Visiting the 12 Apostles
Updated: May 24, 2020
One of the most popular spots along the Great Ocean Road is the 12 Apostles. It is one of the most beautiful natural wonders in Australia! Seriously, no pictures do this place justice. It's incredible what the waves crashing into the limestone rock can create. Also, because of the extreme weather conditions that these rocks go through, they are in a constant risk of more erosion and won't be around for forever. We hope you find these tips helpful on your trip to visit the incredible 12 Apostles!
How to get there:
The closest airport to the Great Ocean Road is the Melbourne- Avalon airport. We were able to book an easy flight through Jetstar directly to this airport and pick up a rental car. The Avalon airport is about 175 km away or a 2 hour drive if you drive inland from the Great Ocean Road. Personally, I enjoyed renting a car and having the freedom to drive down the Great Ocean Road to the 12 Apostles. If you prefer to join a tour bus, I would suggest booking this full day tour with Klook Travel.
When to Go:
We visited in late summer at the end of February. The crowds were much lower, but we also noticed how drastic the weather could be. The weather changed from seeing the sun, to sudden rain showers and heavy wind. Overall, we still had pretty good weather. During the summer months of November-January are peak season. Make sure to always pack a light rain coat and jeans as the weather is pretty unpredictable.
Where to stay:
We chose to stay in Port Campbell at the Port Campbell Motor Inn. To be honest, it was quite difficult to find places to stay in Port Campbell because there were limited options. We spent one night here and found the rooms clean and the location perfect. We also had a view of the beach from our room. I usually stay away from "Motor Inn" style accommodations, but this wasn't bad for one night. It is also the closest town to the 12 Apostles and only an 11 minute drive away from the 12 Apostles car park.
History of the 12 Apostles:
The 12 Apostles are a limestone rock formatios along the Great Ocean Road formed by erosion. These rocks can stack up to 50 meters tall! There were only ever 8 rock formations and one actually collapsed in July of 2005, leaving only 7 left. These rocks are only more prone to erosion in the future and are at risk of collapsing even more.
How to visit the 12 Apostles:
Nearly 7 million people each year visit the Great Ocean Road. This can lead to a lot of traffic when visiting the 12 Apostles. We found that sunrise was the perfect time to visit as there were very minimal crowds. We were able to wander through the entire viewing platform and admire the 12 Apostles without another person around. The wind is also calmer in the morning, so it felt like we weren't battling the weather too much.
Visiting the 12 Apostles is like visiting an Australian Celebrity! It really is an iconic place and left me in awe seeing it for the first time! We hope you found our tips helpful for your visit to the 12 Apostles!
Interested in more stops along the Great Ocean Road? Click here to see our full itinerary for the Great Ocean Road drive!
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