DINING EASTERN VIEW

You'll spot her as you travel the Great Ocean Road. To locals and fans afar she is affectionately known as 'The White Queen'. Don't just wonder as you drive by - yes, you can join a guided tour, which will take about 45 minutes of your time. The knowledgeable tour guide will introduce you to a life of maritime responsibility, engineering perfection, a pristine Marine Sanctuary, cultural connections, the famous setting for the TV series 'Round the Twist' and ever-changing 360 degree coastal vistas. Whether you want to step back in maritime, forward in coastal conservation or capture the now with a perfect snapshot, this is a stop worth every minute. The Split Point Lighthouse was built in 1891 and has only been open for tours for eighteen months. She still shines her guiding light every evening to keep ships passing on their way to and from Port Phillip Bay, off the rocky shores. The staff at Split Point Lighthouse Tours look forward to guiding you up the cast iron spiral staircase, through the lantern room and out onto the balcony to enjoy a birds-eye view of the dramatic coastline.

Great Escape Books' vision is to create a destination in Aireys that customers would love to come to. With this in mind all sections are now expanded, lovely leather couches installed and a great range of T2 teas and Genovese coffee is now available. The coffee table includes readers copies of books they love. They are happy for you to curl up on a couch with a coffee and enjoy these favourites. If you love it, you can grab the new edition off the shelf. The selection is changed each week, so please drop by to spend some time relaxing with a great book and check out what the Book store hopes will become a favourite destination for you and your family. They even have an extensive range of games and toys including Lego, to keep the kids happy.

Nestled in the coastal village of Lorne, Surfcoast optical creates an idyllic location to discover the latest designer optical frames and sunglasses plus a genuine vintage retro eyewear collection labels featured include Prada, Versae, Vogue, Maui Jims and hand made Australian desings such as Jono Hennessy. Bulk Biled eye testing service is available by appointment. Surfcoast Optical also offer a mobile service through out the otways and the surfcoast with expert advice to help select prescription and fashion frames that perfectly reflect the personality and requirements of each client.

Sea Echo is based on the south west coast of Victoria, Australia. Established by Tim Day in 1979 as a landscaping business, Sea Echo has evolved to combine the landscape design and construction business with the supply of unique garden sculpture sourced from around the world and available though Sea Echo Garden ware in Aireys Inlet. Sea Echo supplies architects, landscape designers, project managers and homeowners both locally and internationally with exclusive garden structures and materials. They arrange door-to-door delivery of all pieces, regardless of size, to anywhere in the world. For purchases in the Surfcoast region Sea Echo offers a delivery and positioning service. Sea Echo hand-pick and inspect each piece individually to ensure its quality. They design and build individual landscapes that are distinctly Australian in character while drawing on ideas and inspiration from gardens around the world. Sea Echo Landscapes employ fully qualified tradespeople for all aspects of their landscape construction. Please enquire for more information.

Located at Aireys Inlet, this park protects 17ha of ocean waters and projects about 300m offshore. Composed of both hard basalt and rubbly limestone, the cliffs are full of caves and ledges. The shore is covered with boulders and offshore there are two large rocks: Eagle Rock and Table Rock. Table Rock has been levelled by incessant waves whereas Eagle Rock is a tall volcanic stack capped by limestone. The intertidal and subtidal, basalt and sandstone reefs provide habitats for many species. The rock platforms are covered in the iconic brown seaweed Neptune's Necklace which is unique to Australia and New Zealand. Within the rockpools you can find fascinating creatures such as octopus, chitons and decorator crabs. Offshore, Eagle Rock and Table Rock are fringed with swirling Bull Kelp and in deeper waters colourful sea tulips and encrusting sponges can be found. The beautiful habitat provided by these species supports a vast array of marine life from wrasse and mullet to Cat Sharks, Port Jackson Sharks, skates and rays. Many birds use the area as feeding and roosting habitat and at certain times of year you may also be able to spot whales passing through the area. Before you go Conditions can change in parks for many reasons. For the latest information on changes to local conditions, please visit the relevant park page on the Parks Victoria website. Be bushfire ready in the great outdoors. Refer to the Bushfire Safety section on the Parks Victoria website for tips on how to stay safe.

Situated in the picturesque township of Aireys Inlet, the charm of this town lies in its quiet bushland setting and spectacular beaches along the Great Ocean Road, the gateway to the iconic Twelve Apostles. Aireys Inlet is also the home of the Split Point Lighthouse and the quiet relaxing nature of the setting is a wonderful source of inspiration for many artists and writers. Eagles Nest Fine Art Gallery prides itself on showcasing the works of established and emerging artists from the Geelong/Otway region, many of whom live in the local area.

The collection includes paintings, sculpture, studio glass, ceramics and hand-made jewellery.

Open Daily NovemberApril.