The Otways on The Great Ocean Road
While you are touring the Great Ocean Road and “oohing and aahing” at the majestic coastal landscapes there is also some other awesome scenery to enjoy. The Great Otway National Park or The Otways, stretches from Torquay on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria through to Princetown and up through The Otways hinterland towards Colac.
Here you can immerse yourself in some of Australia’s best rainforest scenery in the Otway Ranges amongst tall trees, ancient plant life and lush ferns and the good thing is that it is only 162Kms from Melbourne and located just off the Great Ocean Road.
Cape Otway
The most southerly point of the coastline of The Otways is Cape Otway where you can experience panoramic ocean views from the cape. The Cape Otway Lighthouse is roosted high on the sea cliffs and is worth a look.
You may be surprised by the stunning showcase of native flora and fauna on the cape, including a large population of Koalas lazing in the trees.
The Otway Fly
With over 103,000 hectares of National Park forests, a great way to see it is to visit The Otway Fly Treetop Adventures Centre. Trek deep down into the ancient forests on tracks or walk tall midst the treetops to a 47 metre high vantage point on the fly.
You can even zip line or abseil your way for a forest-filled adrenaline charge. Otherwise you can do an Otway Eco-Tour by canoeing, hiking or mountain biking for a unique adventure.
Exploring The Otways is another very good reason to do a road trip along this famous stretch of coastline in Victoria. I have been fortunate to do this drive on 2 occasions and both times it has been equally as captivating.
Do you know in 50 plus years living in Australia I don’t think I’ve ever seen a koala in the wild. That’s a gorgeous photo of one.
Really? I guess you wouldn’t have seen any in Northern Queensland, but there are few around Burleigh Headland and when we went to Victoria we saw hundreds of them in the wild at Cape Otway. :)
Beautiful photos.
Thanks Debby. The Otways were a beautiful part of the very scenic Great Ocean Road. :)
Otways looks gorgeous and the beach amazing. The Great Ocean Road is on our list and it’s good to have names of places to stop off – sometimes I think when you are driving it’s all to easy to push on to the next town or whatever, and without knowing you are missing the most scenic spots.
The Great Ocean Road and The Otways should be on everyone’s list. The best thing about travelling around are the other travellers, as they give you the best advice when it comes to sightseeing. Also Tourist Information Centres are invaluable. We always stopped by and gathered brochures and maps of the places we visited. :)
Wow Kathy – what beautiful photos of the Otway National Park. I haven’t been to the Great Ocean Road as yet, but it sure looks lovely. Love the waterfall, lighthouse and the fly … fabulous! :-)
Thanks Lyndall.The Otways were a very welcome surprise and adds another dimension to the breathtaking coastal scenery of the Great Ocean Road.