Sheoak Falls is a pretty waterfall in a gorgeous setting, just outside of Lorne. It’s not one of the more famous waterfalls along the Great Ocean Road and as such is generally quiet and serene. As well as the falls, you can also visit a fantastic cave and watch the swallows flit in and out of its honeycomb walls. It all feels straight out of a David Attenborough documentary.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Sheoak Falls and Swallow Cave.
Lower Sheoak Falls
The walk to Sheoak Falls
The stats
Distance: 2.5km return, including Swallow Cave
Elevation: 155m
Difficulty: Easy
You can walk to Sheoak Falls from a couple of different start points, but we’re focusing on the shortest route which begins at the car park just off the Great Ocean Road. A longer alternative begins at Sheoak Picnic Area.
The walk from the main car park to the falls is very easy along a well maintained trail. The walk to the cave has a few more staircases to climb, but is also pretty easy.
Upper Sheoak Falls
Starting the trail
The walk begins by heading slightly uphill on a well maintained path. You’ll quickly emerge from the bush and get some wonderful views out to the Great Ocean Road, with it’s craggy cliffs and glistening water.
There are a few staircases to climb up and down but it’s all very leisurely.
The scenery then changes as you pass some huge rushes which are alive with the sound of croaking frogs.
There are then several staircases to climb as you follow the trail which is now high above the creek.
After 560m (from the car park) you’ll arrive at the junction with Swallow Cave.
Heading up to Swallow Cave
It doesn’t really matter whether you head to the cave or the falls first, but we’ll start with the cave as that was the route we took. We measured the detour to the cave from the main trail to be 1.2km return.
You’ll begin heading uphill and it is a little steeper than the staircases up to this point have been, but it’s very much worth it.
After just under 300m you’ll come to a lookout over the falls before continuing on with a little more undulating track.
You’ll pass a junction with Castle Rock which would add an additional 2.5km (each way) to the walk if you fancy a longer stroll.
Otherwise you continue on straight, towards the cave. You’ll soon reach a little creek crossing which has stepping stones to get you across with dry shoes.
We noticed that if you headed off track to the right here there were a few little pools which would make a nice place for a paddle.
After crossing the creek you’ll walk in a patch of denser forest before reaching a junction with the Sheoak Picnic Area and head right towards the cave (it’s all well signposted). Just 100m later you’ll descend a little and arrive at the lookout.
Swallow Cave and the cascades
The lookout offers a good view over to Swallow Cave and also the very pretty cascades, but you’ll get a lot more from the trip if you head down onto the rock platform itself. You can get down either side of the viewpoint and both options are quite easy.
The path on the left can get muddy so I prefer climbing down the rocks on the right side. It is only a couple of steps and takes just a few seconds.
It’s a beautiful spot and there is plenty of room to stretch out and relax. It would also make a lovely place for a picnic.
Once down on the rock platform you can enjoy the cascades which are particularly lovely after some decent rainfall.
You can walk inside the cave and check out all the little holes which are full of nesting swallows.
It was mesmerising to watch so many swallows flit in and out of the honeycomb walls at lightning speed.
My piece of advice though would be not to do what I did and sit right beside the cave - that many swallows almost guarantees you will receive a little unwanted present!
That aside, the whole area is gorgeous and the views out to the tree covered gorge all add to the atmosphere.
Continuing on to Sheoak Falls
From the cave you retrace your steps to the junction (approximately 600m away). From here it’s just a couple of minutes until you reach the falls. It’s a beautiful spot with a couple of viewing areas and a bench seat to relax on.
The sound of the running creek and falls give it a real feeling of tranquility. The falls are not huge like some others in the area, but the setting is very picturesque and the tall rock walls give it a secluded air.
If it’s been very dry the falls do reduce to a mere trickle but it’s still a nice spot. It will be more dramatic if you can visit after heavy rain.
Once you’re ready you can then retrace your steps back to the car park. The walk back has a few little uphill sections but is generally very easy going.
Getting to Sheoak Falls
The shortest route to Sheoak Falls begins at the Sheoak Falls car park off the Great Ocean Road, a 10 minute drive from Lorne. The longer route begins at Sheoak Picnic Area, also a 10 minute drive from Lorne. The car park at Sheoak Falls is not very big and there are no facilities whatsoever so you need to pack out all rubbish with you.
Sheoak Picnic Area has a larger car park, as well as toilets and of course a big picnic area!
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