LOOK OUT! TWELVE APOSTLES REJUVENATION CONTINUES

Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is set to deliver a transformed visitor experience with the completion of a rooftop structure at the new Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre and the official opening of a sculptured lookout at Loch Ard Gorge, the final project in Stage 1 of the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan. Together, these projects mark a continued boost for tourism, regional economies and First Peoples cultural engagement along one of Australia’s most famous coastal drives. 

LOCH ARD GORGE

Tourists now have access to a new $8 million viewing platform at the Loch Ard Gorge Blowhole, named Poombeeyt Koontapool, meaning ‘Breath of the Whale’ in the Keerray Woorroong language. Minister Dimopoulos officially opened the platform alongside Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation representatives.

The lookout provides a new visitor experience at this tucked away site, nestled amongst native vegetation. Subsumed in the landscape without impeding the symbolic breathing of Koontapool, the lookout is shaped to dramatically reveal the blowhole, designed to heighten the sound of waves, the movement of ocean spray, and the power of the elements. It pays respect to the cultural and environmental significance of the location.

Improved access tracks curate the approach by concealing and revealing views so visitors experience The Blowhole lookout and native vegetation from a range of locations. 

The former lookout was removed several years ago due to potential visitor risks posed by the natural erosion of the limestone rock. Geotechnical investigations and extensive community and industry engagement informed the approach for the new lookout.

TWELVE APOSTLES PRECINCT REDEVELOPMENT

The Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre, a $126 million investment and Stage 2 of the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan, has reached a significant milestone with the ‘topping out’ of its rooftop lookout. Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos, representing Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes, visited the site to mark the occasion. The milestone was marked with the planting of a Sheoak tree, the first of an extensive revegetation program at the precinct, which is set to feature a rooftop garden alongside the new lookout.

Victorian Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes said, “the completion of the Visitor Experience Centre’s main structure offers a real sense of the amazing experience visitors can expect when the centre opens next year.”

The centre, scheduled for completion late next year, will provide a world-class experience for millions of domestic and international visitors, highlighting the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Click here to learn more about the Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment

TWELVE APOSTLES LOOKOUT

The Twelve Apostles lookout from McGregor Coxall, opened last year, is a glimpse at what new infrastructure can do for the tourism site. Part of Stage 1 of the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan, the lookout replaced viewing areas no longer suitable for growing visitor numbers, providing a safer and more immersive experience at one of the state’s most visited locations. With wide paths and accessible viewing areas, the lookout offers new views of the stunning coastline in Keerray Woorroong Country.

To protect the region’s fragile coastal environment and cultural assets, the lookout at ensures the landscape is protected while offering a rich and engaging visitor experience. Drawing in over 2.6 million visitors per year, accessibility, shelter and wayfinding were paramount, guiding movement through intuitive design. 

The lookout elevates visitors atop the cliff so they can experience the scale and heightened drama of the incredible landscape. Comprised of two long rectangular sections, one resting on the terrain’s ‘saddle’ and the other cantilevered towards the horizon, the design will momentarily conceal the coastline as visitors enter, before it is revealed as they continue further along. The lookout will be connected to the existing path network and Visitor Centre by a new concrete path and boardwalk. 

PORT CAMPBELL CREEK SUSPENSION BRIDGE

The first of the three projects in Stage 1 of the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan, the Port Campbell Creek Suspension Bridge connects Port Campbell to the national park. The bridge spans 60-metres across Campbells Creek, providing year-round access between Port Campbell and the coastal discovery walk in the Port Campbell National Park. The bridge design and materials were chosen in harmony with the surrounding landscape and the historical swing bridge that once stood in its place.