Port Campbell & Loch Ard Gorge Guide
- Words
- Melbourne Tourism Guide
- Updated
- October 26, 2026
- Read
- 13 min
The Shipwreck Coast's best story, its best walks and the town that makes an overnight stop worthwhile.
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The Twelve Apostles get the coach tours, but a few minutes further west there’s a place that tells you far more about this coastline. A narrow channel opens between two sheer cliffs of honey-coloured limestone, the sea runs in over a reef and spreads across a small, sheltered beach, and on the clifftop above there are the graves of people who drowned in a shipwreck just offshore in 1878. Loch Ard Gorge is beautiful, but it’s the story that stays with you. Add the small town of Port Campbell next door and the run of arches and blowholes to the west, and this stretch of the Shipwreck Coast deserves far more than the half-hour most people give it.
This guide covers Loch Ard Gorge and its walks, including the current state of the beach closure, the town of Port Campbell, and the coast west to London Bridge, The Grotto and the Bay of Islands, with the practical details on getting there and where to stay. Details were checked in October 2026 against the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority’s own pages; several sites on this coast have been affected by closures, so confirm the current conditions before you go. For the Apostles themselves, including the new visitor centre and booking system, see our Twelve Apostles guide.
Port Campbell and Loch Ard Gorge at a Glance
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | The Shipwreck Coast in Port Campbell National Park, on the Great Ocean Road |
| Loch Ard Gorge beach | The beach and access stairs have been closed for safety works; check GORCAPA’s Loch Ard Gorge page for whether the beach is open |
| Loch Ard Gorge walks | Clifftop trails and lookouts, including the Geology Walk, Thunder Cave and the Living on the Edge trail |
| Port Campbell | Small coastal town with a beach, a visitor information centre and most of the accommodation on this stretch |
| Further west | London Bridge, The Grotto, The Arch (viewing area closed), Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands |
| Twelve Apostles | Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre, about 7 km east of Port Campbell; bookings essential |
| Wildlife | Short-tailed shearwaters at Mutton Bird Island (October to April); little penguins at London Bridge at dusk; whales in winter |
| Managed by | Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) |
Loch Ard Gorge
The wreck of the Loch Ard
On 1 June 1878, the clipper ship Loch Ard, near the end of its voyage from England to Melbourne, struck Mutton Bird Island, just off the mouth of the gorge, and sank. GORCAPA says 54 people were on board. Only two survived: Tom Pearce, a young crew member, and Eva Carmichael, a passenger, both of whom reached the beach inside the gorge. Tom found Eva in the water, brought her ashore and sheltered her in a cave before climbing the cliffs to raise the alarm. Some of the victims are buried in the small cemetery on the clifftop above the gorge, which is reached by a short track and is one of the most affecting places on the whole Great Ocean Road.
The story, and the scale of the cliffs around it, gives Loch Ard Gorge a weight the other lookouts on this coast don’t quite have. Stand at the top of the gorge and look at the narrow entrance, then imagine trying to swim through it in the dark, and you understand why this stretch earned the name the Shipwreck Coast.
The beach closure
The beach inside the gorge, and the stairs down to it, have been closed because of geological instability. Local press reported in mid-2026 that the beach had been closed for more than three years. In a May 2026 announcement, GORCAPA said safety works would be completed and the site back open by October 2026, subject to planning approval. The works include repairs to the staircase, permanent exclusion fencing set back about five metres from the cliffs and regular monitoring, and GORCAPA says a longer-term plan may replace or relocate the staircase.
GORCAPA’s Loch Ard Gorge page shows a temporary closure until the remediation works are completed. Check that page before you go. If the beach is open, the walk down the stairs onto the sand, with the cliffs towering on either side, is the highlight of the visit. If it isn’t, the clifftop lookouts are still well worth the stop.
The walks and lookouts
Loch Ard Gorge is the centre of a small network of linked clifftop trails. The regional tourism body, Visit Great Ocean Road, describes about 7 km of trails here. The main ones:
- The Geology Walk. About 900 metres return, taking in the Razorback and the Island Arch lookouts. It’s the best short walk at the site and gives you the coast’s geology in miniature.
- Thunder Cave. About 1.1 km return, to a sea cave where the swell booms into the cliffs. It’s part of the longer Living on the Edge trail.
- The Living on the Edge trail. About 3.2 km, linking the main lookouts along the cliffs.
- The cemetery and the shipwreck lookouts. Short tracks to the graves of the Loch Ard‘s victims and to views over Mutton Bird Island, where the ship went down.
Stay behind the fences and on the marked tracks. These cliffs are soft, undercut limestone, and the closures along this coast are a reminder that they collapse without warning.
Tom and Eva
Beside the gorge, two tall rock stacks stand in the sea. Until June 2009 they were joined by a rock arch known as the Island Archway; when it collapsed, the two remaining pillars were named Tom and Eva, after the Loch Ard‘s survivors. The lookout gives you one of the clearest lessons in how fast this coast changes.
Shearwaters at Mutton Bird Island
GORCAPA says short-tailed shearwaters return to Mutton Bird Island at dusk between October and April. If you’re staying in Port Campbell, a summer evening at the Loch Ard Gorge lookouts watching the birds come in off the ocean is a quieter, stranger experience than any of the daytime crowds.
Port Campbell
Port Campbell is the small town at the heart of the Shipwreck Coast, set around a sheltered inlet with a beach, a jetty and a cluster of motels, cafés and holiday houses. It’s the obvious base for this stretch of the Great Ocean Road: the Twelve Apostles visitor centre is about 7 km to the east, Loch Ard Gorge is closer still, and London Bridge and the Bay of Islands are a short drive west. Staying the night here means you can see the Apostles at sunrise or sunset, when the light is best and the coach tours have gone.
Things to do in town
- The beach. Port Campbell’s small beach sits at the head of the inlet, beside the Port Campbell Surf Lifesaving Club. It’s one of the few sheltered places to swim on this part of the coast, but conditions on the Southern Ocean change fast; swim between the flags when the beach is patrolled, and stay out when it isn’t.
- The Port Campbell Discovery Walk. A clifftop walk that starts in town, crossing Campbell’s Creek on a suspension bridge and climbing a 191-step staircase on the western headland (about 4.5 km return, according to Visit Great Ocean Road). A sealed path behind the surf club leads to a viewing platform for those who don’t want the full walk.
- Whale-watching. Southern Right and Humpback whales pass this coast in winter, and GORCAPA lists the lookouts around Port Campbell township among the places to spot them.
- The visitor information centre. At 26 Morris Street, it can help with current conditions, closures and accommodation; phone 1300 137 255 for opening hours.
Where to stay
Port Campbell’s accommodation is mostly motels, holiday parks and holiday rentals, with a few more upmarket options in the surrounding countryside. Options include the Loch Ard Motor Inn on Lord Street, the Southern Ocean Motor Inn and the NRMA Port Campbell Holiday Park, which doesn’t allow pets. Book early for summer weekends and the January school holidays, when the town fills up. Our Great Ocean Road accommodation guide compares Port Campbell with the other towns along the route.
Eating out
The town has a small choice of cafés, restaurants and takeaways, so book for dinner in summer or eat early. If you’re arriving late, buy supplies on the way; options thin out quickly once the day visitors leave.
West of Port Campbell: London Bridge, The Grotto and the Bay of Islands
West of town, the Great Ocean Road runs past a string of lookouts that many day-trippers skip because they’ve run out of time. They’re among the best on the coast.
London Bridge
London Bridge used to be a double-arched rock bridge joined to the mainland. On the evening of 15 January 1990, the arch nearest the shore collapsed, leaving two visitors stranded on the new island; they were rescued by helicopter. What’s left is a flat-topped stack with a single arch, still one of the most photographed formations on the coast. GORCAPA says little penguins may be seen at dusk returning to the protected beach beneath it, so it’s worth timing a visit for the end of the day.
The Grotto
The Grotto is a hollow in the cliffs, reached on foot from the car park, where the sea has carved a natural window through the rock. It’s a small, intimate stop, quite different from the big panoramas elsewhere. Check the current conditions before you go, as this coast’s tracks and stairs are periodically closed for safety.
The Arch
The Arch is a rock arch standing exposed to the full force of the ocean, with waves breaking around its base. Its viewing area and day visitor site are closed for public safety because of unstable cliffs and track erosion, according to GORCAPA, so don’t plan on stopping there.
Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands
Further west, near the small town of Peterborough, the Bay of Martyrs and the Bay of Islands are two wide bays scattered with stacks and islets. They’re quieter than anything further east, and the Bay of Islands in particular, with stacks running away into the distance, is one of the most beautiful views on the whole road. These are good places to finish a day on the Shipwreck Coast before driving on to Warrnambool. Check GORCAPA’s site for any current closures.
The Twelve Apostles: A Quick Pointer
The Twelve Apostles are about 7 km east of Port Campbell. The precinct is now home to the Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre, run by GORCAPA, and the official site says bookings are essential. It lists the centre as open daily from 8am to 8pm, with last arrival at 7pm, and the car park from 6am to 9pm. Check twelveapostles.org.au for how bookings work and what they cost before you go. Gibson Steps, the staircase down to the beach just east of the Apostles, has also been affected by closures, so check its status too. Everything else you need is in our Twelve Apostles guide.
Getting to Port Campbell
How long Port Campbell takes from Melbourne depends entirely on the route. The coast road via Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay is the scenic way and takes much of a day with stops; the inland route through Geelong and Colac is considerably faster and is the sensible way back. From Port Campbell, Warrnambool is further west along the coast.
Public transport along the Shipwreck Coast is limited. V/Line runs coach services along the Great Ocean Road between Apollo Bay and Warrnambool on some days of the week; check the current timetable and stops at vline.com.au before you plan around it. Organised day tours from Melbourne usually include Loch Ard Gorge alongside the Twelve Apostles; our Great Ocean Road tours compared guide explains what each includes.
How Long to Spend: A 24-Hour Plan
The Shipwreck Coast rewards an overnight stop. A plan that works well:
- Afternoon: arrive from the east, stop at the Twelve Apostles (book ahead), then spend an hour or more at Loch Ard Gorge: the Geology Walk, Tom and Eva, the cemetery and, if it’s open, the beach.
- Evening: check in to Port Campbell, then head back to the Loch Ard Gorge lookouts for the shearwaters in season, or west to London Bridge for the chance of penguins at dusk.
- Morning: walk the Port Campbell Discovery Walk before breakfast, then drive west via The Grotto, the Bay of Martyrs and the Bay of Islands towards Warrnambool, or back to the Apostles at sunrise if you missed the light the day before.
Our Great Ocean Road itinerary fits this into a full three-day trip.
Is It Worth It?
Yes, and in some ways more than the Twelve Apostles. Loch Ard Gorge has the better story, the more interesting walks and, when the beach is open, a place you can actually stand inside the landscape rather than look at it from a platform. The coast west of Port Campbell is quieter and every bit as dramatic.
The honest caveats: the beach closure takes something away from Loch Ard Gorge until it’s resolved, The Arch is off-limits, and on a single day trip from Melbourne you’ll get no more than a rushed half-hour here at the end of a very long drive. That’s the strongest argument on the whole Great Ocean Road for staying a night. If you can, sleep in Port Campbell and give this stretch an evening and a morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Loch Ard Gorge beach open?
The beach and its access stairs have been closed for safety works. GORCAPA said in May 2026 that it aimed to reopen the site by October 2026, subject to planning approval, and its Loch Ard Gorge page shows a temporary closure until the works are complete. Check that page before you visit.
What happened at Loch Ard Gorge?
On 1 June 1878 the clipper Loch Ard struck Mutton Bird Island, just off the gorge. Of the 54 people on board, only two survived, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael, who reached the beach in the gorge. Some of the victims are buried in the cemetery on the clifftop.
How long do you need at Loch Ard Gorge?
Allow at least an hour to see the main lookouts and walk the Geology Walk, and more if the beach is open or you want to walk the Living on the Edge trail and visit the cemetery.
What happened to London Bridge on the Great Ocean Road?
The arch joining it to the mainland collapsed on the evening of 15 January 1990, stranding two visitors on the newly formed island; they were rescued by helicopter. The remaining stack, with its single arch, is still one of the coast’s best-known landmarks.
Is Port Campbell a good base for the Twelve Apostles?
Yes. It’s the nearest town, about 7 km from the Twelve Apostles visitor centre, with most of the accommodation on this stretch of coast, and staying there lets you see the Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge in the best light.
Can you see penguins near Port Campbell?
GORCAPA says little penguins may be seen at dusk returning to the protected beach beneath London Bridge, and sometimes near the Twelve Apostles. Sightings aren’t guaranteed, and you’ll be watching from the lookouts.
Related Melbourne Guides
- Great Ocean Road: The Complete Travel Guide
- Twelve Apostles Guide
- Great Ocean Road Itinerary
- Cape Otway Guide
- Great Ocean Road Day Trip
Photo Credits
Featured image — Loch Ard Gorge from the north-east: Loch Ard Gorge, northeast view 20230217 1 by DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The entrance to Loch Ard Gorge: Loch Ard Gorge. Vic Australia. (42841524162) by Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
London Bridge: London-Arch-Australia-2008 by Kham Tran – www.khamtran.com, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Grotto: Peterborough (AU), Port Campbell National Park, The Grotto — 2019 — 0883 by Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Worm Bay: Peterborough (AU), Port Campbell National Park, Worm Bay — 2019 — 0863 by Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Bay of Islands: Bay of Islands 2 Victoria by Cookaa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.