Apollo Bay Travel Guide

  Apollo Bay, Victoria
by cal6060
 
  • Apollo Bay, Victoria
      Apollo Bay, Victoria
    by cal6060
  • Apollo Bay, Victoria
      Apollo Bay, Victoria
    by cal6060
  • Apollo Bay, Victoria
      Apollo Bay, Victoria
    by cal6060
  • Great Ocean Road, Victoria
      Great Ocean Road, Victoria
    by cal6060
  • Great Ocean Road, Victoria
      Great Ocean Road, Victoria
    by cal6060
 

Pro

bless&jair profile photo

 location, easy-going locals, good bottom pub 


Con

Steve-H profile photo

 Probably not enough room for the peak season tourists. 


In a nutshell

Kate-Me profile photo

 Very picturesque, lots to do, nice beach town 

 

Explore Apollo Bay

Things to Do  

12 Apostles

12 Apostles, Apollo Bay

 ahouse2003 Says:  One of the main attractions of The Great Ocean Road just outside Apollo Bay are the magnificent 12 Apostles. This is a must-see if you are driving this route. There is a visitor's center with lots of information about the formation of the rocks. Once you exit the visitor's... 

Fishing

Fishing, Apollo Bay

 ahouse2003 Says:  Fishing is an important industry in Apollo Bay. You can find many local fishing spots on the banks of the Southern Ocean. All you need is a fishing pole! 

Surfing

Surfing, Apollo Bay

 ahouse2003 Says:  Like many towns along the Great Ocean Road, surfing is definitely on the list of things to do. You can pull off the road and find a surf beach almost anywhere in Apollo Bay. 

Apollo Bay Golf Club

Apollo Bay Golf Club, Apollo Bay

 cal6060 Says:  There is a beautiful golf club just next to the ocean. It is wonderful to play golf and enjoy the mountains and ocean. You can find it here. 

Shopping in Apollo Bay

Shopping in Apollo Bay, Apollo Bay

 cal6060 Says:  There are some souvenir shops that you can purchase merchandising of great ocean road and apollo bay. I bought few pins, a T-shirt, and etc. It is very nice to walk around in a quiet street. You can have coffee or tea in those cute cafes, have lunch or dinner in of of those... 

Tour to Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge & London B

Tour to Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge & London B, Apollo Bay

 cal6060 Says:  I booked a tour starting Apollo Bay to Cape Otway National Park. Then, it continued the journey to Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. Overall, I think the tour is ok, not great because it is more like a bus service than a tour service. I paid A$60, started at... 

Sojourn With Nature and Stretch Your Legs

Sojourn With Nature and Stretch Your Legs, Apollo Bay

 tigerjapan Says:  Maits Rest Walk is a part of the Otway National Park beside the Great Ocean Road, west of Apollo Bay. It was a great place to take a break from driving and stretch the legs.The walk is quite easy and should be suitable for all ages. A track wanders through fern glades and... 

Harbour

Harbour, Apollo Bay

 leffe3 Says:  At the far western end of AB is the cute little fishing harbour. It's still very much a working harbour - although small there are a number of fishing boats that sail out from here. Thankfully, it haasn't been swamped by yachts/sail boats or re-developed as a marina.You can... 

Beaches

Beaches, Apollo Bay

 leffe3 Says:  Any trip along the Great Ocean Rd is going to involve a beach - even if it is walking along one for a few minutes on a busy one-day tour schedule. With wide expanses of white sand interspersed with tiny rivermouth beaches and little coves, the options are varied.Apollo Bay... 

Otway Ranges

Otway Ranges, Apollo Bay

 Zanzibargirl Says:  Located not far from Apollo Bay The Cape Otway Ranges and National Park provide a natural escape and a change from the beachside scenery that most of the Great Ocean Road provides. The Great Ocean Road actually loops through sections of this natural wonderland which spans... 

Hotels  

The Beachfront Motel And Cottages

 1 Review and 94 Opinions  We booked this hotel without knowing anything about the area or the Motel other than some info we... 

Restaurants  

Great Ocean Hotel: Excellent Food at Inexpensive Prices

Great Ocean Hotel: Excellent Food at Inexpensive Prices, Apollo Bay

 cjg1 Says:  The Great Ocean Hotel is one of the pub/restaurants in Apollo Bay right on the main street. We had wandered the main street in search of a place for dinner and this caught our eye. We wanted a local, casual place with a good variety of food options and this hit the spot.Upon... 

Chris's Restaurant: possibly the best restaurant on the Great Ocean Rd

Chris's Restaurant: possibly the best restaurant on the Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay

 bless&jair Says:  wonderful restaurant which is formal but relaxed. has amazing views over-looking the ocean (Skenes Creek) with beautiful sunsets for that 'special' occasion. the service is formal but relaxed and the staff know there stuff - food and wine. the wine list is pretty amazing and... 

La Bimba: A real find

La Bimba: A real find, Apollo Bay

 leffe3 Says:  This was quite a find (although pretty obvious as its on the main drag!), a small, fairly intimate bistro on the 1st (American 2nd) floor overlooking the bay. (On return to Melbourne, discovered that it is regarded critically as one of the best on the Great Ocean Rd)It's a... 

Transportation  

Driving

Driving, Apollo Bay

 cjg1 Says:  My wife and I rented a car in Melbourne for our Great Ocean Road Adventure. Driving was easy despite the winding and hilly roads. We arrived in Apollo Bay and made this our first overnight stop on our journey. One in town we parked the car at the motel and walked the town... 

Great Ocean Road & Apollo Bay Bus

Great Ocean Road & Apollo Bay Bus, Apollo Bay

 cal6060 Says:  You can in/out of Apollo Bay from Melbourne with this Vline Bus Service. The timetable is very punctual. It you don't want to miss a bus, please be at the bus stop 10 or 15 minutes earlier. The bus starts from Geelong bus terminal, and end here at Apollo Bay Visitor... 

Shopping  

Foodworks: Gathering Some Provisions
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2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

cjg1 5047 reviews

Foodworks was one of the grocery stores in town just a few blocks from our hotel. My wife and I decided to stop in here to pick up some bottles water, snack and some breakfast items for the next day(we had a fridge in the room as well as a kitchenette). Prices here were reasonable and the store was very clean.

Updated Jan 23, 2013

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Warnings and Dangers  

Brrrr...it can get cold at night
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cjg1 5047 reviews

We arrived in sunny warm temperatures but as the sun crept down in the sky it became very chilly. Fortunately we came prepared and packed heavier clothing for the trip. We were also glad to have a nice heated mattress at our motel and well as a nice heater.

Written Jan 29, 2013

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Tourist Traps  

Cape Otway Lighthouse
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leffe3 2258 reviews
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It's great that the lighthouses along this coast are open to the public, giving the opportunity for the general public to access the buildings as well as see the views acheived through standing at the topmost point of the structure. Cape Otway also offers a number of other buildings to explore including a little museum.

Problem is, it's a complete rip off at $12 per person (imagine 2 adults and 2 kids). The lighthouse itself is OK, with great views. But the 'museum' is a joke, the telegraph office OK and the cafe is there of course to encourage spending more. A $6 or $7 charge would be OK, but not $12 - especially as the site is leased out to a private enterprise rather than the public purse.

Fun Alternatives: If you are there for the views, drive elsewhere along the coast and stop in the free carparks!

Updated Jan 24, 2006

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Off The Beaten Path  

Skenes Creek
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3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

leffe3 2258 reviews
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I suppose nothing is really 'off the beaten track' when it comes to the Great Ocean Rd, but a few kilometres before you come to Apollo Bay from Lorne/the east is Skenes Creek. Its little more than a centre for holiday homes, climbing away from the beach up the hillside. But the beach is one of the nicest in the area and seems to be the most popular with surfers.

It's also the spot where the Otway Ranges are fairly 'gentle', rolling down to meet the sea, providing undulating verdant fields and exposed hillsides, providing great (but arduous) walking tracks into the interior.

Updated Jan 11, 2006

Related to:
 National/State Park
 Beaches

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Favorites  

Friendly People
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2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

cjg1 5047 reviews

Favorite thing: Apollo Bay was a pleasure to visit. Not just beause of the beauty of the Ocean but the friendly people. Everyone we met from the Motel Clerk, shop keepers, servers at the pub were so friendly and nice. It was a pleasure chatting them up and talking about their town.

Written Jan 29, 2013

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Comments

Map of Apollo Bay