Five Ways to Fall for Apollo Bay
Five Ways to Fall for Apollo Bay
(Where rainforest meets the sea - and the day just flows)
1️. Start slow: the Apollo Bay way
Ease into the day with the sound of the birds and river quietly drifting past your tent. One thing you’ll learn about Apollo Bay is that no one rushes here.
When you are ready for that locally roasted caffeine hit, The Sandy Feet Café or Hello Coffee is a good place to start. Afterwards, breath in the salt air and wander along the foreshore.
Locals walk their dogs, surfers check the swell, and pelicans perch on the jetty like they own the place. You’ll feel your shoulders drop before you even finish your cup.
2️. Walk between Worlds
Drive ten minutes inland and the coast gives way to ferns, waterfalls, and ancient forest.
The Maits Rest Rainforest Walk is an easy loop through towering myrtle beech and tree ferns that feel prehistoric.
If you’ve got more time, which you probably do, detour to Hopetoun Falls or the Redwoods at Beech Forest. It’s a bit of a drive but well worth the trip.
3️. Seafood straight from the source
Back in town, grab a seafood platter from Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-op, arguably the best fish and chip shop in the state – probably the country.
Wander back to the harbour to watch the boats come in as you eat - the fish you’re tasting probably landed that morning.
Then, what else is there to do than to pair it all with a local cider, beer or gin from Apollo Bay Distillery and you’ve got coastal dining, minus the fuss.
4. Chase the sunset
When the light starts to fade, the only place you’re going to want to be is Marriners Lookout, which is only a few minutes drive from your tent.
It’s only a short climb but the payoff is huge — the bay, the town and the hinterland stretches out below, all gold and silver as the sun dips below the ocean.
Bring a jumper, a camera, and someone you like: it’s that kind of spot.
5️. End the day the Apollo Bay way
End the day tucked into a riverside Eco-Safari Tent at the Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve.
You’ll hear frogs by the Barham River and the ocean not far beyond. Unwind with a local drop from Otway Estate, part of the cool-climate wine scene in the hinterlands, or open a good book and let the sound of the water do the rest.
It’s a stay that feels part comfort, part adventure, and 100% Apollo Bay.
Wake to the mist lifting off the river and do it all again.
