Traveller safety information

The Great Otway National Park incorporates the former Otway National Park and Angahook-Lorne, Carlisle and Melba Gully State Parks, as well as areas of State forest and other Crown land. The new national park covers 103,000 hectares, an increase in park area of more than 60,000 hectares.

This park represents all that is special about the Otways: the tall wet forests, ancient rainforests, the drier forests of the inland slopes and the very diverse heathlands and woodlands, fringed by a spectacularly rugged coastline and studded with some of Victoria's most striking waterfalls and other attractions.

Community Engagement

Walking
Whether it is an afternoon stroll with the whole family, or a challenging multi-day hike there is something to suit everyone. Separate brochures are available from local Visitor Information Centres with details on the variety of walks available.

Stevenson's Falls The walking track, which has recently been re-opened, begins at the campground and meanders along the edge of the Gellibrand River to the day visitor area. From here the walking track crosses the river and heads through the stands of Douglas Fir Trees. It then heads down to the edge of the river into indigenous riparian vegetation where you can hear the distant roar of the falls. The walking track ends at a newly constructed viewing platform at the base of Stevenson's Falls.

Triplet Falls is one of the iconic visitor sites in the Great Otway National Park and it has recently been reopened to visitors after a two million dollar redevelopment. This beautiful waterfall, set amongst into previously unexplored parts of this ancient forest and provides new and unique views into the lower cascades and the majestic main falls. A small picnic area is also available for visitors to relax and enjoy the beautiful surrounds.

Little Aire Falls
This walk is accessed off the Triplet Falls walk and is open all year round. The new walk meanders through four kilometres of rainforest, passing through stands of large mountain ash, satinwood, and myrtle beech trees. Ferns, both large and small line the walk through beautiful gullies. The walk follows sections of old logging tracks, as well as newly created path, ending on an 8m high cantilevered viewing platform. The platform provides fantastic views of Little Aire Falls. The walk is under 5kms return and will take a leisurely 2 hours to complete.

Distillery Creek Nature trail 1.5km, 30min
Explore forest secrets along this easy trail.

Ocean View 4.5km, 1 hour
A pleasant forest walk offering spectacular coastal views and kangaroo sightings.

Moggs Creek Circuit 1.8km, 30 mins
An interesting walk that follows the creek down through the valley, and then climbs to a vantage point over the creeks fern-lined banks before returning to the picnic area

Horse riding & mountain biking
Experience and enjoy the natural environment on horse back or on a mountain bike. A permit is required for horse riders to ride in the National Park and Parks Victoria staff can assist you with this. The formed roads and tracks provide ideal trails for these active endeavours.

The 12km mountain bike loop linking West Barwon Reservoir and Lake Elizabeth is suitable for mountain bikers with moderate levels of fitness and experience. There are excellent camping opportunities throughout the Parks. Whether you are looking for a family friendly place to park your caravan or a solitary night under the stars there's something to cater to every need.

Picnicking and Camping
Picnic opportunities abound, with lovely settings at many of the waterfalls as well as Blanket Leaf, Sheoak, Distillery Creek, Moggs Creek, Paradise, Melba Gully, Shelly Beach, Triplet Falls, Stevenson's Falls and Blanket Bay to name a few.

Schools and outdoor groups in the Western Otways
School groups and outdoor groups planning to stay in the Western Otways are required to complete a registration of intention form.

Please read the vehicle based camp guidelines which apply to campsites at Blanket Bay, Parker Hill, Aire River East & West and Johanna.

Fishing and hunting
A number of watercourses that flow through the parks, as well as the coastline, provide great opportunities if you are keen on fishing.
The Gellibrand River's upper waters are popular with anglers seeking blackfish and trout, as well as Black Bream near Princetown. Fishing is not permitted in Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. Check separate marine parknotes for activity/boundary guidelines. To fish, adults generally require a Victorian Amateur Fishing Licence, available from the Department of Primary Industries at www.dpi.vic.gov.au, or your local fishing and sports store.

Game hunting is undertaken by more than 30,000 licensed hunters in Victoria and is managed and administered here by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and enforced by their authorised officers. You are not permitted to carry a firearm or ammunition in the Great Otway National Park. For further information on local designated hunting areas please contact the Department of Sustainability and Environment. Call 136 186 or visit www.dse.vic.gov.au

Location							Notes
Blanket Bay	22						Sheltered sites near beach
Stevensons Falls	50						Large area in pines
Johanna Beach	50						behind sand dunes
Parker Hill	8						small, on hill above inlet
Aire River East	20						shady, small
Aire River West	50						large open area
Dando's	50						Large area with pines
Beauchamp Falls	5						small area among pines
Lake Elizabeth	20						Riverbank - close to lake
Allenvale Mill Site	20						Walk-in, groups
Big Hill	20						Open space camping
Cora Lyn	2						Walk-in
Hammonds	20						Open space camping
Jamieson	6						Remote - seasonal
Sharps	8						Close to walks
Wye River	12						Near township
Fork Paddock	6						Remote - seasonal
Melba Gully	0						Rainforest walk, glow worms
Melba Gully	0						Scenic waterfalls

For more details about facilities and their locations, download the park notes provided at the bottom of this page.

The Light Station at Cape Otway is considered to be the best collection of historic lighthouse buildings in Australia . There are daily tours of the Lighthouse, and accommodation in the historic keeper's quarters can be arranged by contacting the Lighthouse on (03) 5237 9240.

Accommodation in other camping areas, cabins and motels is available at nearby Apollo Bay and Lavers Hill. Commercial caravan parks and camping grounds are found at Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Lorne, Wye River and Kennett River. Contact the Great Ocean Road Visitor Visitor Information Centre for details on (03) 5237 6529.

A rich human history
The spiritual and physical connections of the four traditional language groups, Wathaurung, Gulidjan, Gadubanud, and Kirrae Whurrong people are still celebrated today.

Through their rich and diverse culture, Indigenous Australians have been intrinsically connected to Country - including the area now known as Great Otway National Park - for tens of thousand of years. People, stories, sites, shell middens, oven mounds and artefacts are all indicators of a healthy and diverse lifestyle.

Parks Victoria recognises this connection and acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Communities of these areas.

A proud logging history
The Otway forests hold a proud logging history and have been a timber source for more than 150 years. Timber production peaked in 1961 and has since reduced over the years. The forests here today demonstrate the time needed to regrow and reproduce the giants of the past.

Bushfires are a natural occurrence and shape the forests of the Otways. Historically several wildfires have burnt through the Otways this century - the last major fire was Ash Wednesday in 1983. Fire continues to play a vital role in forest ecology, influencing plant and animal diversity.

Ecological burns aim at replicating the natural fire cycle of the Australian environment

Early tourism
Many of the walks around this area follow old timber tramways used in logging days. Other walking tracks were built late last century, making them among the earliest tourist developments in Victoria.

Shipwrecks
Fronting the wild Southern Ocean, the park’s coast is the site of several shipwrecks which today are identified by interpretive signs. Cape Otway lighthouse, built in 1848, is central to this heritage and has been warning ships of the dangers of this coast for nearly 160 years.

Aboriginal Traditional Owners

Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.
Further information is available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria AAV and Native Title Services Victoria

The park has abundant wildlife - Swamp Wallabies, Koalas, Ring-tailed Possums and Grey Kangaroos are common, and Tiger Quoll and Yellow-bellied Gliders are present, though rarely seen.

Much land was cleared by early settlers, but extensive forest remains. Not far inland, rainforests and mountain ash trees contrast with coastal heathlands and open woodlands. Towering Myrtle Beech trees and their under-storey of dense tree-ferns can be seen on the Maits Rest walk and at Melba Gully.

• All native plants and animals are protected. Do not disturb or remove them.
• Dogs, cats and firearms are prohibited (Dogs are permitted at Johanna on a lead).
• Fires may be lit only in fireplaces provided and not at all on Total Fire Ban days. Wood or fuel stoves and gas lights are not permitted on these days.
• Bring all firewood to the park.
• Take your rubbish home and, where possible, recycle.
• Check your recreational fishing guide before collecting shellfish or rock lobster (Shell fish collecting is not permitted east of Cape Otway).
• Always stay on walking tracks.
• Clean up at designated Phytopthora hygiene stations.

• Before setting off on long walks, leave details with staff at the park office.
• Wear strong shoes and appropriate clothing, and take water and food if you are planning a longer walk.
• Be self-sufficient with drinking water. Carry it in and/or know how to make untreated water safe for drinking. For more information contact Parks Victoria on 13 1963 or visit the Department of Human Services Better Health website www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.

The park is south-west of Melbourne via Geelong or Colac. From the west, approach via Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road. A daily bus service between Geelong, Lorne and Apollo Bay connects with train services to Melbourne. For timetable details call V/Line Country Information on 13 2232.

Stevenson's Falls
Stevenson's Falls has toilet facilities and a walking track both suitable for wheelchair access. The walking track suitable for wheelchair access begins at the day visitor area where it crosses the Gellibrand River and heads towards the falls.

Maits Rest
The walk at Maits Rest is a great introduction to Victoria's tall wet eucalypt forests and rainforests. The forest walk has sections of raised boardwalk, compacted soil and aggregate. Some steep sections lack handrails. There are excellent interpretive signs along the path. Vehicle access to this site is excellent, and the area around the car park is free of obstacles. There are no picnic or toilet facilities. The closest are at Apollo Bay or the Aire River Camping area.

Aire River
The east area of the Aire River campground is an informal grassy area that can also be accessed by caravans. Neither camp area has any designated accessible facilities, but there is more flat ground on the west side than on the east.

Johanna Beach
Campers at Johanna Beach can park adjacent to a campsite, and it is possible to bring a caravan. Access to the toilet is restricted by a narrow path, as is access to the beach. The track to the beach is also very sandy. The camping area is fairly flat overall.

Blanket Bay
Facilities at Blanket Bay include picnic tables, pit and composting toilets and open fire places. There is a designated unisex toilet, with a gravel approach path. The sandy path with uneven stairs leading to the beach is poorly accessible.

Blanket Leaf Picnic Area (and Erskine Falls)
A cool retreat on a hot day, Blanket Leaf Picnic Area has accessible picnic tables, and some shelter. There are toilet facilities near the car park, though the designated accessible facility does not meet all access criteria. Erskine Falls is a short drive (~ 2km) from Blanket Leaf Picnic Area. There is a walk from the car park to the falls, but no facilities at this site. The path up to the falls viewing area is quite steep with uneven steps and a loose gravel surface.

Distillery Creek Picnic Area
This accessibility information refers to the picnic area closest to the toilet facility, which is generally the more accessible of the two areas at Distillery Creek. The ground is generally flat but covered with leaf litter, and has some uneven surfaces. The accessible toilet across the road meets some access criteria. The Distillery Creek Nature Trail shows a diversity of plant life and is reasonably accessible.

Moggs Creek Picnic Area
Moggs Creek Picnic Area is on reasonably flat ground in a natural setting. There are no formal paths around the site. The toilets are across the road from the picnic area. Access to the toilet is restricted by a narrow main door, but otherwise it meets many criteria for access. The Moggs Creek walking circuit leaves from the picnic area and takes about 30 minutes. There is a lookout bay on the Great Ocean Road near this picnic area.

Sheoak Falls Car Park
Sheoak Falls Car Park is a recently constructed car park with a good smooth surface and good circulation. The tracks nearby are not so accessible as they have steep sections and steps. There are no picnic facilities or toilets on site. The nearest facilities are in Lorne.

Sheoak Picnic Area
Sheoak Picnic Area has good picnic facilities including gas barbecues. The surface is rough, and there are no formal paths. There is a designated accessible toilet facility that meets most criteria for access, although the approach is over a loose surface.

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