 Port Campbell - Lauren Doolan. Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism. 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. Here are 7 of the best things to do during your visit to Port Campbell1. Timboon – Port Campbell TrailHire 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. 2. Port Campbell Lookout 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. 3. Port Campbell Discovery Walk 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. 4. Spot the little penguins at the 12 Apostles or London Bridge at Sunset 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. 5. Enjoy something to eat and drinkThere 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.  The Grotto - Lauren Doolan. Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism. 6. Shipwreck Coast Lookouts and Walks 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. 7. Great Ocean Walk Day HikeThe 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. 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. About Ride With UsRide With Us offers ebike and bicycle rentals in Port Campbell, Timboon, Cobden and Camperdown. Ride With Us also provides a bicycle and passenger transport service where we can transport your bicycles or ours. If you choose to ride one way, we can shuttle you back to town, your car or your accommodation. Bikes for youths and children are available and children’s bicycle accessories include a child seat, two child tag along trailer. We even have a small pet seat and a pet trailer so you can take your dog along. Transport is available for up to six bike riders and up to nine bikes, to and from your preferred locations. Ride With Us can also provide transport to and from the Great Ocean Walk.
0 Comments
 Finishing your hike with a view of the 12 Apostles is undoubtedly a stand out experience on the Great Ocean Walk, however there are many other highlights of the walk. Popular features include the Cape Otway Lightstation (also known as the Cape Otway Lighthouse), Wreck beach, spotting wildlife including wallabies and koalas and the dramatically different scenery from the tall trees to the cliff top beach views. We asked Great Ocean Walk hikers which were their favourite parts of the Great Ocean Walk and there was a general sentiment that the entire trail is worth doing for it's beautiful scenery which changes as you walk. However hikers told us if they had to choose, the walk between Cape Otway and Aire River has great views from cliff tops. There is also the bonus in this section of having the option to walk on Station Beach and down to Rainbow Falls if the tide permits. Other hikers said their favourite sections included Blanket Bay, Devil's Kitchen and Aire River to Johanna Beach. If planning on camping overnight, the Johanna Beach campsite is often the most mentioned as a favourite spot due to its views. Another Great Ocean Walker said if you are only going to do one section, Johanna Beach to the end of the walk has many spectacular highlights. For those new to hiking and looking to ease your way into it, Elliot Ridge to Blanket Bay or Cape Otway to Aire River are some of the best sections of the walk to try. There is no right or wrong way to plan your itinerary for the Great Ocean Walk. All hikers are different. Some people plan to hike approximately 10km per day and others choose to walk as far as 30kms in one day. If you are not in a hurry just to tick off the goal of finishing the walk, we recommend factoring in a little bit of extra time to go slow and enjoy your surroundings, spot wildlife and enjoy your time in nature (perhaps allowing for the odd detour and photo opportunity). We have heard of hikers who spent an 11 hour day hiking 27kms only to regret it later and wish they'd been able to slow down and enjoy their surroundings. There are suggested time frames for completing the walk depending on your preferred pace/fitness level however the terrain can be challenging at times which is why the recommended kilometres per day often appear shorter than what you might have expected. There are also factors like mud to consider during Winter, Spring or periods of heavy rainfall. We recommend purchasing the official Great Ocean Walk visitor guide/map which gives detailed information about the trail. Great Ocean Walk Sections & DistancesThe Great Ocean Walk can generally be divided into eight walking sections, although many people choose to combine sections or alter the start and finish locations of each day's hike to match their ideal overall hiking time frame.
There are numerous variations of how you can complete your Great Ocean Walk in anywhere from 5 to 7 days. Below is an indication of how you might consider completing the walk in six one day hikes: 1. Apollo Bay to Blanket Bay 2. Blanket Bay to Cape Otway 3. Cape Otway to Castle Cove 4. Castle Cove to Milanesia Gate 5. Milanesia Gate to Gables carpark 6. Gables Carpark to the 12 Apostles Great Ocean Walk hikers planning a day hike from the start of the trail will usually walk from Apollo Bay to Shelley Beach, Elliot Ridge or Blanket Bay. Although not as common, the more ambitious hikers will walk from Apollo Bay all the way to Cape Otway in one day. The Great Ocean Walk is a one way 100km coastal hiking trail which starts in Apollo Bay and ends at the 12 Apostles in Victoria. The Great Ocean Walk is popular for day hikes or as a series of one day hikes. Alternatively, the entire Great Ocean Walk trail can be completed in 5, 6, 7 or 8 days depending on your fitness, pace and how much time you would like to spend enjoying wildlife spotting, detours and immersing yourself in the scenery. Want to find out more? Read about Jaeya's solo Great Ocean Walk experience.
Ride With Us provide a transport shuttle service for the Great Ocean Walk for solo hikers, couples/pairs and small groups of up to 8 people. Transport operates 7 days a week by advance booking. One off transfers, multi day transport, food and water drops and luggage service available. Pick up and drop off locations include the Great Ocean Walk trail, train stations and airports, campgrounds, accommodation and your car. Plan your walk. Join the Tips for Hiking The Great Ocean Walk Facebook Group.  Great Ocean Walk, Devil's Kitchen Campsite - Photo by Jaeya Hough I did the Great Ocean Walk April 29- May 4 of 2023 and it was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. I didn't know much about the trail until about a week before I did it. Seven days before I was supposed to fly to Melbourne I saw a post about it on social media and decided that the trail was something I had to do. I flew to Melbourne and rented gear and hit the trail for my first solo backpacking trip. For me, one of the coolest parts of the experience was reaching the first part of the trail in the bush past Apollo bay. It felt like I had truly made it on the trail and like I was going to accomplish something important. I made it to Elliot ridge campground feeling confident about the rest of the hike and happy to meet other hikers at the campground. Everyone was super friendly and was happy to chat about their plans for the hike and advice for the rest of the trail. I felt safe and happy in the forest and excited for what the next day would bring. Day 2 and 3 were long and the very muddy and technical trail from Elliot Ridge to Blanket Bay was tedious. I decided to combine some of the hiking and hike from Elliot to Cape Otway. I have never been so excited to see a cafe in my life and the walk from the cafe to the campground felt much farther than the sign saying 500m suggested. The long days of hiking were totally worth it though. I saw beautiful forests and amazing views of the ocean. I think the end of the third day was one of my favorite moments on the trail and I would recommend to everyone to stay at Johanna beach. I’ll admit that I hate walking on sand and the two kilometer walk along Johanna beach is no exception. It felt weird to be on the beach all by myself, unable to see the end of the beach and nervous about whether I was in the right spot. But making it to the end of the beach was beautiful. The ocean was wild and when I finally reached the campground I was treated to a beautiful view of the beach that I had been on. The next day I decided not to combine the two parts of the trail which I was very thankful for. I hiked to Ryan’s Den and had an excellent time. I spent a long time at Ryan’s Den which I really enjoyed. There is a platform with a beautiful view of the path ahead that was very peaceful. This was the first campsite that I was all alone at, it was so quiet that I felt a little weird. It gave me time to reflect on the trail and to call some of my family. I was in my tent very early though, the rain had started and I wanted to stay dry and cozy. The night was long and I was woken up several times to the wind and rain, hoping that my tent would keep me dry and wishing the morning would come faster. When I woke up I was in a predicament. I checked my phone and there was a wind warning for the area that I was in but there was no way for me to get off the trail except hiking to the end. I decided to press on cautiously. My fifth day was tedious with a steep descent to a creek crossing and a lot of elevation gain and loss. The trail was very muddy too which made me scared to fall and injure myself. I made it to Devil’s Kitchen without any incidents though which was nice and met a group of women who were doing the trail in different sections. They had stopped for lunch and gave me some encouragement before heading out. Devil’s Kitchen was beautiful, the nicest view from a toilet I have ever seen. I spent my afternoon at the lookout and reading all the notes written on the shelter, they made me laugh and feel less lonely. It was cool to picture how many other people had been where I was. They had survived and so would I. The last day was bittersweet. I had my first view of the Twelve Apostles 15 kilometers away and it was cool to see where I was hiking too. I walked slowly towards the end, wanting to savor every moment I had on the trail until I was done. I was proud of what I had accomplished when I made it to the end. I felt like I had truly earned the beautiful view at the end of the trail. If I were to do the trail again, there isn't much that I would do differently. I really enjoyed doing it solo, I felt safe on the trail and saw enough people to remain sane. Although I would love to experience it with someone else. My advice would be to take your time, there is so much beauty along the trail. My favorite campsites that I stayed at were Johanna beach and Devil’s Kitchen but Blanket Bay was beautiful too. I loved the Great Ocean Walk, it is an experience that I will never forget and I would love the opportunity to do it again. Great Ocean Walk experience and photos by Jaeya Hough. Share your own Great Ocean Walk adventure with us and be rewarded; Find out how. Ride With Us provide a transport shuttle service for the Great Ocean Walk for solo hikers, couples/pairs and small groups of up to 8 people. Transport operates 7 days a week by advance booking. One off transfers, multi day transport and luggage service available. Pick up and drop off locations include the Great Ocean Walk trail, train stations and airports, campgrounds, accommodation and your car. Join the Tips for Hiking The Great Ocean Walk Facebook Group.  We know many hikers love being able to share their experience with others so we are giving you the opportunity to share your experience with those who are researching the Great Ocean Walk and in return we will give you a $50 Prezzee gift card to spend on anything of your choosing from over 490 Australian retailers, restaurants and service providers.
All you need to do is:
We chose Prezzee so you have the flexibility to buy what you want with your gift card. Prezzee gift cards can be used at over 490 Australian stores including Mountain Designs, Macpac, BCF, Woolworths, Ampol, Coles, Apple, Kmart, Amazon, GooglePlay, BP, Myer, JB Hi Fi, Bunnings, Target, Netflix, Endota, Webjet, Rebel, David Jones, Spotify, The Good Guys, Country Road, Peter Alexander, Witchery, Seed, Dymocks, Review and much more. You can find out more about Prezzee here. Terms of entry to be eligible for a $50 gift card:
Conditions of Entry: By sending an email with the above information to [email protected] you authorise Ride With Us to post your written submission and accompanying photos and videos on the Ride With Us website and the Ride With Us social media channels which includes but is not limited to Facebook and Instagram. Ride With Us will include your name and date or month of hike unless you advise otherwise. If you do not want your surname published with your post, please advise in your email submission. Posts which do not comply with the above requested terms of entry will not be eligible to receive a gift card. Ride With Us reserves the right to post at any date now or in the future and reserves the right not to post any submissions. Entries must not refer to or promote businesses other than if you booked with Ride With Us. Emailing your submission through does not automatically guarantee your submission will be posted on the Ride With Us website or social media channels. Do not make a submission if you do not agree with these terms and conditions. |
Ride With UsExperience the Timboon and the 12 Apostles region with Ride With Us, see the icons of the Great Ocean Road. We provide transport services throughout the region including taxi and shuttle services, bike hire and more. Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
|
1 Bailey Street, Timboon, Victoria 3268
76 Walker Street, Cobden, Victoria 3266 Phone: 0438 407 777 [email protected] Facebook: Ride With Us © Ride With Us Pty Ltd 2018 ABN: 85 622 480 719 |
We acknowledge the traditional Aboriginal owners of the country throughout Victoria and pay our respect to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future.