Journalist and author Anneli Knight finds a great beach escape – with seal colony and grotto – hours from the city.
Apollo Bay is a picturesque seaside town, about three hours from Melbourne along Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road. The town has maintained its local charm and laid back atmosphere, being just far enough away from the city that it’s not inundated by city-dwellers every weekend. The town is known for its high rolling green hills dotted with dairy cows, its sparkling, gentle surf beaches, and the spectacular Otway Ranges rainforest that encircles it.
Here are some of the highlights:
Great Ocean Walk
Apollo Bay is the starting point to the Great Ocean Walk, Victoria’s most popular coastal trail. This 100 kilometre track winds along remote beaches, through passages of melaleucas, and along luscious valleys, where you will be richly rewarded at the end with views over the dramatic Twelve Apostles. A great day hike along this trail is from Aire River to Rainbow Falls, where you’ll find a waterfall splashing over a grotto into the ocean.
For information on the Great Ocean Road drive, walk and other sights along the way, visit: www.greatoceanrd.org.au
Kayak to the seal colony
A marine sanctuary hugs the shores of Apollo Bay making it home to a host of sea creatures. It’s a great adventure to paddle out to the Marengo Seal Sanctuary where you can watch the seals and their pups lounging on the rocks or diving into the water and splashing about in the water around you.
Seafood Co-op
To ocean is the centrepiece of Apollo Bay – and not just for its sparkle and its surf. The Seafood Co-op brings you culinary treats, pulled fresh from the sea, with the fat, fleshy lobsters a must-try.
You’ll find the Co-op in the Western end of the main beach at Trafalgar Street. Phone: (03) 5237 6591.
Rainforest Walks
There are beautiful trails through a selection of rainforests.
Closest to town, and most easily accessible is the Maits Rest walk, along a covered board walk beneath the thick canopy temperate forest. You can walk into the archways of giant tree roots, skip past luscious ferns, lichens and moss in this enchanting fairytale forest.
For a perspective from the rainforest canopy: head to the Otway Fly about an hour from Apollo Bay. These sky-high walkways give you a birds-eye view of the forest and the “Zip Lining” wires makes you feel as though you can fly. www.otwayfly.com
At night, venture into Melba Gully where you can spot glow worms among the ancient myrtle beeches.
Where to stay
Otway Getaways offers a range of accommodation options, either nestled into the rainforest or right by the seaside in town.
www.otwaygetaways.com.au or call 0428 315 060.
