Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay is a popular tourist resort and is well serviced with a variety of accommodation establishments and types. There are hotels, motels and resorts. There are a considerable number of self catering and holiday type accommodation such as bed and breakfasts (also known as bnb and b&b), apartments, holiday houses, cottages, cabins, guesthouses as well as tourist or caravan parks, and three backpackers or hostels. Also check out the self contained accommodation and bed and breakfasts in the nearby hamlets of Wongarra, Petticoat Creek, Skenes Creek to the north east of Apollo Bay and Marengo to the south west of Apollo Bay.

Self catering accommodation – Apartments, holiday houses, cottages, cabins, b&b’s and guesthouses in Apollo Bay are:

Featured Properties

Tourist, Caravan or Holiday Parks in Apollo Bay are:
 

• Kooringal Holiday Park

• Marengo Holiday Park

• Pisces Holiday Park

• Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve Caravan & Camp Park

The Motels in Apollo Bay are:
 

• A Great Ocean View Motel

• Coastal Motel

• Lighthouse Keepers Inn Motel

• The International (Comfort Inn)

• Waterfront Motor Inn

• Apollo Bay Beachfront Motel

• Apollo Bay Motel (Best Western)

• Motel Marengo

• Skenes Creek Lodge Motel

• Seaview Motel and Apartments

The Hotels in Apollo Bay are:
 

• Apollo Bay Hotel

The Backpackers or Hostels in Apollo Bay are:

• Apollo Bay Backpackers

• Surfside Backpackers

• Apollo Bay YHA Eco Beach

Apollo Bay Information

Apollo Bay is located 186 km south west of Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road, 45 km west of Lorne. It is approx. 3 hours driving from Melbourne. 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 principal towns on the Road and surrounded by magnificent country.

The Apollo Bay area was first sighted by Lieutenant Grant aboard the Lady Nelson in 1845. Apollo Bay was named by Captain Loutit, who sheltered here in his vessel ‘Apollo’. A unique place of natural beauty, Apollo Bay is often referred to as ‘Paradise by the Sea’. The special charm of Apollo Bay is due to a certain remoteness down the Great Ocean Road from the commercial tourist destinations.

Apollo Bay nestles into the picturesque green foothills of the Otway Ranges that roll down to a sweeping arc of golden beaches and sky-blue sea. Dozens of cypress trees dot the wide foreshore reserve, while the fascinating Otway National Park is just a stone’s throw away.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area around Apollo Bay was inhabited by Aborigines who lived largely on the produce of the sea. The first major European settlement occurred in 1850 when timber cutters moved into the Apollo Bay 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. On 10 July 1932 Apollo Bay was the scene of a shipping disaster when 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 with the loss of 10 lives. This was witnessed by townsfolk gathered on the jetty to welcome the boat. The anchor from the Casino is located outside the Apollo Bay Post Office. 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.

Things to See and Do: 

Apollo Bay, Tourist Information
The Apollo Bay Great Ocean Road Information Centre is located on the Apollo Bay Foreshore.

Events and Festivals in Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay Music Festival. The annual Apollo Bay Music Festival has been held for 15 years; usually in March or April. It is a smaller more laid back version of the Port Fairy Festival.

Apollo Bay Great Ocean Sports Festival – held in February

Apollo Bay and Otway District Show - Apollo Bay and Otway Show was held on the 3rs Saturday in January on the Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve, right on the Great Ocean Road, beside the Barham River and the beach.

Apollo Bay Saturday Foreshore Market - Every Saturday market stalls are set up between the Information Centre & the Surf Lifesaving Club.

Apollo Bay, 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.

Apollo Bay, 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. A great area for visitors to explore.

Apollo Bay, 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 intersection of Skenes Creek Rd and Wild Dog Road at Tanbryn, ph: (03) 5237 6271.

Apollo Bay Lookouts, Picnic Spots and Walks
Apollo Bay 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.