Campground · Great Ocean Road
A riverside campground within walking distance of Apollo Bay.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Ocean Road Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Ocean Road. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Ocean Road audio tourRecorded for this area
Apollo Bay Waterfront and Food“Up ahead is Apollo Bay's waterfront, a useful place to combine a food break with planning the next part of your drive.”
Plays on the road 1.1 km from Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve in the Parkwolf Great Ocean Road Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve is a campground beside the Barham River, just outside central Apollo Bay. Choose it for a riverside stay with town and beach close by: the centre is less than a kilometre away, and Mounts Bay beach sits across the Great Ocean Road. This is a working campground in a shared sports and community reserve, not a separate scenic pull-off. Book ahead in busy periods; the operator takes reservations and the park can fill.
The operator offers powered and unpowered sites, cabins and 20 safari eco-tents; five tents have DDA-compliant bathrooms. There are amenity blocks, coin-operated laundry, a shared camp kitchen and free BBQs. Match the site type, vehicle size and hookups to your stay, and check what equipment the shared kitchen includes. Dogs can stay on dog-friendly campsites but not in safari tents; boats and trailers can be accommodated.
The reserve was established in 1868 and continues to serve as community ground as well as a place to stay. Apollo Bay's football-netball, cricket and tennis clubs and the annual Apollo Bay & Otway District Agricultural Show share the grounds with campers; the Pony Club is across the road. The reserve is on Eastern Maar lands. Expect a campground with a local sports setting, not a resort arranged around visitors alone.
Wildlife
900 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
358 sightingsKangarooMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
49 sightingsLittle PenguinMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
155 sightingsEchidnaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
33 sightingsFur SealMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsRed-necked WallabyMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Ocean Road. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingGreat Ocean Walk100 km · 1.5 days · 1 km awayA 100 km westbound trek through forests, beaches and sea cliffs.
ModerateMarengo to Shelly Beach Hike4.7 km · 2.5 hr · 1.7 km awayTwo beach crossings and Bald Hill lead to Shelly Beach.
ModerateMarriners Lookout Walk1 km · 30 min · 3.2 km awayA short, steep climb for Apollo Bay's wide coastal view.
EasyApollo Bay Foreshore Walk5.5 km · 1 hr · 3.4 km awayA coastal footpath threads past Apollo Bay’s foreshore sculptures.
ModerateShelly Beach Walk1.8 km · 45 min · 4.9 km awayFern gullies and coastal scrub descend to Shelly Beach.
ModerateElliot River Loop Walk4.5 km · 2 hr · 5.1 km awayA 4.5 km loop with river rocks, steep steps and lush forest
Food · 0.7 km awayApollo Bay Fishermen's Co-opBass Strait seafood from a fishermen's co-op founded in 1948.
Food · 0.9 km awayApollo Bay BakeryTry the scallop pie in creamy Mornay or mild curry.
Visitor center · 1.1 km awayGreat Ocean Road Visitor Information CentrePlan the next leg with local advice, maps and ticket bookings.
Beach · 1.4 km awayMarengo BeachSandy shore, rock pools at low tide, and fur seals offshore.
Campground · 1.7 km awayMarengo Family Caravan ParkBeachfront cabins and campsites beside Marengo’s reefSight · 3 km awayMarriners LookoutApollo Bay’s curve of coast is worth the short climb.
Sight · 3.2 km awayApollo Bay MuseumTrace the 1936 cable link that tied Tasmania to the mainland.
Sight · 3.5 km awayWildlife WondersA guided Otways walk among free-roaming wildlife and ocean views.Parkwolf’s Great Ocean Road ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
