One of the most spectacular stretches of coastline is the 27-kilometre stretch of the Port Campbell National Park. This area is home to the postcard-pretty Twelve Apostles, which jut out of the sea near the limestone cliffs to which they once belonged.

They are incredibly beautiful, but there is a feeling of an anti-climax because we've all seen them before in photographs and, unlike Uluru, there is no feeling of spirituality. This is not to suggest you should drive on by. For those feeling fit, Gibson Steps lead down a 70-metre cliff face to a beach, to give a sea level view of the amazing outcrops.

Many breathtaking natural wonders can be found along this 27- kilometre stretch, all protected by the Port Campbell National Park. This 1,750-hectare narrow coastal strip runs from Princetown to Peterborough and includes the township of Port Campbell.

While the coast is a must-see at anytime of year, it's at its peak when howling winds and huge Southern Ocean seas are giving it a pounding. Blowholes roar with spouting water and the sea boils around the stacks and cliff bases.

Lookouts have been placed at strategic points along the coast, which is the graveyard for many ships. The winds and pounding waves leave no doubt about its name, The Shipwreck Coast. The most famous of the 160 ships to meet a watery grave was the Loch Ard, a huge iron clipper ship, which hit a reef in 1878 carrying 54 people from England.

The main lookouts are the Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge which was a double arch rock formation formed by the sea until one arch collapsed in 1990, stranding a couple of nervous tourists.

The mighty 12 Apostles are world-recognised icons of the Great Ocean Road. These giant rock stacks soar from the swirling waters of the Southern Ocean and are a central feature of the spectacular Port Campbell National Park that extends from Princetown to Peterborough.
The dramatic and imposing limestone cliffs that are the backdrop to the Apostles tower up to 70 metres, while the tallest of the rock stacks is around 45 metres high.

The Apostles had their beginnings up to 20 million years ago with the forces of nature attacking the soft limestone of the Port Campbell cliffs. The limestone was created through the build up of skeletons of marine creatures on the sea floor. As the sea retreated, the limestone was exposed. The relentess, stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed, rock islands up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore.

This has created the 12 Apostles and a host of other stunning natural features along this truly remarkable stretch of coastline. Among them are Pudding Basin Rock, Island Arch, the Razorback, Muttonbird Island, Thunder Cave, the Blowhole, Bakers Oven, London Bridge and the Grotto. Extenisve boardwalks and viewing platforms ensure visitors experience sweeping, awe-inspiring vistas. While anytime of day provides great views, sunrise and sunset are particularly impressive for the blazing hues created.

New Visitor Centre
Visitors to the 12 Apostles now begin their remarkable experience of the towering rock stacks at a new interpretative centre. The $5.5 million centre has been designed to blend into the local environment and caters for more than one million people who annually visit the area. It contains historic information about the area, details on how nature has shaped the coastal formations and, along the boardwalks, displays featuring explanations of the features.
Extra car and coach parking and facilities have been added to make the visit safer and more comfortable.

The centre has been built on private land, opposite the national park. A tunnel takes visitors under the Great Ocean Road to the viewing platforms.
The sensitive environment of the area was taken into account in the centre¡¯s design. It has a special water management system that uses a filtering wetland to treat wastewater and stormwater. This allows 80% of the treated effluent to be re-used within the centre¡¯s toilets.
A total of 65,000 native trees have been planted around the centre to add to its attractiveness. Impact on the environment also has been significantly reduced with the removal of the old car park and subsequent revegetation of the area on the coast side of the Great Ocean Road.

Australia Travel