What are the best things to do in Apollo Bay, Victoria?

The best things to do in Apollo Bay, Victoria, include Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary kayaking tours, Marriner’s Lookout, surfing lessons and the Apollo Bay Museum.

Along with Torquay, Anglesea, Lorne, Port Campbell and Warrnambool, Apollo Bay is one of the main stops along the famous Great Ocean Road.

Apollo Bay comes just before Victoria’s Great Ocean Road leaves the Surf Coast. The road then cuts through the Otway forests before rejoining the Southern Ocean at the moodier Shipwreck Coast.

It is, of course, primarily a beach town. Apollo Bay Beach is one of the most popular on the Great Ocean Road. But there are other things to do in Apollo Bay.

Wooden Sculptures in Apollo Bay, Victoria — Wooden Sculptures in Apollo Bay. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Things to do in Apollo Bay, Victoria: Marriner’s Lookout

Primary amongst these Apollo Bay attractions is the Marriner’s Lookout. It’s worth the ten minute walk from the Marriner’s Lookout car park to take in the sweeping views of the town and coastline.

On a cultural level, the Apollo Bay Museum is slightly more interesting than many local history museums in Australia. That’s largely because it’s hosted in the buildings that hosted the first ever undersea cable connection to Tasmania. The museum isn’t just about how people did farming in ye olde days – it’s about how Australia was connected.

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.

The Apollo Bay Museum is generally only open on weekends. But that’s OK, as it’s also when the Apollo Bay Community Market takes place along the foreshore. The rule here is that everything is grown within 40km of Apollo Bay.

The Apollo Bay Community Market runs from 8.30am to 1pm, every Saturday.

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.

Things to do in Apollo Bay, Victoria: Surfing lessons

Probably top of the list of things to do in Apollo Bay, however, is hitting the surf. Don’t worry if you’ve never surfed before – Apollo Bay Surf and Kayak offers surfing lessons. One-and-a-half hour lessons cost $70, although they don’t run regularly outside the summer holidays.

Also, the kayaking tours are probably the most intriguing product offered by Apollo Bay Surf and Kayak. These Apollo Bay kayaking tours head out into the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary to meet the Australia fur seals that live on the rock islands. The seals provide excellent comedy value. Especially when they sidle down the rocks to swim next to the kayak.

Apollo Bay accommodation

There are several accommodation options in Apollo Bay. Budget-friendly options include the Apollo Bay Eco YHA and the Apollo Bay Hotel, while you can splash out on something a bit more special at the fabulously central Dolphin Apartments or the hilltop Beacon Point Ocean View Villas.

Apollo Bay is arguably the best town to use as a Great Ocean Road stopover, partly because there’s so much to see nearby.

Go slightly west of Apollo Bay, and there’s the Wildlife Wonders wildlife park. Here, conservationists lead tours exploring the local flora and fauna. You might be better off hitting out on your own, however, branching off the Great Ocean Road for walks down to Addis Bay and Shelly Beach. The Shelly Beach Walking Track is notoriously one of the best places to see koalas in Australia.

Things to do in Apollo Bay, Victoria: Skenes Creek Road

There’s also plenty to see inland. Take the Skenes Creek Road from Skenes Beach and you can quickly get to Stevensons Falls in Barramunga. Platypus-spotting hotspot Lake Elizabeth is nearby, too.

Take a westerly turn off the Skenes Creek Road, and you’ll also go near Hopetoun Falls in Beech Forest plus the Otway Fly treetop adventure course in Ferguson. Triplet Falls is very close to Otway Fly, should you wish to double up.

Melbourne to Apollo Bay drive

All of these things to do in Apollo Bay – or nearby – make the town a logical stop for anyone doing the Great Ocean Road at a slower pace. The drive from Melbourne to Apollo Bay, via Geelong and the Great Ocean Road, is around 186km in distance. This makes for a Melbourne to Apollo Bay driving time of around two hours and 49 minutes. That said, it will almost certainly take longer as you’ll be stopping at beaches and viewpoints such as Teddy’s Lookout along the way. The Lorne to Apollo Bay leg of the journey takes around 53 minutes.

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