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The Great Ocean Road is one of Victoria’s most sought after destinations, with countless tourists to Melbourne taking the time to visit. Trips down the Surf Coast tend to focus on the coast here, and with attractions like the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, it’s easy to see why. Just don’t make the mistake of overlooking or simply driving past all the many things to see in the Otways while you’re at it.
The Otways, the general name for the Great Otway National Park and Otway Ranges, aren’t that hard to find. You literally drive through its rainforest when travelling on the Great Ocean Road. Just past Apollo Bay you’ll veer away from the coast and weave through gorgeous nature for a bit. That’s the Otways, or at least a glimpse of what it offers. Read on to find a selection of places to visit there, but full disclosure, this guide has a heavy focus on the Otways waterfalls.
The Otways Waterfalls
Off the top it’s important to highlight just how many waterfalls in the Otways there are. The rainforest is brimming with them, although most are found near the Otway Ranges rather than down by the coast.
Even spending one day driving from one waterfall to the next, I only managed to see a few in the area. That’s a little on me being slow to get going, but also on the amount of walking it takes to get down to the falls. I mostly focused on waterfalls near Apollo Bay, so I missed farther ones like Stevenson Falls which look very impressive.
It’s worth pointing out, that there are are also other waterfalls on the Great Ocean Road, beyond the confines of the Otways. Some of the region’s most famous waterfalls like Erskine Falls and Henderson Falls are over near Lorne. Then there’s Hopkins Falls out the other way near Warrnambool, giving you lots of options depending on the trip you have planned.
Hopetoun Falls
During my trip down the coast, the one waterfall that really stood out to me was Hopetoun Falls near Beech Forest.
What makes Hopetoun Falls so special is its flawless rainforest setting. To reach the falls you follow a long series of stairs down from its dirt road carpark to reach a modern viewing platform on the Aire River. From there, you can look up stream past ferns and dense forest to see the 30-metre-drop of Hopetoun Falls.
While there is an upper platform to see the top of the falls just by the car park, that view doesn’t do the falls justice. So I’d highly suggest doing the 30-minute return walk to the bottom, that is unless handling 200 stairs down and then up again is too much.
Beauchamp Falls
A strong contender to compete with Hopetoun Falls, in that they’re somewhat similar, is Beauchamp Falls. This waterfall isn’t actually too far from Hopetoun Falls either, making them an easy pair to visit in one go.
What makes Beauchamp Falls nice to visit, in my opinion, is that it has two viewpoints that really show different sides to the falls. From the river’s edge, you can see the falls seemingly emerge from the rainforest out of nowhere. Up at the constructed viewpoint by the top of the falls, you have a completely different view that lets you see the 20-metre-drop up close. The upper viewing platform also allows you to see all the ferns clinging to the mossy rockface around the waterfall.
The only problem with visiting Beauchamp Falls, is that it is harder to get to than Hopetoun Falls. To reach its viewpoints, you’ll need to take the steep trail down from Beauchamp Falls Campground. They say to allow 1 to 1.5 hours return to get there, and if its muddy like it was when I went, the longer time feels more appropriate.
Triplet Falls
Sometimes waterfalls just don’t look great in photos, even when they are actually quite impressive. That’s definitely the case with Triplet Falls over near Weeaproinah. And yet, there’s one of the most remarkable waterfalls in the Otways.
I guess the problem is that, true to their name, they’re split into three cascades that are hard to view all at once. That’s even from the elevated walkways and platform built into the forest to reach it. Still, you do get to see Triplet Falls, just section by section as you approach and reach the main viewpoint.
Seeing Triplet Falls isn’t the only perk of a visit here though. The 1-hour walking circuit to the falls meanders between Mountain Ash trees across the site of original Knott’s No.1 Mill.
As you walk, you’ll actually see remnants of the mill, including metal machinery and carts now crawling with moss. Looking around at the size of some of the trees, it makes sense why logging used to be such a thriving industry here.
Maits Rest Rainforest Walk
While the above Otways waterfalls are all nice to visit, they are a little way from the Great Ocean Road. If you don’t have the time to take the detour, Maits Rest Rainforest Walk is a great place to stop. Sitting just off the Great Ocean Road, this walking trail lets you go for a walk through the rainforest and conveniently enjoy its serene beauty.
The Maits Rest Rainforest Walk can be completed comfortably within 30 minutes and is a very gentle stroll. But there’s no sense rushing your walk here, as slowly admiring its nature is kind of the point. Here you’ll see trickling streams, dense trees, and moss and ferns everywhere.
But there are also opportunities to spot more unusual local features, such as the endangered Otway Black Snail, a carnivorous snail with a jet black shells. I never knew meat-eating snails existed, but apparently they do!
Ferguson Museum
Who would have thought that my random choice of lunch spot would turn out to be so interesting on its own. Located at the junction of C159 and C155, the Ferguson Museum is a roadside cafe/museum in a building built like a big farm shed. I stopped in here between visiting waterfalls for food, but quickly became fascinated by its décor and walls of photos.
This entire region on the northern side of the Otways sits on the fringe between farmland and rainforest. For the longest time, forestry was its primary industry. Across the walls of the museum are photos and newspaper clippings reflecting that history, from the “Old Beechy Railway” from 1902 to the “Otway Timber Mill” from 1848. There are also all sorts of logging tools hanging on the walls.
There’s no price of admission to the museum, but buying lunch, coffee, or a snack seems like a fair trade. It helps that the food here is pretty delicious, with the kinds of things you expect from a county bakery.
Tips for Visiting the Otways
This may not be the longest list of things to do in the Otways, but this is just what I saw in one day or so driving about. I’d love to return and visit more Otways waterfalls, but maybe not at such a rainy time of year. Going in late winter has its trade-offs; lots of rain means mud and likely getting wet, but makes the waterfalls more prominent.
A word of warning regarding tours that say they come to the Otways. These tours are primarily for the Great Ocean Road and mostly just pass by the Otway rainforest. Some do actually stop though, like this one which includes time at Beauchamp Falls. If that’s enough for you, then a tour can be a viable way to visit.
As for advice on planning a visit to the Otways, I’d suggest following the same general rules as visiting the Great Ocean Road. Staying somewhere like Apollo Bay is wise, due to its range of options and convenient location. If you want to know where I stayed, it was the Sandpiper Motel Apollo Bay and I’d recommend it for an inexpensive option.
Had you travelled to the Otways in Victoria before? What was your favourite things to do there? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
