Port Campbell, Great Ocean Road — Victoria

Port Campbell is a town located in the southern coast of Victoria, at the mouth of the Campbell Creek. It was named after Captain Alexander Campbell, an early settler.

The town’s most famous attraction is the Port Campbell National Park, which features some spectacular rock formations along the coastline. One highlight in visiting the park is viewing the Twelve Apostles rock formations right at the coastline. The appearances of these formations are slowly changing, as small rocks often fall off. Visitors can also follow the Port Campbell Discovery Walk that start from the town and some tour operators even offer scuba diving tours for the more adventurous individuals.

The area around the rock formations are designated as the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park, the second largest marine national park in the state. The underwater scenery offered by this park is also one of the most interesting and dramatic in the state. The national park is home to varied marine creatures, while the stacks of rock aboveground hold the nests of numerous seabirds.

The Arches Marine Sanctuary is another well-known diving destination in the area. The shaded areas beneath the underwater limestone formations are home to marine creatures found only in deeper part of the Bass Strait, something that avid scuba divers from all over the state come for.

Another attraction of the area is the Lord Ard Gorge, located several kilometers from Port Campbell. The gorge was named after the sailing vessel that got shipwrecked right in the area. Visitors can follow the three walks developed around the gorge, one of them highlighting the dramatic events related to the shipwreck. Located west of the gorge is the Muttonbird Island, home to thousands of shearwater birds. During the summer months, lucky visitors will get to witness them flying to their nests at dusk in great numbers.

To further know about the famous shipwreck, visitors should take the time to stop by the Lord Ard Shipwreck Museum on Lord Street. The establishment showcases artifacts taken not only from the Lord Ard vessel but from four other ships that met their fates in the coastline near Port Campbell.

Along the Great Ocean Road is the Glenample Homestead Interpretation Centre. The original structure was built in 1869 by Hugh Gibson and was restored recently. The establishment contains several artifacts related to the Lord Ard shipwreck. Facilities for picnics are also available. Gibson was also the one who carved the original stone steps leading to Gibson Beach, which is ideal for fishing and beach combing. As a rule, swimming is largely discouraged anywhere in the Port Campbell National Park due to unpredictable water conditions.

Other famous rock formations in the area are the Arch, the London Bridge, and the Grotto. All these formations have viewing platforms especially constructed for the convenience of visitors who took the time to view them.

One other way to view these formations is by taking helicopter tours over the area. One of the main tour operators in the area, the Great Ocean Road Helicopters, cater to both individuals and groups who wish to take aerial perspectives of the national parks and interesting rock formations along the coastline.