The Twelve Apostles have enjoyed annual crowd rises in recent years, with daily peaks of over 13,000 people during the busiest periods, and this trend isn’t expected to end any time soon.

According to Parks Victoria, the popular tourist destination saw an estimated 690,000 people attend last summer, up 8 per cent on 2016 and roughly 20 per cent on 2015. 

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.

Parks Victoria area chief ranger Michael Smith said to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit during peak periods this summer, rangers will be implementing a traffic and visitor management plan. 

The plan will include traffic controllers; additional parking arrangements; speed limit reductions; traffic-flow coordination; mandarin-speaking park rangers; mandarin-language signage; and roadside barriers to prevent unsafe parking along the popular tourist destination.

Barriers will be placed along a 1.6k-kilometre stretch of the Great Ocean Road from approximately 200 metres west of the visitor centre to 300 metres east of Gibson Steps, to prevent roadside parking.  

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

Mr Smith said infrastructure projects had started to improve the visitor experience, and benefit the environment and local communities. 

These projects include the Port Campbell Creek Pedestrian Bridge and Saddle Lookout. 

Work on new sewage and potable water pipelines connecting the Twelve Apostles to Port Campbell services has also started.

Mr Smith said during peak season 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,” he said. 

Warrnambool Standard