Great Ocean Road – Apollo Bay

The areas around Apollo Bay and the lush rainforests and waterfalls within the Great Otway National are home to a who's who of Australian native wildlife. Beside giant trees and huge tree ferns, the forests are alive with all manner of life, from carnivorous snails to kangaroos. In the waters of Bass Strait, Southern Right Whales are often seen between June and October. We visited below sites:

Marriners Lookout

Drive a few minutes north from Apollo Bay along the Great Ocean Road, there’s a turn-off to Marriners Lookout Road. You can drive up the hill, park your car in the carpark next to the Devonshire Tea place, go through the gate and then follow the track to its end about 400m uphill. It’s well worth the effort for its panoramic views of Apollo Bay and far out to sea.

Triplet Falls
Located 20 minutes east of Lavers Hill, this magnificent waterfall is reached via the Lavers Hill-Beech Forest Road. Three broad Cascades set in a ferny rainforest of stately Myrtle Beech trees, and includes the historic Knotts No. 1 Timber Mill site.

The Gable - one of the highest sea cliffs in mainland Australia

Turn off onto Moonlight Head Road after Wattle Hill. It is a short walk to the lookout platform, which seems to hang off the top of the cliff 130 metres above the waves. This easy return walk travels through a Casuarina Grove to a spectacular lookout over the ocean and the reefs around Moonlight Head. Keep a close eye out for seabirds skimming the water below or whales from June to September.

Other waterfalls around:

Marriners Falls: 40-minute return walk. Located at the end of the Barham River Road. You will cross over large stepping stones at 4 creek crossings and view Magnificent tree ferns, lichens and mosses with a close view of the falls.
Beauchamp Falls: Located off the Aire Valley Road from Beech Forest Road. Moderate 1.5-hour return walk from the picnic area. The walk passes through magnificent mountain ash forests, with large myrtle beech, blackwood and thick ferns. The track becomes steep before opening to the spectacle of the falls crashing over a ledge into a large pool.

Hopetoun Falls: Located 26 kilometres east of Lavers Hill off Aire Valley Road. Viewing platform at the car park offers a view of the roaring water as it pounds into the Aire River. Alternatively take a 30-minute return moderate walk to the falls. The path is steep to the valley floor where it passes through a glade of tree ferns to the foot of the falls. The Aire Valley is a short distance south, offering a beautiful area with a backdrop of towering Californian Redwoods.