You might know Apollo Bay as a summer seaside haven (fun fact: it's the fourth-best beach in Australia), but in winter, things are very different in the town where the wild forests of the Otway National Park meet the Southern Ocean. The WinterWild festival launched in 2017 in response to the 2015 Colac Otway bushfires, which had a lasting impact on the region's coastal communities. It's essentially Victoria's answer to Dark Mofo, and it's well worth travelling down the Great Ocean Road for.
WinterWild is back for 2023 with a packed weekend of music, live performance, masterclasses and feasting – plus a few events that don't quite fit into any category. The festivities kick off on August 25 with a welcome to Gadubanud Country by the Eastern Marr Aboriginal Corporation, followed by free performances from Wemba-Wemba rapper RidzyRay and other contemporary First Nations artists. You can also enjoy sets by the likes of Jen Cloher, Sid O’Neil, Outtatime and '80s legends Inked Factor.
On August 26, rug up and head to the Apollo Bay Foreshore for the Wild Feast – expect mulled wine, local craft beers, low-and-slow smoked meats, fresh seafood and pans of paella. Also on the Saturday line-up will be a barbecue masterclass at the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse, ice bathing and breathing workshops with Mark Kluwer (who has trained with Wim Hof) and plenty of music at both the Apollo Bay Sailing Club and the Apollo Bay Mechanics Institute Hall.
The final day will commence with a surreal dawn tour of the birds of Apollo Bay (living, dead, mythological and extinct). Then you can sip your way through a range of local bevvies as part of the Meet the Maker masterclass or catch acclaimed concert pianist Estelle Shircore Barker playing in an intimate house setting.
Events at WinterWild are separately ticketed so you can pick and choose what you want to see. Take the plunge and discover more dark, raw secrets at the website.
