargo ship that sank after hitting a mine off Cape Otway in 1940.
It was the first American shipping casualty of World War Two. On a good day if visibility permits you can see the wreck of the S.S Casino just 2 meters below the surface.
To find out more about shipwrecks in the Otways go to the Great Ocean Road web site at
www.greatoceanroad.org
The Great Ocean Walk
The Great Ocean Walk is a 91-kilometre trail that winds its way along Victoria's spectacular south-west coast.
You can join the track at one of the many access points, and set out on a short, day or overnight walk between the town of Apollo Bay
and Glenample Homestead near Port Campbell. Along the way take in breathtaking coastal scenery, including the lighthouse at
Cape Otway, the anchors and debris on Wreck Beach, Aire River and views of the magnificent Twelve Apostles from boardwalks and lookouts.
To find out more about The Great Ocean Walk go to their web site at
www.greatoceanwalk.com.au
Otway National Park
Otway National Park is perfect for a wide variety of recreational and nature-based activities.
Some of the most rugged and inaccessible coastline in Victoria lies in the 12,876 hectare park,
reached via the Great Ocean Road this 60-kilometre stretch of parkland from Apollo Bay to Princetown is
an invitation to the adventurous to explore.
The Otway Ranges are full of beauty and history, and the best way to explore them is on foot. Taking to the tracks allows you to walk deep into the temperate
forest and see the many animals and plant species that make the ranges their home. There are many walking tracks around the Otway Ranges. They vary in
distance and difficulty, however they take in some of the most spectacular scenery available in South West Victoria.
To find out more about the Otway National Park go to the Parks Victoria web site at
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
Seanic flights with Apollo Bay Aviation.
The 12 Apostles, tour departs Apollo Bay with the Otway Ranges as a backdrop. On the outbound leg to the
historic Cape Otway Lightstation, flying along the coast where no roads or vehicles go!
Fly onward up this most breathtaking coast past Moonlight Head, Historic Loch Ard Gorge, the 12 Apostles Monoliths
and on to the Bay of Islands (optional).
Then fly back via the Otway Rainforest and descending back into Apollo Bay.
To find out more about the seanic flights go to their web site at www.apollobayaviation.com.au
West Barwon Reservoir
Rainfall on the Otway Ranges is captured in the West Barwon Reservoir near Forrest.
The Reservoir provides a beautiful backdrop for a picnic, BBQ and walks and you can take the dog.
(just make sure a leash is used and you clean up afterwards)
Apollo Bay Golf Course
Apollo Bay boasts one of this coast's most picturesque golf courses.
The nine-hole layout occupies a prime site on the point overlooking the ocean and bay. While the course is definately not long,
its exposed position on the coast can play havoc with club selection. On a windy day many a player needs a long iron or wood to
reach the 1st, all 122 metres. On a calm day its a great course for beginners and a chance to hone the short irons for the better player.
The course has nine greens and utilizes two teeing areas for each hole. The course is fairly short in comparison to todays standard
but can be a real challenge in windy conditions as it is right on the coast line. Its always maintained in very good condition and is
well worth playing while on your travels along the Great Ocean Road.
