Apollo Bay Is An Ideal Place To Stop For A Few Days

If you're thinking of taking a drive or tour of the Great Ocean Road, be sure and give yourself extra time to explore Apollo Bay. Located in the foothills of the Otway Ranges just before the Great Ocean Road traverses Cape Otway, it makes an ideal setting to get out of the car and explore the beautiful scenery you have admired from a distance.

Look in any direction from Apollo Bay and you behold natural beauty. From the comfort of your seat at a sidewalk caf, you can look across the grassy foreshore to the surfing and swimming beach right out to the blue horizon. Turn around and see the green rolling hills that spread out into the distance as far as the eye can see.

You will love the fact that while it has great restaurants and shops, it doesnt feel touristy. The principle industry in the town is fishing and while visitors are more than welcome and are catered to in style, you get the feeling you are a guest and not a customer.

After you've spent a day or two recharging your batteries, Apollo Bay makes a great base from which to explore the scenic wonders the Great Ocean Road is so famous for. You can do it the hard way, by taking the Great Ocean Walk, which extends from Apollo Bay all the way around Cape Otway to the fabled Twelve Apostles; a distance of nearly 65 miles (104km). The walk is set up to make it easy for you to just take it in small, manageable doses. A great way to get your first taste of the Great Ocean Walk is to make a day trip from Apollo Bay and back again.

When you get back on the road to explore Cape Otway, don't miss the Light Station. The scenery along the way is breathtaking and words cant describe the views from the lighthouse. If you are completely captivated by it, you can make arrangements to stay in the Lighthouse Keepers four bedroom cottage for a minimum of two nights on your next trip to Apollo Bay.

Cape Otway is so well known, you may not realize just how many other scenic areas there are around Apollo Bay. Barham River Road follows the Barham River upriver through the verdant rainforested Barham Valley to beautiful Marriners Falls. On the other side of the Barham River is the small coastal village of Marengo. Then there's Skenes Creek, another delightful village just up the coast on the Great Ocean Road and Evans Lookout, just a mile or so inland from Skenes Creek.

Too many people stop over at Apollo Bay on their way to somewhere else on the Great Ocean Road. They don't realize what they're missing out on. Their loss is your gain, because you will find that Apollo Bay is a refreshing change from the usual. You will be welcomed like a family member at your Apollo Bay accommodation and if you do just a little exploring, you'll find that you have your choice between a simple backpackers lodge or motel, a luxurious villa or just about any other type of accommodation you could want. Once you get to know Apollo Bay, you will love it so much, you will want to return again and again.