Great Otway National Park
Victoria
Located on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, Great Otway National Park is a lush area of forests, waterfalls, and windswept coastline. Whether you want to hike for an hour or several days, enjoy panoramic views from an historical lighthouse, bike through fern gullies, gaze at picture-perfect waterfalls, or seek out glowworms, there’s a lot to do here.
There are several different sections of the park, each with its own landscape and main attractions: Cape Otway and Apollo Bay, Lorne, Forrest, and Anglesea and Aireys Inlet. Many travelers visit the park while driving the Great Ocean Road on a day or overnight trip from Melbourne, either self-driving or on a tour. Many towns around the park make good bases for further exploration, and there are also numerous campsites within the park, too.
All-terrain wheelchairs, or Trailriders, can be booked in advance through Colac Otway Shire and Surf Coast Shire.
While dogs are usually prohibited from national parks, assistance dogs are welcome here.
Wildlife enthusiasts can look out for platypus beside Lake Elizabeth in the Forrest section of the national park.
Head to Lorne to chase waterfalls: there are 10 waterfall walks within 10 minutes of the town, which has been dubbed the waterfall capital of Australia.
Cape Otway National Park is located beside the Great Ocean Road, a popular road-trip destination from Melbourne. Self-drive or join a tour that stops at this park. Cape Otway is about three hours’ drive south-west of Melbourne.
Great Otway National Park is a year-round destination, and you can comfortably drive the Great Ocean Road at any time. The cooler months between fall and spring (April-October) are ideal for outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, with this part of Australia having a mild and sometimes wet climate at this time of year. Waterfalls are at their best in late winter and spring (August-November). Summer, especially January, is busiest with domestic and international tourists.
As well as the Great Ocean Road, travelers who enjoy hiking can trek the Great Ocean Walk, a 68-mile (110-kilometer), 8-day hike through parts of the park. The varied scenery comprises rocky headlands, forests, beaches, and rock formations. There are many campsites to stay at along the way. It can also be hiked in shorter, more manageable sections on overnight trips or day hikes.
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