The area surrounding the 12 Apostles is undergoing a big glow-up, and now the first new addition to the site is ready for visitors.
A new $9.2 million viewing platform has just opened, situated near Princetown along the Great Ocean Road, offering a new vantage point for marvelling at the majestic 12 Apostles.
Saddle Lookout is part of the first stage of the Shipwreck Coast master plan project, which is a massive makeover of a large portion of the Great Ocean Road coastline. It aims to support increasing visitor numbers by improving safety and accessibility, and all the upgrades are expected to be finished next year.
The new lookout’s design was planned in consultation with the Traditional Owners of the area, the Eastern Maar community, to resemble traditional Aboriginal instruments called clapsticks. The colours used in the design represent the totemic birds of the Eastern Maar peoples, the sulphur-crested cockatoo and the red-tailed black cockatoo.
Just down the road, a second new lookout is also being constructed at The Blowhole landmark. This huge, sculptural viewing site is expected to be completed next year. Once both lookouts are good to go, work will begin on a massive redevelopment of the 12 Apostles tourist site, which will gain a shiny new tourist hub.
The famed limestone stacks continue to amaze visitors, consistently drawing in crowds from far and wide. So this new infrastructure should make a trip to the historic landmark a less crowded and overall better experience. Not to mention, the 12 Apostles area has also been earmarked for a swanky new hot springs, so visitors will be able to unwind after sightseeing, too.
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