Port Campbell: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
On 1 June 1878 the clipper Loch Ard, three months out from England and a few hours from Melbourne, ran onto the reef of Mutton Bird Island in the dark. Of the 54 people on board two survived, both eighteen: the ship's apprentice Tom Pearce and a passenger, Eva Carmichael. Every stop on this walk is within a short stroll of the same car park, with a short drive at the end. Allow two hours, and bring a jacket — the wind on these cliffs does not stop.
A short history of Port Campbell
Port Campbell is a small town on the rugged coast of western Victoria, near the Twelve Apostles, limestone stacks that the sea has cut off from the cliff. This coast, along which many ships were wrecked, is called the Shipwreck Coast. On 1 June 1878 the sailing ship Loch Ard, which had sailed from England, was wrecked here, and of the 54 people on board only two survived, both young. In 1964 the stretch of coast was declared a national park. The sea keeps eating away at the cliffs: in 1990 the rock arch that joined London Bridge to the mainland collapsed, and two walkers were stranded on the detached section until they were rescued by helicopter.
The ten best sights in Port Campbell
1Loch Ard CemeteryA short path from the gorge to the graves of the wreck; quiet and worth the five minutes
2Flagstaff Hill Maritime VillageIn Warrnambool, 50 km west: the shipwreck museum of this coast, with the Loch Ard peacock
3The Twelve ApostlesCome at sunset or first light; at midday the boardwalk is shoulder to shoulder
4Gibson StepsSteps down to the beach, where the stacks stand above you; closed in rough seas
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5Loch Ard Gorge
The best stop on the coast: a cove you can walk down into, with the story behind it
6Tom and Eva LookoutTwo stacks named after the only survivors of the Loch Ard
7The RazorbackA thin blade of limestone; look for the layers cut by spray and wind
8Thunder CaveStand still in a swell and you hear why it has the name
9Mutton Bird Island LookoutAt dusk in summer thousands of shearwaters fly in to their burrows
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10Port Campbell Jetty
The fishing boats tie up here; sit on the rail and watch the swell come in
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Port Campbell →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Port Campbell:
Free walking tours in Port Campbell
The wreck of the Loch Ard
On 1 June 1878 the clipper Loch Ard, three months out from England and a few hours from Melbourne, ran onto the reef of Mutton Bird Island in the dark. Of the 54 people on board two survived, both eighteen: the ship's apprentice Tom Pearce and a passenger, Eva Carmichael. Every stop on this walk is within a short stroll of the same car park, with a short drive at the end. Allow two hours, and bring a jacket — the wind on these cliffs does not stop.
- Mutton Bird Island Lookout · The island in front of you is the reef the Loch Ard hit before dawn. It is also a breeding colony of short-tailed shearwaters, which arrive in late September after flying from the North Pacific and leave again in April.
- Loch Ard Gorge · Tom Pearce was washed into this cove clinging to wreckage, then heard Eva Carmichael calling from the water and swam back out for her. He sheltered her in a cave on the beach and climbed the cliff to find help at Glenample station.
- Tom and Eva Lookout · These two stacks were one arch until June 2009, when the bridge between them collapsed. After the fall they were named after the two survivors — who, despite the legend, never married.
- The Razorback · The rock is Port Campbell limestone, laid down on a sea floor from shells and skeletons millions of years ago. The layers on the Razorback are the plainest view of it on the whole coast, sharpened by salt spray rather than by waves.
- Loch Ard Cemetery · Only a handful of bodies were recovered, and they are buried here, members of Eva's family among them. Eva had lost her parents and all her brothers and sisters on the ship, and she sailed back to Ireland a few months later.
- Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village · Among the cargo was a porcelain peacock about 1.5 metres high, made by Minton for the Melbourne International Exhibition. It washed into the gorge in its packing case almost unharmed, and it now stands in the museum here, 50 km west.
Rocks that fall
Nothing on this coast is permanent: the sea cuts caves into soft limestone, the caves become arches, the arches fall and leave stacks, and the stacks fall too. This drive goes from the famous Apostles east of town to the smaller formations west of it, which show each stage of the process. It is about 25 km of driving with short walks from each car park. Do it in the late afternoon and finish at the Grotto or The Arch as the light drops.
- Gibson Steps · The steps are named after Hugh Gibson, who held Glenample station on the clifftop and cut a way down to the beach. From the sand the two stacks just offshore, Gog and Magog, stand right above you.
- The Twelve Apostles · There were never twelve. The stacks were first known as the Sow and Piglets and renamed to attract visitors, and in July 2005 one of them, about 50 metres high, collapsed into the sea in a few seconds.
- Thunder Cave · This is how an arch begins: the sea forces its way into a crack, hollows it out from inside and compresses the air, which is the boom you hear. One day the roof will open and the cave will become a gorge.
- London Arch · On 15 January 1990 the span joining this rock to the mainland collapsed while two visitors were on the far side. Nobody was hurt, but they were stranded on the new island until a police helicopter lifted them off.
- The Arch · Here the arch is still standing, so you see the stage before London Arch: a wall of rock with the sea already through it. Compare the two and you can see what is coming.
- The Grotto · The Grotto is a sinkhole: rainwater dissolved the limestone from above while the sea attacked from below, until the two met. That is why it opens like a window at sea level, with a still pool on the land side.
The town and the quiet west
Port Campbell itself is a single street on a small bay, and most people drive through it on the way to the Apostles. This route stays in town in the morning, then heads west towards Peterborough, where the stacks are smaller and the car parks emptier. It ends with a fact about the road you have been driving. About half a day, with a long lunch.
- Port Campbell Jetty · The town is named after Captain Alexander Campbell, a whaler and trader who used this bay as a shelter. It is one of the very few breaks in the cliffs on this stretch, which is why a village grew here at all.
- Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club · The beach in the bay is the one place near the Apostles where swimming is reasonable, and volunteers patrol it in summer. Swim between the flags; the open coast either side has rips that are not survivable.
- Port Campbell Discovery Walk · The path climbs to the headland above town and loops back along the cliffs, with signs about the plants and the rock. From the top you see clearly how the creek cut this one gap through the limestone.
- Sow & Piglets Brew Pub · The brewery is named after the original name of the Twelve Apostles. In that old name, Mutton Bird Island was the sow and the stacks were her piglets.
- Bay of Martyrs · Just west of here, at Peterborough, the clipper Schomberg ran aground in 1855 on her maiden voyage to Melbourne. She was meant to be the fastest ship of her day, and all on board got ashore alive.
- Bay of Islands · The road that brought you here, the Great Ocean Road, was built between 1919 and 1932 largely by soldiers back from the First World War. It is dedicated to those who did not come back, which makes it one of the largest war memorials in the world.
Getting to Port Campbell and getting around
- Camperdown Railway Station · The nearest train, 45 km north on the Warrnambool line; useful only if someone joins by rail
- 12 Apostles Helicopters · Short flights over the stacks leave beside the visitor centre; the shortest one is enough
- Surf Club bus stop, Tregea Street · Coaches along this coast are few; check the timetable before counting on one
Cheap eats in Port Campbell
This is the south-west's dairy and fishing country: cheese, ice cream and cream from the farms a few kilometres inland, rock lobster and fish from the bay. In Port Campbell itself lunch is simple — fish and chips, pies, a café toastie — and almost everything is on Lord Street. Out on the coast road there is nothing to eat between the town and the Apostles' kiosk, so buy before you go.
- Frying Nemo Fish & Chips · Fish and chips to eat on the beach wall, about A$15-20
- 12 Rocks Cafe & Beach Bar · Right on the beach; a burger or a toastie about A$15-25
- Port Campbell Takeaway · Pies, burgers and chips, about A$8-15
- Grassroots Deli Cafe · Sandwiches and coffee for the road, about A$10-18
- Café on Lords · Breakfast and a flat white, about A$15-25
- Port Campbell Ice Creamery · A scoop or two, about A$6-9
Museums in Port Campbell
- Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village · The shipwreck museum of the coast; give it two hours
- Loch Ard Cemetery · The graves of the wreck, a short walk from the gorge
- Tom and Eva Lookout · Two stacks that were one arch until 2009
Nature and day trips near Port Campbell
- The Twelve Apostles · Sunset or dawn; the walk from the car park is under the road
- Mutton Bird Island Lookout · Dusk from late September to April; sit still and wait
- Gibson Steps · Down to the sand beneath the stacks; not in a big swell
- Loch Ard Gorge · Walk down to the beach inside the cove
- Bay of Islands · The quiet western end of the stacks
Things to do in Port Campbell with kids
- Timboon Fine Ice Cream · Local-milk ice cream, 15 minutes inland
- 12 Apostles Helicopters · A short flight children remember
- Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club · The patrolled beach in the bay; swim between the flags
- Thunder Cave · Listen for the boom when a wave comes in
- G.O.R.G.E. Chocolates · Chocolates made on a farm; short hours
Where to eat in Port Campbell
- Sow & Piglets Brew Pub · Beer brewed in town and pizza; relaxed and loud
- Railway Shed Distillery Restaurant · Lunch and whisky tasting in Timboon, 15 minutes inland
- Port Campbell Hotel · The town pub; steak, fish and a parma
- Waves · Seafood and grills on Lord Street; book in summer
- REAL Pizza Pasta Salads · Pizza to take to the room after sunset
- Lochard Bar · A drink and a plate after the Apostles
Frequently asked questions about Port Campbell
What is there to see in Port Campbell?
The top sights in Port Campbell are Loch Ard Cemetery, Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and The Twelve Apostles. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Port Campbell?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Port Campbell without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Port Campbell?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Port Campbell, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The wreck of the Loch Ard.
How do you get to Port Campbell and get around?
The main ways are Camperdown Railway Station, 12 Apostles Helicopters and Surf Club bus stop, Tregea Street. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Port Campbell, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Port Campbell that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Port Campbell for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.