Apollo Bay – picturesque seaside town with plenty of character is a tourist town, although it is much quieter than other nearby places such as Lorne.

The first European settlers were timber cutters who arrived in the 1850s.  Farmers eventually made their way to the area and a small settlement originally named Middleton developed.

 In 1898 the area was renamed Apollo Bay and at this time nearly the only access to the area was by sea.

When the road to town was upgraded in 1927 and the Great Ocean Road was finished in 1932 the town became a big tourist destination and an important fishing port.

        Arguably the main attraction to Apollo Bay is the Apollo Bay Music Festival.

The festival regularly attracts more than 800 applicants each year and draws a number of visitors to the area.

Many visitors can also take part in the Great Ocean Road Marathon, which is a big event for the area.

If you love seafood, you must come to the town in February for the Apollo Bay Seafood Festival, which offers visitors a delicious taste of the local sea fare.

However, fresh seafood is always on offer in the restaurants and cafes of the town, no matter when you visit.  For a fantastic seafood dinner with a view to match, head to Chris’s at Beacon Point, high in the hills overlooking the sea.

The sea also offers ample opportunity for surfing, kayaking or keep sea fishing.

        The nearby Great Otway National Park also offers a variety of outdoor recreation activities for visitors to Apollo Bay.

In the forest, visitors can trek to Australia’s oldest lighthouse, hike around stunning waterfalls and lush fern gullies, and enjoy the area’s many mountain bike trails.

Visitors can also hunt for a variety of interesting wildlife in the forest, including platypus and koalas.

        If the city life is more for you, the town allows for sunset beach rides on horseback along the beach in town, a number of boutique gift shops, galleries, tea houses, and a number of excellent restaurants.

Apollo Bay should give you enough to explore to always have something new to do.