The long list of things to do.

Peterborough is a small country town which has not been developed or commercialised.  It is therefore one of the only remaining undeveloped towns on the Great Ocean Road.

It is a beautiful, untouched, unstressed environment that is completely contrary to city life.

Here's a sample of what we have to offer:

• Bushwalking. The area features many beautiful vantage points atop the sheer cliffs overlooking offshore islands, towering rock stacks, gorges, arches, blowholes and other spectacular coastal scenery;
• Canoeing in estuary;
• Cultural Heritage sites;
• Cycling;
• Diving. there are good opportunities for reef and wreck diving off the park but it is advisable to check with local divers first or ring Parks Victoria on 03 5598 6382;
• Birdwatching. Peregrine falcons can sometimes be seen flying above the cliff-tops. Pelicans, ducks, black swans and egrets inhabit the estuaries and wetlands. The area is also renowned for the Rufous Bristlebird;
• Enjoy sunset at the Bay of Islands and the Bay of Martyrs;
• Witness the spectacle of a sensational sunset over the Twelve Apostles;

• Driving. The Great Ocean Road passes right along most of the coastline in question and makes for some excellent scenic driving;
• Family Walks. Fine beach walking can be enjoyed at the Bay of Martyrs;
• Fishing - estuary or ocean;

• Fossicking and beach combing;
• Curdies Inlet is a large open stretch of calm water behind the sand dunes which is in considerable contrast to the turbulence of the Southern Ocean. It offers safe swimming, sailboarding, boating and fishing opportunities.

• Historic Sites;
• Marine Animal watching;
• Native Animal viewing;
• Photography;
• Scenic Drives;
• Scenic Flights;

• Sightseeing. About 4 km east of Peterborough, via the Great Ocean Road, is a turnoff on the right which leads to a lookout over 'The Grotto' - a geological formation created when sinkholes in the limestone cliffs met with a receding cliff line;
• About another 2 km east is the turnoff to four viewing platforms over London Bridge - a natural archway and tunnel in an offshore rock formation caused by waves eroding away a portion of softer rock. The main arch collapsed in 1990 thus making London Bridge nothing more than two stacks. Artificial burrows have been built to encourage the nesting of fairy penguins. There is no access to the beach;
• About another 600 metres east, just beyond Point Hesse, is the lookout over The Arch, which is another rock formation caused by water erosion;

• Surfing;
• Golf - Peterborough boasts one of Victoria's top ten links courses; 
• Peterborough Beach is hemmed between cliffs and has a feeling of some solitude. It is readily accessible and ideal for swimming, fishing and surfing;
• Wine Tasting;

• Take to the air for a bird’s-eye view of the Twelve Apostles, or join a boat tour around them to experience their immense size;
• Visit the Loch Ard cliff-top graveyard, final resting place for the many shipwreck victims;
• Watch as tens of thousands of mutton birds return at dusk to their rookeries on Muttonbird Island (September to April);
• Unlock the secrets to the many shipwrecks by following the Shipwreck Trail;

• The Otway Fly treetop walk is only a short drive away;
• The nearby Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool puts on a fantastic sound and laser show;
• The stories of the shipwrecks, and of the days of sail, whaling and sealing, can be discovered in museums and history centres along the Coast, including Flagstaff Hill in Warrnambool, Glenample Homestead near Port Campbell, and Port Fairy's History House.
  

The fantastic sights to see.

This is where it really gets interesting.
Whichever direction you go there is something very different to see and do.

The Twelve Apostles.

The Twelve Apostles are a collection of natural limestone stacks standing just off shore in the Port Campbell National Park, on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.
Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Originally the site was called the Sow and Piglets, but the name was changed in the 1950s to the more majestic "The Twelve Apostles" to lure more visitors (even though there were only nine left, and 8 today!).

The Twelve Apostles are between the towns of Port Campbell and Princetown on the Great Ocean Road.
In the early 2000's a visitor centre was built on the inland side of the road to allow for easy parking and access to the best viewing area.
Helicopter rides around the formations are also available.

The Bay Of Islands.

Stretching for 33 kilometres, from Peterborough almost to Warrnambool, the Bay of Islands Coastal Park is a narrow strip of coastal heathland with spectacular ocean views and secluded coves protecting rare flora and fauna.
The sculpted coastline has its origins around 10-20 million years ago when billions of tiny skeletal fragments accumulated beneath the sea gradually creating limestone formations. The sea then retreated leaving the soft limestone exposed above sea-level to violent seas and strong winds which have carved out some remarkable features.

The ancient limestone towers in the Bay of Islands appear to float in the ocean and surround the viewer.
Short walking tracks lead from various car parks to a series of spectacular lookouts – some best at sunrise and others at sunset.

The Bay of Martyrs.

The Bay of Martyrs, at the outskirts of Peterborough, is an ideal place to see the Bay of Islands at sunset with the islands and Massacre Point backlit by the sun. Other lookouts around Worm Bay, Crofts Bay and Boat Bay offer stunning views.

The Shipwreck Coast.

The Shipwreck Coast stretches from Moonlight Head to Cape Otway, a distance of approximately 130km.
Explorer Matthew Flinders said of the Shipwreck Coast, "I have seldom seen a more fearful section of coastline."

During the 19th century Bass Strait was a major shipping channel for supply ships and those carrying convicts or immigrants to the colonies of Victoria and New South Wales. Unfortunately this rugged and inhospitable coast, with its thick fogs, rough seas, and lack of lighthouses, made it difficult and dangerous to traverse, and claimed a great many ships. The most famous of these was the Loch Ard, for which the Loch Ard Gorge is named.

The Loch Ard Gorge.

The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1 June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne.

All but two of the fifty-four passengers and crew perished - Tom Pearce, a ship's apprentice and Eva Carmichael, an Irishwoman immigrating with her family, both of whom were 18 years of age.
According to memorials at the site, Pearce was washed ashore, and rescued Carmichael from the water after hearing her cries for help. Pearce then proceeded to climb out of the gorge to raise the alarm to local pastoralists who immediately set into plan a rescue attempt.

The gorge is accessed via the Great Ocean Road, only a few kilometres past The Twelve Apostles. Stairs allow visitors access to the beach which is otherwise undeveloped. There are numerous plaques that tell the story as well and a small museum and rest area and a cemetery housing many of the people that were killed.

The Local Fauna.

The fauna is mostly ornithological - honeyeaters, southern emu-wrens, superb fairy-wrens, swamp harriers and the rare rufous bristlebird which lives near the ground amidst sword-grass tussocks and coast beard-heath (look for the long uplifted tail which jerks upwards and bobs about as it runs through the grasslands).



Penguins, terns and dotterels hang about the shoreline and hooded plovers nest in very exposed beach locations so watch for eggs when walking above the high tide line.
Australasian gannets, wandering albatrosses and short-tailed shearwaters can be seen out to sea.
Southern brown bandicoots, swamp antechinuses and echidnas are also found in the parks.
Rock stacks offshore provide nesting sites for silver gulls while another is home to Victoria's only marine cormorant, the rare black-faced cormorant.

The Local Flora.

The heathland is colourful in spring, when dense yellow banksias, rich pink Swainson's Pea, Pig Face, Golden Groundsel and Purple Flag Lilies are flowering.  Gleaming spikes of rare Metallic Sun Orchids along with Fairies' Aprons,greenhoods and Donkey Orchids are also found in Bay of Islands Coastal Park.  There are dense, thick sword-grass tussocks and Coastal Beard-heath, banksias and daisy bushes.