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Apollo Bay
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After Lorne, wooded hills fall away steeply into the ocean. The road follows the coastline in twisted serpentines, becoming very narrow in places where it was literally gouged out of the rockface, occasionally descending to small bays at the mouths of the Wye and Kennett rivers. On a fine, sunny day the views are glorious, but best admired from one of the many scenic lookout points as you need to drive with care.
APOLLO BAY is in a picturesque setting between pounding surf and gently rounded green hills. Fishing - commercial and recreational - is the main activity here. If you're interested in doing a bit yourself, enquire at Apollo Bay Boat Charter (tel 03/5237 6214), which offers fishing trips and scenic boat cruises. The town has an enjoyably alternative feel - a lot of musicians live here and both local pubs often have music at weekends. The annual Apollo Bay Music Festival takes place over a weekend in mid-March and features jazz, rock, blues and country, plus many workshops (information tel 03/5237 6761; bookings through Ticketmaster, free call tel 1800 136 100). For information on local activities, head for the Great Ocean Road Visitor Information Centre on the foreshore at the eastern end of town (daily 9am-5pm; tel 03/5237 6529, fax 5237 6194), with an informative display on the rainforest and local history. Flying is becoming increasingly popular here: the Wingsports Flight Academy (tel 0419 378 616) offers courses in hang-gliding and paragliding and allows those with no prior experience to fly with a fully qualified pilot along the coast in a powered hang-glider. Twelve Apostles Airtours (tel 03/5237 7370) does scenic flights to a variety of destinations, including nearby Cape Otway and the Twelve Apostles ($70), and as far afield as King Island, Tasmania ($130); prices are per person and based on a minimum of three passengers. If you're interested in horse riding , book a trail ride with Wild Dog Trails (tel 03/5237 6441; 1hr 30min $28, full day $73); cycling enthusiasts can enquire about mountain bike tours run by Otway Expeditions (tel 0419 007 586; minimum of two people required). A few tour operators offer eco-tours , amongst them Otway Eco-Guides (tel 03/5237 7240 or 5237 9255), who run walking tours through the Otway National Park, and twilight glow-worm tours. For other sightseeing tours (4WD or normal vehicle) enquire at the Visitor Information Centre. Apollo Bay has a wide variety of accommodation . Numerous holiday apartments, cosy B&B cottages, guesthouses and farmstays are to be found in the area, many of them picturesquely located in the hills and valleys surrounding the town. One that's particularly worth seeking out is Wongarra Heights on Sunnyside Road, Wongarra (tel 03/5237 0257; $90-115), which offers B&B accommodation on a farm 12km east. Apollo Bay's main street is lined with motels , most of them rather drab affairs dating from the 1970s; one of the newer and better ones is Beachfront Motel & Cottages at 163 Great Ocean Rd (tel 03/5237 6437, fax 5237 7197; $115-150). For budget travellers, there are two hostels : the Surfside YHA , at the corner of Great Ocean Road and Gambier Street (tel 03/5237 7263, apollobay@yhavic.org.au ; dorms under $20, rooms $20-50), is a small and friendly place in a scenic location on a hill at the western side of town offering free use of surfboards, windsurfing and skin-diving equipment; while just 400m up from the main street, the Apollo Bay Backpacker Hostel , 47 Montrose St (tel 03/5237 7360 or 0419 340 362; under $50), is a small weatherboard house with dorms, cheap singles and doubles, some out the back in an extension to the house. There are several caravan parks , the closest to town being the Waratah Caravan Park at 7 Noel St (tel 03/5237 6562; cabins $50-70, on-site vans $35-50). The Pisces Caravan Resort , 2km north of the town centre (tel 03/5237 6749), also has cabins ($20-90). For foreshore camping in more secluded surroundings, try the Marengo Camping Reserve on Marengo Crescent (tel 03/5237 6162; closed May-Oct), or Skenes Creek Camping Reserve , 6km back along the Ocean Road.
In town, the
eating
places are strung along the Great Ocean Road.
Nautigal's
, at no. 58, serves great coffee, sandwiches and cakes; it's also the town's
internet cafAŠ
. You can eat in the atmospheric
Bay Leaf Gourmet Deli
at no. 131, or choose to take your picnic fodder towards the sea.
Buffs Bistro
at no. 51, serves light snacks, seafood and pasta, while
Sea Grapes Wine Bar
, at the other end of the strip at no. 141, is more upmarket, serves good coffee and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vegetarians and wholefood junkies will like the
Sandy Feet CafAŠ
, a tribute to all things healthy next door at no. 139. The
Apollo Bay Hotel
on Collingwood Street has good seafood, and also cheaper counter and bistro meals. Outside town,
Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant
, 2km up Skenes Creek Road in the hills up the coast above Skenes Creek (tel 03/5237 6411), is renowned for its Mediterranean cuisine and especially its seafood. The
Tanybryn Tea House and Gallery
, on the corner of Skenes Creek and Wild Dog roads, is also worth the fifteen-minute drive for its well-stocked craft shop, cafAŠ and fine panorama (10am-5pm; closed July to mid-Sept). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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