Apollo Bay is where the Great Ocean Road takes a breath. The town sits in a curve of the Otway coast, with a long beach on one side and the wooded Otway Ranges stacked up behind, and it has about fifteen hundred permanent residents, many more in holiday season. It began as a timber and fishing settlement, and the working harbour is still there, with a fishermen's co-operative selling fresh seafood. After a day on the coast road, with its endless bends, it is a relief to stop somewhere that feels like a normal town.
The road itself has a history. The Great Ocean Road was built between 1919 and 1932 by returned soldiers from the First World War, and it was conceived as a memorial to those who died. Much of it was dug by hand and carved from steep cliffs, and the stretch east of Apollo Bay clings to the edge of the Southern Ocean with the limestone formations of the Twelve Apostles still some way to the west. Inland, the Otway rainforest is a surprise, with tall mountain ash, myrtle beech and tree ferns, fed by rainfall that is higher than almost anywhere in Victoria.
For riders, a night here makes sense because the surrounding roads reward time. East toward Lorne, about thirty-six kilometres, the road twists along the cliffs with sea views and sharp bends, and in summer it is slow with tourist traffic and cyclists. West, the road to Cape Otway climbs into the forest and ends at Australia's oldest surviving lighthouse on the mainland, which dates from the 1840s, with koalas often visible in the gum trees along the way. Inland, the climb to Lavers Hill is one of the finest short rides in the state, with tight hairpins in deep shade. The surface can be damp and slippery, and fog is common.
Practically, Apollo Bay has fuel, a supermarket, bakeries and a cluster of pubs and cafes along the beachfront. Accommodation fills quickly in summer and school holidays, so book ahead. Fuel is scarce outside town, so top up before heading west or inland. In the morning, with the sea quiet and the road empty, it is the best time to be out.