Port Campbell National Park, Nature reserve on Victoria coast, Australia
Port Campbell National Park is a 1,750-hectare national park in south-western Victoria, about 190 km south-west of Melbourne and 10 km east of Warrnambool. It protects sheer limestone cliffs above the Southern Ocean, with offshore islets, rock stacks, gorges, arches and blow-holes. Named sites include the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, the Gibson Steps and the Grotto.
Port Campbell National Park was dedicated on 5 May 1964 with 700 hectares, protecting the limestone formations along the Great Ocean Road. By 1981 it had grown to 1,750 hectares, reaching from Curdies Inlet at Peterborough to Point Ronald at Princetown. In 2002 the Port Campbell Professional Fishermen's Association failed to block a proposed marine national park at the Twelve Apostles, but welcomed the state government's refusal to allow Benaris Energy seismic exploration there.
The park takes its name from the nearby town of Port Campbell, and its coast is part of the Shipwreck Coast, a name tied to the many vessels lost along these cliffs. The Twelve Apostles, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge, the Gibson Steps and the Grotto are the sites visitors come to see, and the viewing points along the Great Ocean Road are where they stop.
Multiple walking paths connect observation platforms overlooking the main rock formations, with designated parking areas at each site for visitor convenience. Most trails are short and straightforward, making the park accessible to visitors of varying fitness levels.
The park began in 1964 with 700 hectares and reached 1,750 hectares by 1981, running from Curdies Inlet at Peterborough to Point Ronald at Princetown. In 2002 the Port Campbell Professional Fishermen's Association failed to block a proposed marine national park at the Twelve Apostles, then welcomed the state government's refusal to allow seismic exploration there by Benaris Energy.
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