In November 1940, the citizens of sleepy Apollo Bay, on Victoria's Great Ocean Road, received news of an offshore explosion. An American cargo ship, the City of Rayville, had hit a mine laid secretly by German raiders the month before.

Decades on, there's nothing warlike about the 4.5-star Rayville Boat Houses. Constructed with a hint of traditional boating sheds, they combine modern comforts with the simplicity of the classic holiday shack. 

Each Boat House comes with a spa bath and a fully-equipped kitchen, with a dishwasher for forestalling holiday arguments over whose turn it is to do the washing-up.

There's also a wood-burning stove for winter stays (or unseasonally cold summers), along with a communal barbecue and laundry. It's the sort of place that works equally well for a romantic getaway or a family vacation by the sea.

The Apollo Bay shopping strip is an easy walk away, with its country town ambience, cafes and pubs, along with an impressively lengthy swimming beach along the clear green waters of the bay. And if the water is too cold for a dip, the magnificent Otway State Forest and its environmental attractions are just beyond the town.

Just the Facts:

Rayville Boat Houses
9 Noel St, Apollo Bay VIC 3233, Australia
Phone: 03 5237 6381, international +61-3-52376381
Website: www.rayville.com.au

Note: Though this information was correct at the time of research, the author takes no responsibility for any changes since that time.