Saturday was our day to explore the Port Campbell National Park. The park includes the iconic 12 Apostles, as well as several other rock formations and beaches.

The 12 Apostles are stunning. The photographs do not do it justice. We were awed by the beauty and wildness of the area. The park has boardwalks and viewing platforms, but the area has been mostly kept pristine. There is only one beach you can access.

We started at the Twelve Apostles, which has a car park and visitor center. From the same car park we walked a trail to the Gibson Steps, the only access to the beach.

From the Gibson Steps we drove the Great Ocean Road to Loch Ard Gorge. This was the site of a shipwreck in 1878. There were only two survivors out of the 54 on board.

The entire coastline is made up of stunning landscapes.

We thought we’d head inland from the coast for lunch. In our cabin there was a brochure for Keayang Maar Vineyard. It is located north of the small town of Timboon. The drive was on small country roads through tree lined alleys, dairy farms, and fields. It was very pleasant and mostly devoid of tourists. We did not see one motor coach or camper. Those are all on the Great Ocean Road.

We tasted three reds and one white at Keayang Maar Vineyard while we chatted with the owner Bernice. It’s a family business on the land they previously had a dairy farm. It was a beautiful spot. We enjoyed the wine and the homemade pizza, and left with a bottle of Shiraz.

From the vineyard we drove back through Timboon and made two stops. The first was at Berry World to pick up a pint of fresh strawberries. The second stop was at Timboon Fine Ice Cream, for some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. They were both well worth the stop.

Driving through the fields of dairy farms we saw a sign for Schulz Organic Creamery & Cafe. We pulled in and purchased fresh cheese and pastries. All these stops are included in the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail. We ate and drank locally sourced and created food and wine all day.

We went down to the London Bridge platforms to watch the sunset and hopefully see fairy penguins returning to their burrows for the night. Two locals told us this was the place to see them. They come out of the water in a group and walk up the beach and into the burrows after sunset and before fully dark. Tonight was a full moon and we gave it a shot. Unfortunately we did not see the penguins. We watched the sunset and stayed a full 45 minutes past sunset, but no penguins.