Even though they were warned it was coming, the actual introduction of charges to visit one of Australia’s most iconic natural attractions will still come as something of a shock to many grey nomads … as will the fact they will now have to book to look!
A new visitor centre at the Twelve Apostles on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road will open on October 16 … and a booking system is already up and running. It is currently free to reserve a spot but, from next April, anyone wishing to visit the centre and view the limestone pillars will have to pay a fee.
Details of what that charge will be have yet to be released, but reports indicate will be around the $30 mark. In a world where the user pays model increasingly rules, and tourist numbers have steadily climbed with associated impact on surrounding infrastructure, it was perhaps inevitable that this was going to happen … and perhaps inevitable also that other iconic destinations will follow suit in the months and years ahead.
The Twelve Apostles attracts millions of visitors each year. PIC: Abdus Samad Mahkri / Pexels
For grey nomads though, many of whom still remember crossing the Nullarbor before the route across was sealed, and fondly remember when beachside caravan parks were plentiful and affordable, this may well seem like another unwelcome change in a changing world.
Long-term traveller Dale S summed up the mood of many with his reaction when this idea was first floated.
“Would the French consider a charge to look at the Eiffel Tower, or the Brits for a glance at Tower Bridge: of course not,” he said. “What absurdity is this? Some of the towns along the Great Ocean Road wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the financial support of us grey nomads supporting local business.”
The Victorian Government says the new $126 million Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre will include a 230- seat cafe, kiosk, gallery space, visitor information spaces and facilities, and a rooftop lookout.
Surrounding the building are native gardens, gathering areas, paths to the coastline and car parking for more than 950 vehicles.
Victorian Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Michaela Settle, said the centre would be a major drawcard. “This is a once-in-a-generation investment in the Great Ocean Road,” she said. “Creating local jobs, backing local businesses and building an experience worthy of one of the world’s great destinations.”
The idea for a charge came from Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism (GORRT) and Corangamite Shire who said a year or so ago that action had to be taken ‘to shape behaviour, manage visitor demand, and future-proof the region through a responsible, user-pays model that supports infrastructure, conservation, community wellbeing, and visitor experience’.
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