Twelve Apostles helicopter flights on the Great Ocean Road
To get a better impression of what the Great Ocean Road’s Shipwreck Coast is all about, try a Twelve Apostles helicopter flight from Port Campbell, Victoria.
The Twelve Apostles, near the coastal town of Port Campbell on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, are one of Australian tourism’s signature images. There may only be seven of these dramatic limestone stacks jutting from the Southern Ocean – there were only ever eight and one fell down in 2005. But they’re one of the key highlights on the Great Ocean Road’s Apollo Bay to Warrnambool section.
The Shipwreck Coast in Victoria, Australia
If you walk from the car park to the lookout and the weather’s decent, you’ll get a good photo. And the same applies for the other photo stops at other grandstanding rock formations along the Shipwreck Coast.
But nipping into the lookouts at Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, the Grotto et al feels bitty. You’re just getting a series of nice photos without getting a proper vision of how the coastline fits together.
For a wider, unified picture of the Shipwreck Coast, the best way to see the Twelve Apostles and more is a scenic flight.
7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences
1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour. 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb. 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster. 5. Guided wildlife walk. 6. Budj Bim National Park tour. 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike.
Twelve Apostles helicopter flights
12 Apostles Helicopters offers a Twelve Apostles scenic flight for passing visitors. These Great Ocean Road helicopter tours depart from behind the giant car park set up for visitors to the Twelve Apostles. On busy days, it can feel like it is factory farming tourists into the sky. But the views once airborne on these Twelve Apostles helicopter flights are undeniably spectacular.
The basic 15 minute, $145 flight takes in five key sites along the coast. These are the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, the Sentinel, the Arch and London Bridge. In all honesty, this is enough to get an idea of what this stretch of the Great Ocean Road is about. But if you want to go the whole hog, longer, more expensive flights to the Bay of Islands and koala-dotted Cape Otway are also available.
Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne
- For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
- To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
- For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
- For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
- For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
- For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.
If you’ve never been in a helicopter before, this is a great place to break your duck. The views are impressive, and these Victorian heli flights are about as cheap as you’ll get. If you’ve done several helicopter flights in the past, you may prefer to save your money for something else.
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