Big crowd expected to visit Twelve Apostles over summer

VISITOR numbers keep rising at the Twelve Apostles over summer, and Parks Victoria is expecting increased crowds again this year.

Last summer, an estimated 690,000 people arrived at the popular destination, up eight per cent on the year prior and around 20 per cent on the year before that.

The week between Christmas and the New Year, the Chinese New Year festival, and the Easter long weekend are traditionally the busiest periods at the Twelve Apostles precinct, when daily peaks can reach 13,000 people.

During the two-week long Chinese New Year festival in February this year an estimated 128,500 people visited, while there were around 25,000 people across Easter Saturday and Sunday.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit during peak periods this summer, Parks Victoria Rangers will be implementing a traffic and visitor management plan.

The plan will include traffic controllers, additional parking arrangements, speed limit reductions, traffic-flow co-ordination; Mandarin-speaking rangers, Mandarin-language signage, and roadside barriers to prevent unsafe parking.

There will also be additional rangers on patrol throughout the Port Campbell National Park, including three new seasonal park rangers.

To help protect the coastal environment and prevent visitors climbing onto unsafe clifftops, there have been fencing upgrades to lookouts at the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and Gibson Steps.

“Port Campbell National Park, and particularly the scenery around the famous Twelve Apostles, continues to draw millions of visitors into the region,” Parks Victoria area chief ranger Michael Smith said.

“Last summer our rangers welcomed hundreds of thousands, and we’re expecting similarly big numbers this year.”

“For an enjoyable visit, visitors should allow additional time for their trip, be patient, and observe the traffic conditions.

“To be safe and to help protect this unique landscape, people should also stay on the paths and behind lookout barriers.”