Great Otway National Park

Great Otway National Park is in South West Coast of Victoria in Australia.

Understand

It can be found along the Great Ocean Road.

History

Created in 2004 out of many smaller parks, this national park covers 103,000 hectares and is 160 km (99 mi) west of Melbourne. It is usually accessed via the Great Ocean Road.

Landscape

Erskine Falls

The park slopes from about the 500-metre contour, north of which lies the plateau in the interior lies, to the Southern Ocean. Much of the park is in a rainforest area and has luxuriant growth. It is traversed by a number of small rivers and many waterfalls.

Climate

Appollo Bay
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       44     23 13       44     23 14       56     22 13       84     19 11       95     16 9       99     14 7       114     13 7       124     14 7       99     15 8       93     17 9       79     19 10       60     21 12 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       1.7     73 55       1.7     73 56       2.2     71 55       3.3     66 52       3.7     61 49       3.9     56 45       4.5     55 44       4.9     57 44       3.9     60 46       3.7     63 48       3.1     66 50       2.4     70 53 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

The park has a temperate coastal climate and, given its range of altitude, differances can be found across the park. The average maximum temperature at Apollo Bay (on the coast is 23°C and at Colac (30 km to the north of the park) is 28°C while the average minima are 6°C and 4°C respectively. The park faces the ocean and parts are in rain catchment areas - Apollo Bay receives about 1000 mm per annum.

Get in

The quickest way to get to this park is via car, from a two hour drive from Melbourne via the M1 Princes Fwy and B100 Great Ocean Road. There aren't any flights to Great Otway National Park though, nor are there V/line trains.

Get around

The park spans up to 40 km from east to west and a similar distance from north to south and is relatively unpopulated. The shire of Colac (which encompasses the whole park) has a population of 21,000 of which 12,000 live in Colac (30 km to the north of the park) and 1,600 in Apollo Bay (bordering the park on the east). There is a weekly bus service between Colac and Apollo Bay, so unless you are on a package tour, it is almost essential that you have your own car.

See

• 1 Cape Otway Lightstation, Otway Lighthouse Rd, Cape Otway. (updated May 2017)
• 2 Blanket Bay, 80 Blanket Bay Rd, Cape Otway. Secluded bay with great views. (updated May 2017)
• 3 Hopetoun Falls. Well preserved waterfalls. Stairs lead to a viewing platform very close to the foot of the waterfall. (updated May 2017)
• 4 Sheoak Falls. Waterfall beside Sheoak Creek. Definitely worth a visit if you've the time. (updated Oct 2021)

Do

Walkway through the rainforest canopy

• 1 Maits Rest Rainforest Walk, Great Otway National Park, Great Ocean Rd, Cape Otway. A boarded walk through the forest will give you a good taste of the park with not too much effort. The 800-metre trail can be completed in about half an hour. (updated May 2017)
• 2 Otway Fly Treetop Adventures, 360 Phillips Track, Weeaproinah, ☏ +61 3 5235 9200. Elevated walkway and zipwire through the rainforest canopy. (updated Nov 2017)

Eat

There are no places to eat in the park. The nearest are in Lorne. There are some scattered around the outskirts of the park.

• 1 Aire Valley Restaurant and Guest House, 2590 Great Ocean Road, Hordern Vale (West of the park), ☏ +61 3 5237 9223. Aire Valley Restaurant has its own restaurant garden where it grows its own vegetables, herbs and fruits. While you are driving the Great Ocean Road your dinner is still growing. Dinner 6-10PM. Lunch by arrangement. 
• 2 Bayleaf Cafe, 20 Gardner Street Beech Forest, ☏ +61 3 5237 6470. Good quality and reasonably priced food. 
• 3 Gardenside Manor Tearooms, Lavers Hill. Bird-feeding gardens are right beside the tearooms. This is a great place to see beautiful king parrots and crimson rosellas coming in from the wild. There are some short paths through the gardens. 

Sleep

Lodging

Apollo Bay offers a wide range of accommodation from hotels to bed & breakfasts. Accommodation is usually booked out during school holidays.

Camping

• 1 Allenvale Campground, Allenvale Rd, Lorne. This campground is very close to not one, but two falls; Sheoak and Erskine Falls, two stunning waterfalls that deserve a visit each in its own right. (updated Oct 2021)

Stay safe

The area is known for severe fires in summer, so check conditions and fire alerts before you travel here.