The Apollo Bay Trail Evi Janse de Jonge Student no: 29968895, UPD4002 The Ecological City, Monash University Summary Introduction construction of a trail between Skenes The Great Ocean Road celebrates its Creek and Fairhaven. Skenes Creek 100 year anniversary this year. The 243 The proposed shared walking and cycling kilometre road was constructed along trail aims for the following outcomes: the Victorian coastline by World War I returning soldiers and is therefore the 1. Connectivity largest War Memorial in the world. The road connected the once isolated towns, • Connect Great Ocean Walk with Skenes which are now crowded by tourists. Last Creek to Fairhaven trail year, more than 6 million people drove • Connect Apollo Bay town centre with Apollo Bay the scenic drive.1 This immensive tourism foreshore and existing trails puts its pressure on the region. Besides, • Improve signage and route of the Great climate change impacts the area heavily Ocean Walk Image 1: Proposed connection between and is expected to do so even more in the • Make the harbour easier to find and Marengo near future. At various points, the road is accessible for tourists and community Great Ocean Walk (south) and currently damaged by landslides and sanddunes investigated trail erode quickly. 2. Resilience between Skenes N Creek and Fairhaven This project focuses on Apollo Bay and its • The trail is constructed with (north). surrounding area within the Great Ocean sustainable, locally produced material Road region. Approximately 1600 people • At certain points along the beach, the live permanently in this coastal town. The trail can serve as a seawall to prevent town experiences dramatic beach erosion the beach and dunes from erosion (image 2) and some areas are subject to • At other points, the trail will be elevated flooding. It is also a popular lunch stop and therefore allow for flooding for daytrip tourists. In summer, around 30 underneath buses stop in Apollo Bay at lunch time, which puts its pressure on the currently 3. Economic benefits existing infrastructure, such as toilets and bins. The town also provides the start of • Attract tourists to Apollo Bay to stay the world-famous Great Ocean Walk. overnight • Attract more hikers and cyclists to the This project proposes a shared walking Great Ocean Road region in general and cycling trail along the foreshore of • Stimulate daytrip tourists to spend more Apollo Bay to Marengo (image 1). The time in Apollo Bay and its harbour trail will not only follow the beach, but will also go out in the sea and inlands. The 4. Health benefits trail can be used as an alternative route for the first few kilometers of the Great • Encourage active modes of transport Ocean Walk. It will connect with this walk • Provide a safer alternative route for Image 2: Tuxion car in Marengo and on the northern end it will cyclists who are now riding on The park in Apollo Bay after a storm in June connect with the currently investigated Great Ocean Road 2018.2 Regional map Proposal within local setting Skenes Creek 1 Hotspot Great Ocean Walk Coastal Trail Study route 1 Proposed Trail type 1 Apollo Bay Proposed Trail type 2 2 Proposed Trail type 3 3 Proposed Trail type 4 Ocean Marengo Urban Area Green area N 0,2 0,5 1 2 4 Image 3 The current situation Identifying the challenges of Apollo Bay Apollo Bay faces several issues that this projects aims to address. The challenges are classified into four broader topics; lack of connectivity, environmental vulnerability, the costs but not the benefits of tourism and infrastructural congestion. Image 5 (left): Beach erosion in Apollo Bay. Image 6 (right): 1. Lack of connectivity 2. Environmental vulnerability Beach access interrupted by Great The world-famous Great Ocean Walk The beach of Apollo Bay experiences Ocean Road. starts right next to Apollo Bay’s tourist dramatic erosion (image 8). On the information centre on the foreshore. It is northside of the town, fences have been unclear however in which direction the placed to prevent the existing footpath trail commences. There is no clear path from collapsing (image 5). Another to follow and the route sometimes gets environmental issue is the high chance interrupted (image 7). The Apollo Bay’s of flooding. This risk is mainly located on Surf Lifesaving Club forms a major barrier the southside of the town, between Apollo on the route. Bay and Marengo. With a sealevel rise Another issue is the poor connection of 2 meters, most of this area including between the foreshore and the towns’ camping grounds and Apollo Bays’ mainstreet Collingwood St. recreation Reserve will be flooded. 3. The costs but not the benefits of tourism Apollo Bay is a popular lunchstop for daytrip tourists. Especially in peak season, these tourists put pressure on the existing infrastructure. Except for Image 7: Great lunch, tourists do not spend their money Ocean Walk in Apollo Bay. in Apollo Bay. The town lacks activities to attract visitors to stay overnight. There is also a lack of hiking and mountainbiking trails starting from the town.3 Skenes Creek Image 4: Pedestrian crossings on Collingwood St. 4. Infrastructural congestion The above image shows the only two existing pedestrian crossings on Most people visit the Great Ocean Road Collingwood St. Especially on busy days either by car or bus tour. Tourists often this street gets conjested, resulting in take the same route, entering Apollo Very high erodibility unsafe situations. There is also no paved Bay on the Northside and then driving Moderate erodibility footpath going to the harbour. Apollo Bay through Collingwood St. to continue their Low erodibility Currently, the possible construction of a journey towards the Twelve Apostles. Great Ocean Road new walking trail between Skenes Creek As mentioned before, Apollo Bay is a Ocean and Fairhaven is being studied. This trail popular lunch stop. In peak season, will connect with the Surf Coast Walk, but the town can not cope with the influx of Urban Boundary there is a gap between Skenes Creek Marengo automobiles. There is not enough parking Green Space and Apollo Bay (image 3). There is no and Collingwood St. gets very conjested. N Image 8: Erodibility continuous footpath existent between There is no adequate parking and bins 0,5 1 2 4 of Apollo Bay’s these towns. 4 and toilets are overused. coast. Proposal The four trail types The Apollo Bay trail is a shared walking and cycling trail running between Skenes Creek and Marengo (image 3). Inspired by the Brisbane Riverwalk, there is a dedicated lane for both cyclists and pedestrians. The physical separation of both groups is very important as research shows this increases safety and convenience for both groups.5 Depending on the specific location of the trail, it can take various forms to contribute to the earlier outlined environmental outcomes and to provide an attractive scenic trail. The exact locations of the trail types can be found on image 3. The images below each type are case studies and can be used as an inspiration. The following four types of trails are proposed: 1. Regular trail 2. Seawall 3. Out in the ocean 4. Elevated in wetland The first type of trail is the most Apollo Bay’s beach is subjected to heavy The third path type will be constructed out The fourth type of trail is proposed to be straightforward one. This type is proposed erosion (image 8). In order to prevent in the ocean, close to the foreshore. As constructed in the wetlands between to be implemented within the Apollo Bay the sand dunes and beach from erosion the ocean is rough, it is advised to create Marengo and Apollo Bay. Here, the Foreshore Reserve. Providing a main and the trail from collapsing, the trail an elevated, anchored bridge with railing Barham River meanders into the ocean trail with smaller paths connecting the could serve as a seawall along the coast on both sides. This type will be used to and the landscape forms a green wedge beach and Collingwood St., creates a where there is very high erodibility. The get pedestrians and cyclists around the between the two towns. The area is clear hierarchy. By doing so, people can design of this seawall should be done with Apollo Bay Golf Club and the Marengo targeted by the Colac Shire Council as a easily access the beach from the town. consideration to the natural environment. Holiday park. Besides the scenic lookouts priority flood risk area. If sea level rises Continuing the trail on to the harbour this trail will provide, the benefits of this with 2 meters, this area will be completely will stimulate visitors to walk or ride The seawall in Vancouver shown type is to create a more convenient, high flooded. By elevating the trail, the land there, making Apollo Bay overall a more below, could be taken as an example. standard and easier to follow route. It below can still flood without damaging the attractive and exctiting place to visit. It will It is a Corten steel seawall with dune can be used as a subsitute for the Great path. The path will also connect the two also benefit the local economy, once the grasses and pine shrubs. The costs Ocean Walk. The existing route of this towns in times of flooding, whereas the harbour has been redeveloped. are comparable to a standard concrete walk is not clearly marked and crosses Great Ocean Road will be under water. seawall. The Corten steel will dissolve a residential area of Apollo Bay. Once after 75 to 100 years, making it “just as hikers arrive in Marengo, they have to mutable as the rest of the water-mitigating walk through a caravan park before a boulders on the beach”.6 dedicated walking trail starts.