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| Apollo Bay
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Apollo Bay
Typical attractive seaside resort town on the
Great Ocean Road
Located 186 km south west of Melbourne on the
Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay is a very typical
seaside resort with lots of motels and holiday
accommodation. Its primary appeal is that it is
accessible from Melbourne and is one of the key
towns on a particularly beautiful stretch of
coastline.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area
around Apollo Bay was inhabited by Aborigines
who lived largely on the produce of the sea.
Ancient middens have been discovered on the
Otway Peninsula near the Aire River.
By 1840 the enterprising Henty brothers had
established a major whaling station at Portland
and over the next seven years they had a small
whaling station at Point Bunbury which is where
the Apollo Bay golf course now stands.
The first major European settlement occurred
in 1850 when timber cutters moved into the
district. They cut timber and floated it out to
ships moored off shore. This industry led
inevitably to the establishment of a number of
sawmills. At this time the settlement was
variously known as Apollo Bay (after the
schooner Apollo) and Middleton. Then in 1877 the
name was officially changed to Kambruk. It
wasn't until 1952 that it officially became
Apollo Bay. Not surprisingly, throughout the
19th century the major access to the town was by
sea.
By 1864 farmers had moved into the area. John
Cawood, one of the town's founding pioneers, was
farming land around the Barham River. A decade
later (in 1873) a Colonel Heath started farming
at Mounts Bay. That year also saw a fortnightly
road mail service. Further land sales occurred
in 1877 and a school was opened in 1880.
On 10 July 1932 Apollo Bay was the scene of
one of the greatest shipping disasters ever
witnessed on the Australian coast. The coastal
steamer Casino, with a number of locals aboard,
tried to berth at the town's jetty. It was hit
by freak waves, listed and sank, taking ten men
down to their deaths. This occurred in front of
the townsfolk gathered on the jetty who did all
they could to save the people on the boat. The
anchor from the Casino is located outside the
Apollo Bay Post Office.
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| The Great
Ocean Road about 5 km east of Apollo Bay
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The road to the town was upgraded in 1927 and
in 1932 the Great Ocean Road was completed. This
ensured the town's future as a tourist and
holiday destination. It is also an important
fishing port with a large fleet scouring the
southern ocean for crayfish, shark, whiting,
flathead and snapper. Enthusiastic amateurs will
not be disappointed by the rock and beach
fishing. The Apollo Bay Music Festival is held
each year in March.
Things to see:
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Tourist Information
The Apollo Bay Great Ocean Road Information
Centre is located on the Apollo Bay Foreshore,
tel: (03) 5237 6529. You can also check out
www.visitapollobay.com or www.greatoceanroad.com
Old Cable Station Museum
Open on weekends this museum is housed in the
old cable station which was established to
achieve telecommunications between Tasmania and
the mainland. It contains a good and interesting
collection of local memorabilia.
Bass Strait Shell Museum
Located at the eastern end of Noel Street the
Bass Strait Shell Museum is open most days. It
has an impressive collection of local and
overseas shells.
Otway Ranges
Apollo Bay is one of the many entry points to
the beautiful Otway Ranges and the Otway
National Park. There are a number of routes into
the ranges which are spectacularly beautiful and
largely untouched. See
Cape Otway for details.
Tanbryn Gallery
Tanbryn Gallery is situated to the north-east of
Apollo Bay in the Otway Ranges. It displays and
sells fine arts and craftworks. Morning and
afternoon teas are available, as is
bed-and-breakfast accommodation. It is open
daily on school and public holidays from 10.00
a.m. to 5.00 p.m. At other times it is open
Thursday to Monday but closed entirely from
mid-July to mid-September. To get there head
east along the Great Ocean Road for 6 km to
Skenes Creek then veer off, heading north for 13
km to the intresection of Skenes Creek Rd and
Wild Dog Road at Tanbryn, tel: (03) 5237 6271.
Lookouts, Picnic Spots and Walks
The town is surrounded by interesting and
important lookout and picnic spots including the
Barham Paradise Scenic Reserve and Marriners
Falls, the exceptionally beautiful Barham River
Valley, Grey River Scenic Reserve and Walk (23
km east of Apollo Bay), Elliot River and Elliot
River Walk (10 km south-west of Apollo Bay).
Maits Rest Picnic Ground is located 17 km
west of Apollo Bay, just off the Great Ocean
Road. The Maits Rest Rainforest Walk is a
30-minute stroll through fern gullies and
eucalypts to a viewing platform beneath a
300-year-old myrtle beech which is on the
National Trust register. It is an unusual growth
combining two or three trees in one. The route
is wheelchair accessible.
Glowworm Tours
Lloyd Pearce conducts afternoon/evening walking
tours which focus on local glowworms, fauna and
flora, taking in rainforests, tree ferns, steams
and waterfalls. The tours are wheelchair
friendly and there are farm animals for
children, along with photographs and memorabilia
of early European settlement, tel: (03) 5237
6791.
Horseriding
Bimbi Park is located on Lighthouse Road at Cape
Otway, tel: (03) 5237 9246.
Books
There are two excellent books on the Great Ocean
Road which we strongly recommend to anyone
planning to spend extended time in the area.
Explore The Great Ocean Road has very
detailed information on all the attractions and
excellent maps of the towns and the coastline.
It is an ideal companion if you are going to do
some bushwalking or you want to reach beyond the
regular tourist destinations. See
http://walkabout.fairfax.com.au/fairfax/booksMaps/booksMaps00018.shtml
for more information.
Great Ocean Road: A Travellers Guide has been
written by a photographer consequently the
pictures are excellent and his focus has been on
providing detailed information on the
accommodation and attractions in the area. It
has a comprehensive listing of all the Bed and
Breakfast and Guest Houses along the road with
photographs and prices. Very handy if you are
planning to stay somewhere other than a motel or
caravan park. See
http://walkabout.fairfax.com.au/fairfax/booksMaps/booksMaps00019.shtml
for more information.
Both can be ordered from the Walkabout Books
and Maps location.
