Great Otway National Park is in South West Coast of Victoria in Australia.

Understand

It can be found along the Great Ocean Road.

History

Created in 2004 out of many smaller parks, this national park covers 103,000 hectares and is 160 km (99 mi) west of Melbourne. It is usually accessed via the Great Ocean Road.

Landscape

Erskine Falls

The park slopes from about the 500 metre contour, north of which lies the plateau in the interior lies, to the Great Southern Ocean. Much of the park is in a rainforest area and has luxuriant growth. It is traversed by a number of small rivers and many waterfalls.

Climate

Appollo Bay
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       44     23 13       44     23 14       56     22 13       84     19 11       95     16 9       99     14 7       114     13 7       124     14 7       99     15 8       93     17 9       79     19 10       60     21 12 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       1.7     73 55       1.7     73 56       2.2     71 55       3.3     66 52       3.7     61 49       3.9     56 45       4.5     55 44       4.9     57 44       3.9     60 46       3.7     63 48       3.1     66 50       2.4     70 53 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

The park has a temperate coastal climate and, given its range of altitude, differances can be found across the park. The average maximum temperature at Apollo Bay (on the coast is 23°C and at Colac (30 km to the north of the park) is 28°C while the average minima are 6°C and 4°C respectively. The park faces the ocean and parts are in rain catchment areas - Apollo Bay receives about 1000 mm per annum.

Get around

The park spans up to 40 km from east to west and a similar distance from north to south and is relatively unpopulated. The shire of Colac (which encompasses the whole park) has a population of 21,ooo of which 12,000 live in Colac (30 km to the north of the park) and 1600 in Apollo Bay (bordering the park on the east). There is a weekly bus service between Colac and Apollo Bay, so unless you are on a package tour, it is almost essential that you have your own car.

See

• 1 Cape Otway Lightstation, Otway Lighthouse Rd, Cape Otway VIC 3233. (updated May 2017)
• 2 Blanket Bay, 80 Blanket Bay Rd, Cape Otway VIC 3233. Secluded bay with great views (updated May 2017)
• 3 Hopetoun Falls. Well preserved waterfalls. Stairs lead to a viewing platform very close to the foot of the waterfall. (updated May 2017)

Do

Walkway through the rainforest canopy

• 1 Maits Rest Rainforest Walk, Great Otway National Park, Great Ocean Rd, Cape Otway. A boarded walk through the forest will give you a good taste of the park with not too much effort. The 800-metre trail can be completed in about half an hour. (updated May 2017)
• 2 Otway Fly Treetop Adventures, 360 Phillips Track, Weeaproinah VIC 3237, ☏ +61 3 5235 9200. Elevated walkway and zipwire through the rainforest canopy. (updated Nov 2017)

Sleep

Lodging

Apollo Bay offers a wide range of accommodation from hotels to bed & breakfasts. Accommodation is usually booked out during school holidays.

Stay safe

The area is known for severe fires in summer, so check conditions and fire alerts before you travel here.