Apostles Great Ocean Road

The Twelve Apostles: Fewer Than the Name Promises, More Than You Expect

There were never twelve of them. When sealers first worked this stretch of Victorian coastline, they called the limestone stacks the “Sow and Piglets.” The tourism industry renamed them the Twelve Apostles in 1922 to make the drive from Melbourne worth marketing, and the name was always generous. Today, after collapses in 2005 and 2009, seven or eight stacks remain – the number is somewhat contested depending on what you count as a distinct formation. This is not a disappointment. The remaining stacks, some rising over 45 metres from the Southern Ocean, are extraordinary on their own terms, and the erosion that removed the others is the same process that created them in the first place.

The Great Ocean Road itself is worth noting. It was built between 1919 and 1932 by returned soldiers as a war memorial and an employment programme. At 243 kilometres, it is the world’s largest war memorial. The drive from Torquay to Warrnambool earns respect for engineering as much as scenery.

Seeing the Apostles

The viewing platforms at Port Campbell National Park provide panoramic access to the main stack groupings. The walk from the car park to the platforms is short and paved. The Apostles are best photographed in the two hours before sunset or in the early morning – the late light creates shadows and colour that midday never produces. A helicopter tour from Port Campbell gives the aerial perspective that ground views cannot, and the 15-minute flight over the coastline is worth the cost if the budget extends.

Gibson Steps, a 86-step descent to the beach directly below the cliffs, lets you stand at sea level and look up at the formations. The perspective is completely different from the viewing platforms above.

Loch Ard Gorge, five minutes east of the Apostles by car, is named for the iron sailing ship that was wrecked here in June 1878. Of 54 people on board, two survived. The gorge has a protected beach accessible by steps and a dramatic natural arch. It is one of the more affecting stops on the coast.

How Long to Stay

Two to three days is the minimum to do the Great Ocean Road properly. Melbourne to the Apostles is a long day drive without stops; most people doing it as a day trip see a version of it that is significantly compressed. Apollo Bay, 40 kilometres east, is the most practical base: small town with restaurants, a good harbour, and access to the Otway Ranges rainforest.

The Otway Ranges are the inland counterpart to the coastal drama: temperate rainforest with tree ferns, tall eucalypts, and the Erskine Falls near Lorne. Kennett River, 20 minutes east of Apollo Bay, is the easiest place in the country to see wild koalas – they sit in the roadside trees in numbers that consistently surprise people who expected to look harder.

Practical Notes

The Great Ocean Road is narrow and winding in places. Allow 4 to 5 hours of drive time from Melbourne to the Apostles without stops, more with them. Weather is variable year-round: coastal winds are persistent, temperature drops sharply after sunset, and rain is possible in any season. Bring layers regardless of the forecast. School holidays and the December through January period are the busiest times; April through May and September through October give better weather odds and thinner crowds.