Port Campbell National Park

A cluster of the 12 Apostles at Port Cambell National Park

The wild Southern Ocean has carved the Port Campbell National Park coastline into formations that are world famous.

Stretching along the coast from Princetown to Peterborough, the national park hosts a variety of premier Great Ocean Road attractions.

These natural features have been, and continue to be, shaped by the treacherous conditions.

With scores of vessels sunk and lost across a tumultuous history, the wider region has become known as the ‘Shipwreck Coast’.

Port Campbell National Park is on Kirrae Whurrung Country, located within the Registered Aboriginal Party area of Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation.

The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority has been the land manager for the Port Campbell National Park since 1 August 2024.

Parks Victoria continue to oversee the monitoring and maintenance requirements of the national park.

KEY SITES OF INTEREST

Twelve Apostles:

Rising abruptly from the ocean, these seven limestone stacks are a highlight on any itinerary.

Visit the windswept lookouts to see the powerful waves crashing against the famous sea stacks.

The changes experienced along the coast by the surging seas are on full display here. There were nine rock stacks at turn of the 21st century, before one collapsed in 2005 and another in 2009.

Loch Ard Gorge:

One of the most famous shipwrecks, with its epic tale of survival, led to the naming of Loch Ard Gorge.

Of the 54 people on board the Loch Ard ship in 1878, only two managed to get ashore after it crashed into Mutton Bird Island.

The survivors, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael, spent hours in the water before finding shelter on the beach now known as Loch Ard Gorge.

London Bridge:

Originally a natural archway and tunnel, London Bridge collapsed on 15 January 1990, leaving it no longer connected to the mainland.

Come to the lookout at any time for the views that stretch to the Twelve Apostles, or at dusk to spot Little Penguins returning to the protected beach below.

The view from the lower viewing platform provides a great look into the Grotto, where you can see the horizon, the pools, and the jutting rock formations.

CHANGE OF CONDITIONS

Any impacts to public access to the national park are listed at https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/port-campbell-national-park

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS OF INTEREST

Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment

Being delivered by Regional Development Victoria, this $126 million investment will change how visitors experience the region. It will provide streamlined access to nature’s greatest attractions, while protecting the environment and cultural history at this spectacular location.

Learn more:
www.rdv.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/twelve-apostles-precinct-redevelopment

Loch Ard Blowhole Lookout

A new lookout is being created at Loch Ard Gorge, providing new views of ‘The Blowhole’ – a deep cutting in the land that fills with rushing water when tides are high.

Learn more - https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/projects/western-victoria/loch-ard-blowhole-lookout

MANAGEMENT PLANS

The Port Campbell National Park and Bay of Islands Coastal Park Management Plan directs aspects of management across the park.

The Great Otway Parks Conservation Action Plan provides directions for environmental conservation management across the diverse landscape, including Port Campbell National Park.

Learn more:
https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/port-campbell-national-pa