Port Campbell National Park

Port Campbell National Park is a coastal national park on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, known for dramatic limestone cliffs, sea stacks and rock formations. It protects a series of named coastal features formed by marine erosion along a stretch of rugged shoreline.

Prominent formations within the park include the group commonly called the Twelve Apostles, the narrow inlet of Loch Ard Gorge, and the sea arch known as London Arch, together with other stacks, caves and viewing platforms spaced along the coastal road. Visitors use established carparks and boardwalks to reach multiple short viewpoints within a few kilometres of each other.

The limestone formations are the result of marine erosion on sedimentary cliffs over thousands of years; the coastline has changed repeatedly as individual arches and stacks collapse and are reshaped by waves. Notable events include the collapse of a section of the London Arch in January 1990 and the wreck of the clipper Loch Ard in 1878 at what is now Loch Ard Gorge.

The park is located on the southern coast of Victoria, Australia, roughly 190 kilometres west-southwest of Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. The nearest town is Port Campbell, which provides access, visitor services and accommodation for park visitors.

• Photo tip: Best light for photographing the coastal formations is at sunrise or sunset, when low sun emphasizes cliff textures and colours.
• Safety and conservation: Cliff edges are unstable in places; stay on designated paths and viewing platforms for safety and conservation.

What to See #

• Twelve Apostles: A line of coastal limestone stacks formed by wave erosion, commonly grouped under the name but now comprising fewer than the original twelve; viewing platforms along the Great Ocean Road provide close panoramic views.
• Loch Ard Gorge: A narrow inlet framed by high limestone cliffs and a small beach, notable as the site of the 1878 shipwreck of the clipper Loch Ard and interpreted at the nearby visitor information points.
• London Arch (formerly London Bridge): A former double-span natural bridge that partially collapsed in January 1990, leaving an isolated arch detached from the mainland; the remaining structure is visible from roadside platforms.