Things to do in Apollo Bay
Apollo Bay acts as the gateway to the Otways, and is a truly spectacular destination. Its location along the Great Ocean Road makes it an ideal stopover during your travels in Victoria or a perfect holiday destination in its own right. Travel here for a holiday this year and discover the following things to do.
Apollo Bay Seafood Festival
The Apollo Bay Seafood Festival takes place in February of every year, providing an excellent event for seafood lovers to gather and celebrate all things Apollo Bay. The day out is free and family-friendly, featuring cooking demonstrations, live music, a farmer’s market offering some of the freshest local produce around, and plenty of entertainment in the form of roving performers. You can also expect to taste wine, beer and lots of seafood.
Great Otway National Park
The Great Otway National Park features some of the most beautiful natural landscapes anywhere in Victoria. Discover beaches, rock platforms and wild forests, plus lakes and waterfalls that will entice you to swim regardless of the season. Walk up to The Gables Lookout, which is an easy stroll from the main car park. Look over the ocean and around Moonlight Head in what is one of the highest sea cliff areas in mainland Australia.
The Melba Gully is also worth exploring, as it’s one of the wettest places in the state. It features a dense rainforest, plenty of plant growth including ferns and mosses and stunning glowworms that illuminate the darkness during evening walks. The gully also features a picnic area complete with a gas barbecue and picnic tables.
Waterfalls
The Apollo Bay area is within reach of many exquisite waterfalls, most of which can be accessed easily by foot. Beauchamp Falls is great for a short walk through ash forests, complete with large falls crashing over a ledge and into a pool below. For something more strenuous, try the 90-minute return walk to the Cora Lynn Cascades, or challenge yourself to the four-hour return trip to the Currawong Falls, which are particularly impressive during spring and winter. Don’t miss the Triplet Falls, which get their name due to their composition of three broad cascades nestled among Myrtle Beech trees.
Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary
Just off the Great Ocean Road is the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary which serves to protect 12 hectares of ocean water. Little Henty Reef and all that it contains is looked after by the sanctuary, with plenty of sea life living beneath the surface. Scuba dive or snorkel in the sanctuary and discover sea snails, abalone and tubeworms, with Bull Kelp forests and seaweed gardens lying in the deeper waters. Soft corals, sponge gardens and sea urchins also cohabit here, as do Australian fur seas, wrasse and Zebra Fish. You can also surf and kayak around the sanctuary, giving you another opportunity to see all this area has to offer.