What is there to see on the Great Ocean Road past the 12 Apostles?

You know the main attraction, but what else is there to see if you keep going passed the 12 Apostles?

With so many stops along the Great Ocean Road between Torquay and the 12 Apostles, often travellers turn around and head back to Melbourne once they get a photo of the iconic limestone stacks. But the Great Ocean Road continues for another 60 kilometres west, with plenty more attractions along the way worth including in your itinerary.

• 1. Loch Ard Gorge and the Razorback

  While technically two different attractions, you can reach both of these from the same car park. Loch Ard Gorge is a hidden sandy beach where two survivors of a shipwreck of the same name washed ashore and spent the night before making their way to a nearby farm. When the swell is high, you can observe from beach level the force of the ocean as the water rushes in through the gorge opening and crashes back out again like a powerful vertical waterfall.

  While the 12 Apostles are the most famous and photogenic of the limestone stacks along the Shipwreck Coast, plenty more dot the coastline including the Razorback. This long narrow stack is being constantly pounded and shaped by the powerful Southern Ocean, and you can admire its determination to stay standing from some of the lookout points along the paths from the carpark.

• 2. Port Campbell

  This quaint seaside town is a popular overnight stop for travellers spending the night on the Great Ocean Road. Its proximity to the 12 Apostles makes it easy to wake up early and visit the attraction before the crowds or stay for sunset and bed down nearby. There are a couple of places to get a bite to eat, including the local pub or some cafes along the foreshore where you can take in the beach views as you tuck in. Also highly recommended is the Port Campbell Hostel where you can grab a beer from the Sow and Piglets craft brewery.

• 3. The Grotto

  Take the steps from the cliff down to the Grotto to peek through the natural window out to the ocean as the water crashes around like inside a washing machine. A small water pool reflects the sky and rocky surrounds, creating impressive photo opportunities.

• 4. Warrnambool

  OK, so while not technically part of the Great Ocean Road, Warrnambool has plenty to offer travellers who have made it this far. Top of the list is Logans Beach, where migrating whales can often be spotted during winter as they care for their young in this “whale nursery”. Middle Island offers another chance for a wildlife encounter; it’s home to a colony of Little Penguins.
  If you are more interested in an animal encounter of the terrestrial kind, head to Tower Hill, a popular picnic spot in an extinct volcano. Here curious emus will come to see what you are having for lunch, and koalas can be spotted lazing about in the trees above.

Related article: What town is near the 12 apostles?