​Port Campbell is a picturesque coastal town on the Great Ocean Road. The town of Port Campbell is only 11 minutes’ drive from the 12 Apostles and has a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants, petrol, services and amenities as well as some magnificent bay and coastline views. Located approximately 3 hours’ drive from Melbourne, 1 hour from Colac or 1.5 hours’ drive from Apollo Bay, Port Campbell is like the less famous but just as good-looking little sibling to the more well-known towns of Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay. Port Campbell is sure to surprise you. 

Hire a bike from Ride With Us and ride along the newly built Timboon – Port Campbell Trail. Choose a bicycle or ebike and enjoy a leisurely ride along the purpose built 19km bicycle and walking trail with scenic views from the coast to the award-winning Top Tiny Tourism Town of Timboon. Pets allowed on this trail.
Stop off at Schulz Organic Dairy and Café before continuing into Timboon for handpicked strawberries, award winning Timboon Fine Ice Cream, whisky, cafes and lolly shop as well as clothing and gift boutiques.
You also have the option to ride one way to Timboon or Cobden and be dropped back to Port Campbell at the end of your ride. The bicycle meeting point in Port Campbell is the Sow and Piglets Brewery & Guest House. 

​Cross the Port Campbell suspension bridge and climb the stairs to the top for beautiful views over Port Campbell. There is also a small car park with access off the Great Ocean Road for those who don’t want to climb the stairs.

The Port Campbell Discovery Walk is a scenic walk along a winding gravel path with ocean views. Take in the sandstone cliffs and views over the town of Port Campbell and its small bay as you make your way through the low-lying scrub to Two Mile Bay and back (approximately 4.8kms return). Park in Port Campbell and head towards the Port Campbell Surf Lifesaving Club. Take the path next to the Caravan Park and across the Port Campbell suspension bridge, then climb the stairs to the top and follow the path. Alternatively, there is a small car park with access to the trail off the Great Ocean Road or Two Mile Bay. Dogs are not allowed on this walk. See where you can take your dog here.

The 12 Apostles are the number one attraction in the region and is an experience we recommend ticking off your bucket list. A purpose built viewing platform allows you to take in the views. The most spectacular time of day is usually sunset. While you’re there, don’t miss the opportunity to spot the little penguins that typically begin to emerge from the sea 10 to 15 minutes after sunset. Little penguins can also be spotted from London Bridge. Note that this is not an up-close experience with penguins so binoculars are recommended. Loan binoculars are available from the Port Campbell Visitor Information Centre. Ask at the Visitor Information Centre for the best place to spot the little penguins during your stay. 

There are a handful of eateries and drink spots to choose from including a pub, microbrewery, beachside dining and bar, cafés, restaurants and take away. Grab an afternoon sweet treat at the lolly shop or the seasonal ice cream bar. For foodies on an adventure, follow the 12 Apostles Food Artisan’s Trail from Port Campbell to Timboon and surrounds, enjoying the tastes of local produce including cheese, handpicked strawberries, chocolate and homemade fudge, just to name a few.

This section of the Great Ocean Road is known as the Shipwreck Coast and for good reason. The treacherous waters around this area fooled many sailors. Visit Loch Ard Gorge which is named after the Loch Ard ship which ran aground crashing into Mutton Bird Island in 1878. The only two survivors out of the 52 passengers were teenagers Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael who dragged themselves to the safety of the beach inside Loch Ard Gorge. There are several walks and lookouts with beautiful views.

Prior to 1990, London Bridge connected to the mainland before one of the arches collapsed, leaving it as its own little island. When the seas are rough huge swells crash up against the sides of the limestone landmark which will leave you in awe. Grab your camera for a magnificent photo opportunity.

Just a few minutes drive from London Bridge you will find The Grotto. Wander down the steps into the sink hole for a unique view through the limestone arch and out to sea.

There are many more lookouts with easy walks along this section of the coast including Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands and Gibson Steps where you can also make your way down onto the beach when conditions are suitable.

Dogs are not allowed on these walks. See where you can take your dog.

The Great Ocean Walk is a 100km coastal hiking trail which stretches from Apollo Bay, through Cape Otway to the 12 Apostles. The trail is designed to be walked in one direction over a period of 5 to 8 days however day hikes are also a great way to experience the spectacular trail without needing to commit to an overnight or multi-day hike experience.  
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Not all sections of the trail have vehicle access to or near the trail. For one day hikes from Port Campbell, we recommend walking from Princetown Recreation Reserve to the 12 Apostles (7kms) or from The Gables to the 12 Apostles (approx. 18km). The walk has magnificent views, and scenery so is well worth the trek if you are into an active holiday. 

Looking for things to do in Cobden? Here are our top things to do covering a variety of family friendly, art, history, nature and outdoors. 

If you're keen to enjoy the magnificent 12 Apostles Food Artisans Gourmet Trail - why drive yourself around the spectacular loop when you can indulge yourself and be chauffeured by the team from Ride with Us.
 
Book a tour for five passengers between now and the end of November and we'll let you fill the remaining three seats in our shuttle bus for no extra cost. As an added bonus, we'll also throw in a gourmet produce gift for everyone.
 
Imagine eight friends or family members enjoying six hours of amazing local beer, wine, cheese, chocolate, fudge, strawberries, ice cream, gelato, whisky and more without having to worry about finding your way or driving.
 
Among its extensive suite of transport services, Ride with Us also offers Crater to Coast Bicycle Hire to help people enjoy the picturesque Timboon rail trail. If you come for a ride between now and the end of November you’ll only pay half-day rates for a whole day of bike hire – no matter how many bikes you need!
 
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0438407777
Facebook: ridewithusau
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Seven lucky locals became the first group to experience the region’s new 12 Apostles Gourmet Trail Shuttle Tour this week.

Ride With Us officially christened its new dedicated shuttle service, which takes small groups from stop to stop along the iconic foodies loop to enjoy the local produce.

Owner Sandra Timmins said the day was a great success and she was excited to be playing a role in the region’s burgeoning food tourism offering.

“The producers along the food loop are the real heroes when it comes to food tourism in our area - we’re just helping more and more people enjoy the experience,” she said.

“We ran an online competition and the seven ladies who won a seat on the very first tour on Thursday had a great time and gave us a lot of confidence that our new service will prove popular.

“Food tourism is becoming increasingly important to the Twelve Apostles region, especially in the non-peak season. We’re rapt to be helping our wonderful artisan producers with our new shuttle tour service.”

Ms Timmins said that while thousands of people drove themselves around the food loop each year, there were many people who couldn’t drive, or preferred not to drive.

“Obviously there are a lot of visitors to our region that don’t have vehicles, but often those who do drive are not confident navigating the route or would like to have a few drinks along the way and really let their hair down,” she said.

“Our shuttle tour will cater for these people, but it’s also ideal for a range of small groups such as workmates and even party groups like a hen’s party for example.

“It’s only about 100km, but we’ve scheduled our shuttle tour to take six hours so that people can really take their time, talk to the producers and enjoy everything there is on offer.”

Ms Timmins said the tours started and finished at the Timboon Distillery and the vehicle could seat eight passengers.

“For our first tour, we headed to Dairylicious to enjoy some fudge and a beautiful morning tea before heading to Apostle Whey Cheese for their tasting experiences,” she said.

“From there we headed to Gorge Chocolates, then down the coast to see some of the sights before a few drinks at the Sow and Piglets Brewery in Port Campbell, then the Timboon Cheesery before heading back to the distillery.

“There’s no set stops though, we are happy to work with people to make sure they visit the artisans they’d most like to get to in the available time.”

​To make a booking, please call 0428 407 777 or email [email protected]