The Otways are such a beautiful part of Victoria and a worthy detour to make from the Great Ocean Road. We think they are well worth a trip in their own right, with so many incredible things to do including amazing waterfalls, encounters with rare wildlife and even being able to see the tallest trees in the world (the California Redwoods).
Until our second visit, our first was just a day trip, we had no idea how much the area had to offer. Here’s our tips for the best things to do in the beautiful Otways for a truly memorable trip.
Beauchamp Falls
Top 10 things to do in the Otways
These are the top 10 things to do in the Otways:
1. See the magical glow worms at Melba Gully
There aren’t many more magical things to experience in nature than a glow worm dell, especially if that glow worm dell happens to be in the middle of a beautiful patch of rainforest. This was one of our favourite stops on our Great Ocean Road itinerary.
It’s just 500m from the car park to the end of the walking track at Anne’s Cascades and the trail is easy and almost entirely flat. If you turn your torch off at points along the way you’ll see hundreds of glow worms scattered along the embankments.
The Glow worms at Annes Cascades
We saw huge numbers of glow worms twinkling throughout the gully which is a truly wonderful experience, especially if you go late and get it all to yourself. Glow worm numbers do vary year on year according to weather conditions and we go into all of that, as well as lots of tips for visiting Melba Gully in this post.
It’s important to make sure you don’t shine a light on, or make noise around the glow worms as they will all start to turn their lights off if you do.
If you don’t like the idea of walking in the forest at night, Melba Gully is also a beautiful spot to visit in the middle of the day. It’s cool and shady even on a sunny day and you come out at a gushing cascade at the end. If you have time, we’d recommend visiting both in the day and the night for completely different experiences.
Melba Gully in the daytime
2. Marvel at the giant Redwoods
If you haven’t had the chance to visit the magical Redwood forests in California yet, then you can get a great taste for it right here in the Otways.
To be honest, we recently visited the California Redwoods and still wanted to come and visit this grove, and we were so glad we did.
Walking through the Redwoods in the Otways
It is so quiet and peaceful in the forest, and walking amongst these giants is guaranteed to leave you in awe. It’s hard to comprehend their size and their position by the river lined with tree ferns makes it all the more special.
The grove begins just a few steps from the carpark or you can continue through the forest for 500m or so which we’d highly recommend to get a good feel for how special this area is. Lots of trees have fallen across the river, which the brave can try and cross (we were happy just to watch!).
3. Search for platypus at Lake Elizabeth
Lake Elizabeth is one of the best places to see wild platypus in Victoria, and it’s also a really pretty spot. The absolute best way to see them is on one of the guided canoe trips which allow you to explore more of the lake and get closer to the platypus (sightings happen around 90% of the time).
Being on a budget, we chose to simply search the lake ourselves, and we did get lucky (after about an hour of waiting!) but as the lake is really big we could only see it from a distance. It’s still a great experience but if you want to get up close and personal then you’ll need a bit of luck or a boat trip.
If you’re travelling around Australia we have lots of options where you can see platypus without a boat trip because the bodies of water are smaller in this post.
If you’re a fan of walking, you can walk around the whole lake in just under 5km. If you just want to get to the lakeshore it’s 1km from the car park.
The walk is marked as steep but in reality there’s only one short steep section in each direction, with lots of flat in between.
4. Go wild koala spotting
The Otways are a fantastic place to spot koalas and there are lots of options. For a special experience you can stay at Bimbi Park which have wild koalas living on site. We weren’t able to get a reservation as we were travelling during the busy Christmas period, but it sounds pretty special if you get the chance.
The best option if you don’t stay at Bimbi and you are planning to visit the Cape Otway Lighthouse is along Lighthouse Road. You have a very good chance of sighting them here, particularly if you visit in the early morning when they are more active.
Another good spot is Lake Elizabeth so you could combine it with platypus spotting. As we were looking for platypus at dusk we were lucky enough to hear four really vocal koalas who were making a huge amount of noise for over an hour. Normally we see them being quite snoozy but these guys were anything but!
If you’re staying in a rural area it’s worth asking your accommodation if they see them onsite, we were staying at the Otway Tourist Park and they had a mother and joey hanging around for a while just before our visit but sadly we didn’t find them ourselves.
If you’re visiting other parts of Australia we have some more great options for wild koala spotting for you.
Read next: Hollow Mountain hike, The Grampians
5. Take to the treetops at the Otway Fly
The Otway Fly is one of the region’s premier attractions and most people will make a visit here. The treetop walk is 600m long and stretches 25m above the rainforest canopy.
For the ultimate view you can climb the 45m Spiral Tower, which gently sways in the wind! You combine the treetop walk with the rainforest walk to make a total of 1.9km which takes roughly an hour to complete if you stop for a lot of photos!
The Illawarra Fly, very similar to the Otway Fly
If you are looking for something a little more energetic, you can also go zip lining. We haven’t done the Otway Fly yet because we’d recently done the Illawarra Fly near Sydney, and the idea is very similar so we didn’t want to pay again, but we included it here because it comes highly recommended.
6. Sip a coffee with some early settler history
NouriShed is our favourite cafe in the Otways and also happens to be a little museum with information and artefacts from the first European settlers in the area. It’s an interesting place for a poke around as well as offering the best coffee and toasties we had on the Great Ocean Road.
There are lots of comfy sofas as well as outdoor seating so it makes for the perfect spot to take a break from all that exploring!
Read next: An epic Melbourne itinerary
7. Take in the views from the Cape Otway Lighthouse
The Cape Otway Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia, and has spectacular views of the Bass Strait. You have to pay even to enter the grounds so it’s worth trying to time your visit with one of the talks which are included in the entry price.
At time of writing these are the Native Plant Talks at 12.00pm and 3.00pm, and the History Talks at 11.00am, 2.00pm and 4.00pm.
If you’re visiting between May and October, it’s also a fantastic whale watching spot with over 25 species passing annually - you’re most likely to see Humpbacks.
You can make a small saving on the $19.50 lighthouse entrance fee by booking online - only $1 though 😂
If you want to experience the area once the crowds have left for the day you can actually stay in the lighthouse keepers cottage, but this books up quite far in advance in peak season so we weren’t able to try it. It gets amazing reviews so let us know if you do manage to stay!
Read next: The 12 best things to do in Lorne
Go chasing Otway waterfalls at
8. Beauchamp Falls
Beauchamp Falls is a beauty and a must for waterfall lovers visiting the area. The walk to get to the falls is along a pristine stretch of forest and is 1.5km each way. The walk is mainly downhill on the way to the falls, though it isn’t steep, and it’s incredibly peaceful walking along the shady track lined with tree ferns.
There is a lot of birdlife, and despite the fact it’s a popular waterfall it never felt too busy. You’ll arrive at a viewing platform which gives you a great view of the falls. There is “technically” no longer access to the bottom of the falls.
Read next: 7 stunning beaches you have to visit on the Great Ocean Road
9. Hopetoun Falls
Hopetoun Falls is our favourite of the three on this list, and it’s the sort of spot that makes you feel like you’ve landed in a fairy grotto. The waterfall is absolutely breathtaking and surrounded by lush greenery which feels really dramatic. It’s a wonderful spot for photography.
If you only want to view it from above, it is just a minute’s walk from the car park, but this really isn’t the special view (it’s very obscured). To reach that you need to descend a couple of hundred steps to the lower viewing platform. It’s a bit of a puff on the way back up but oh so worth it.
10. Triplet Falls
Triplet Falls is a beautiful spot and gets less attention than either Beauchamp or Hopetoun, which have become quite popular on social media - all the more reason to stop at Triplet as well.
To get to the falls we’d recommend taking the 2km circuit walking trail which will take you through some stunning forest covered in tree ferns and is shady even in the middle of the day. If you want to see the falls the quickest way possible you can take the anticlockwise route which is a 1.5km return walk.
There are technically three sets of falls, hence the name, but you can only really see one clearly as the forest is quite dense, that one is definitely beautiful enough to warrant a visit though! As with many falls they are best after rain but our photo is taken during a drought and you can see there is still a good flow.
If that isn’t enough, check out our article all about the best Great Ocean Road Waterfalls.
Packing suggestions for the Otways
Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Bushman Spray: Good for keeping off the mozzies and any other bugs. Check it out on Amazon.
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon
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Are you planning a trip to the Great Ocean Road? What is your favourite place in the Otways? Let us know in the comments below!
