🚗 The Fee Nobody Put on the Brochure
Chinese independent traveller numbers were finally crawling back toward 2019 levels when Victoria decided to get creative with charges. From 1 December 2025, anyone wanting to step onto the new Apostles Cliff-Top Boardwalk must pay $15 per person. That comes on top of the $20 per-car Great Ocean Road levy introduced in July 2024.
Do the maths: a Mandarin-speaking coach with 48 passengers now pays $780 in fees before a single selfie. Even if only 10% of Chinese visitors defect elsewhere, Victoria risks losing over $400 million a year in tourism spend 💸 a bill far bigger than the boardwalk itself.
🏞️ The Competition
Uluru (NT): $38 per pass for 3 days 🏜️ allows overnight stays inside the park to fully explore the environment🌏
Blue Mountains (NSW): Free entry; pay only if you ride Scenic World ✅
Brisbane–Gold Coast (QLD): Free national parks; theme-park add-ons optional ✅
Tasmania & Kangaroo Island: No levies, just ferries ⛴️
The response has been swift.
- On WeChat Moments: “十二门徒收两道钱？不如去蓝山，免费！” (“Two fees for Apostles? May as well go to Blue Mountains — free!”) 📱
- On C-trip searches (Oct 21 week): Great Ocean Road down 24%, Blue Mountains up 19% 📉📈
- One major Shanghai wholesaler has already pulled the Apostles from its Chinese New Year 2026 itinerary, replacing it with a Sydney–Blue Mountains–Brisbane–Gold Coast circuit 🧳
