Apollo Bay.
Apollo Bay is located on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia, between Lorne and Cape Otway.
With a population of just about 1600 people, Apollo Bay is just one of a number of beautiful little towns situated along this picturesque stretch of the Victorian coastline.
195 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, Apollo Bay is a scenic 3½ hour drive by car via the Great Ocean Road but if you're in a hurry a shorter alternative route is via Forrest and Birregurra, which takes just under 3 hours.
This town has everything you would expect from one situated in such beautiful surroundings, plus a few extras.
On one side you’ve got a perfect beach that never gets too crowded and on the other the magnificent cascading Otway Ranges.
But it’s what lies between that puts Apollo Bay on my list of Australia's top 100 towns,
The lucky residents of Apollo Bay live cosmopolitan lifestyles, with cafes, restaurants, shops and fresh seafood direct from The Fisherman’s Co-Op, all the while surrounded by two of Australia's stunning natural wonders.
As a popular tourist destination, Apollo Bay offers both swimming and surf beaches as well as a large boat harbour and marina which is home to a major fishing fleet.
The town's commercial centre, which features a good selection of restaurants and cafes, is situated along one side of the Great Ocean Road, overlooking a wide, grassy foreshore which fronts the main swimming beach.
Another popular beach is located at the mouth of the Barham River in Mounts Bay.
It’s the starting point for the popular Great Ocean Walk and just 30 minutes away lie the Hopetoun Falls with their almost endless walking tracks and swimming holes that are chilly but refreshing.
Overlooking Apollo Bay are rolling green hills, which create quite a scenic backdrop when viewed from the beach, foreshore and shops.
Panoramic views can be enjoyed from the Marriners Lookout, located at the northern end of town off Marriners Lookout Road.
It's a short walk from the car park along a scenic mountainside pathway to the lookout where there are views of Apollo Bay's town centre, the harbour and beaches up and down the coast.
Under certain weather conditions the silhouette of the SS Casino, a steamship which sank in 1932 while trying to dock at Apollo Bay, can be seen in the waters close to the shore when looking eastwards over the caravan park.
If you prefer to drive take yourself along the Barham River Road which follows the Barham River inland from the coast through the lush rainforest of the Barham Valley, eventually ending up at the Marriners Falls.
The small seaside community of Marengo is located just south of Apollo Bay on the other side of the Barham River, it offers quiet, sandy beaches where you can have some sand all to yourself and a 5 kilometre drive north of Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road takes you to Skenes Creek, which is another small and scenic seaside community.
Fantastic views of the coast can be enjoyed at Evans Lookout, a couple of kilometres inland from Skenes Creek on the main road to Forrest and Colac.
The beautiful Great Otway National Park, which houses Australia's oldest mainland lighthouse at Cape Otway, is easily accessible, making Apollo Bay a great place to enjoy both the coast and the bushy Otway Ranges hinterland.
Located at the foothills of the Otways and in the heart of the Great Ocean Road region, the beach is a focus for activity all year round.
Swim in the crystal waters or learn to surf, go horse riding on the beach or enjoy some of the best deep sea fishing you'll find anywhere, you can even go kayaking with the local seal community if you're so inclined.
Not into the beach?
Head into the Otway Ranges behind Lorne and Apollo Bay where you'll find some of Australia’s best rainforest scenery.
Walk among tall trees and giant tree ferns at Maits Rest, see ancient and intricate plant life, lush ferns and mosses at Melba Gully or experience the full beauty of the rainforest on the Otway Fly tree top walk and enjoy a bird's eye view of the spectacular rainforest.
Discover high waterfalls in its narrow valleys, including the impressive Triplet Falls, and secluded falls over fern-fringed pools.
Dramatic cliffs and secluded beaches can also be found along the shore at remote and beautiful Cape Otway.
Prefer to explore the town?
Well there are one or two good museums worth exploring in Apollo Bay.
There is the Bass Strait Shell Museum, at the golf course end of town, offering a good collection of local and overseas shells, coral and preserved sea life specimens and the Old Cable Station Museum, on the Great Ocean Road at the northern edge of Apollo Bay, features collections of local memorabilia housed in the former cable station which was used for communications between Tasmania and the Australian mainland.
There are a variety of places where you can stay from campsites and backpackers to motels and units, with many situated along the Great Ocean Road itself and as you would expect there are also some excellent places to eat out in and around the town.
Of course fishing is an important local industry and the most delicious locally caught seafood is on top of every menu at the local cafés and restaurants.
Yes, Apollo Bay has to be on our list of Australia's best 100 towns, visit soon you'll ......enjoy,
John.
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