Otway Range

<STRAP>TRAVEL VICTORIA’S OTWAY RANGES

<HEADER>ENCHANTING OTWAYS

<BYLINE>WORDS AND PICS ROBERT NORMAN

“It's like another world at the base of Erskine Falls”

“Two of the most picturesque waterfalls in the Otways are Beauchamp Falls and Hopetoun Falls”

“Standing on a carpet of fallen leaves beneath the Redwoods' canopy, their huge straight trunks are truly impressive”

“With 366 steps down to Wreck Beach it's not one for the dicky-knee brigade”

“At Wreck Beach you'll find a couple of anchors and part of a capstan from 19th century shipwrecks poking from the rocks at low tide”

“Maits Rest is a truly enchanting location where fairies and hobbits wouldn't look out of place”

<INTRO>

Virtually on Melbourne’s doorstep, the Otway Range, while best known as the backdrop to the Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles, has so many other attractions hidden away in its forest clad ranges and tree fern filled gullies.

Carved by hand from the rocky cliffs early last century, the Great Ocean Road high above the pounding waves of Bass Strait is certainly a scenic drive. However, every weekend and holiday it is a magnet for the four and two-wheeled set alike, and if towing a van, the heavy traffic combined with numerous sharp, blind corners will probably raise your blood pressure along with your tow vehicles transmission temperature.

When heading south from Melbourne, take a break at Aireys Inlet and check out the lighthouse and Eagle Rock, an ancient volcanic stack that rises vertically from the ocean about 100 metres offshore. Nearby Table Rock is a similar formation that has lost its limestone capping to erosion over the eons and appears as a flat rock shelf. This scenic view belies its fiery beginnings some 25 million years ago when an eruption spewed out lava at over 1000°C. The lava cooled and crystallised to form the dark hard layer of basalt rock at the base of the cliffs. The yellow limestone that makes up the cliff's upper layers was formed from sand and shell fragments deposited after the land was subsequently inundated by rising sea levels.

Further south is Lorne, a holiday retreat for many Melburnians. While a hive of activity during summer it has more of a seaside village feel for much of the year and looking out over the seemingly endless beach and inviting blue water, it is easy to see why this picturesque town is so popular.

While in Lorne, find Teddy’s Lookout which has spectacular views over the ocean and a stretch of the Great Ocean Road, images of which have graced many national and international travel magazines.

There are a number of waterfalls near Lorne that offer bushwalking and photographic opportunities. Perhaps the most striking is Erskine Falls 10 km north-west of Lorne. At 30 metres, it has one of the longest drops of any waterfall in the National Park. With well made boardwalks, viewing platforms and steps (more than 250 of them) the falls have good access – although anyone with less than average fitness might want to take in the view from the top viewing platform rather than make their way to the bottom. For the especially energetic the falls can also be accessed by way of a 7km walk up the river valley from Lorne.

It's another world at the base of Erskine Falls. Tall shady tree ferns frame the white water cascading down a sheer rock face before it continues its journey gently along a boulder strewn riverbed. Alas, any feeling of oneness with nature is likely to be brought to an abrupt end by the realisation that what came down those 250 steps has to go back up again.

<SUBHEADING>TRACKS AND FALLS

For those wanting to explore roads less travelled, at Erskine Falls the bitumen gives way to a good 15km gravel road to meet Mt Sabine Road (also two-wheel drive gravel) which follows the spine of the Otway Ranges south. The more adventurous with a 4X4 can backtrack to Airey's Inlet to pick up Gentle Annie Track. This very scenic drive first winds through sandy coastal scrub which eventually gives way to tall Mountain Ash forest. Narrow and sandy in places, Gentle Annie Track wouldn't challenge any standard 4X4 in dry weather. However, deep ruts and dried up bog holes along the way suggest that Annie might not be so gentle when seriously wet.

Gentle Annie ends at the top of the range near the start of the aforementioned Mt Sabine Road, which winds through the lush forest with its fern-filled gullies, the smell of eucalyptus in the air and (in summer) the raucous buzzing of cicadas. It also isn’t unknown to round a corner only to come face to face with one or more red deer which abound here.

Kaanglang Road which runs from Mt Sabine Road to the township of Forrest (another good place for a meal or tea break) will take you past Lake Elizabeth which was formed by a landslide over 50 years ago that dammed the East Barwon River. The mirror-like surface of the lake is punctuated with the vertical trunks of dead trees and with stunning reflections and early morning mist there is a range of photographic opportunities at Lake Elizabeth. A tent only dog-on-lead friendly campsite at the start of the 2km walk to the lake and the nearby town of Forrest has a caravan park.

Sabine Falls is another waterfall located off Mt Sabine Road, about 5km from its junction with the main Apollo Bay Road. The walk to the falls is somewhat strenuous and, depending on the time of day, you may have competing choices of a long hard walk or a leisurely lunch at the nearby villages of Forrest or Beech Forest.

Turton's Track, an 18km sealed scenic tourist road to Beech Forest, meets the main Apollo Bay Road a couple of kilometres from its junction with Mt Sabine Road. This narrow road twists and turns as the range it follows is punctuated by numerous gullies and spurs that plunge into the valley below. It requires some caution given the dangerous mix of blind corners and domestic and international tourists with their minds on the scenery rather than the road. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful drive and has some of the best views of tree fern cloaked valleys in the Otways.

<SUBHEADING>RAIL TRAIL

Beech Forest, originally a thriving logging town, is now just a shadow of its former self, and the Beechy Hotel was the only place to grab a meal during our visit.

Other points of interest at Beech Forest include the Old Beechy Rail Trail. This 46km walking trail follows the route of the old rail line from Beech Forest to Colac and is popular with walkers and bike riders alike. Also nearby is the Otway Fly Treetop Walk, a 600 metre-long 30-metre-high elevated walkway through the forest canopy.

Two of the most picturesque waterfalls in the Otways, Beauchamp Falls and Hopetoun Falls, are also near Beech Forest on the Aire Valley Road. The walk to both requires only modest fitness but the views of the falls are worth the effort. Beauchamp Falls also has a free campground which is dog-on-lead friendly and while the facilities have recently been upgraded, the site is elevated, open to the elements and has only a handful of designated bays that would be suitable to a smaller van.

Another lesser known but must do destination is the plantation of Californian Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) on the Aire Valley Road where it crosses the Aire River. Planted in 1938 these giants of the forest are still barely juveniles. Standing on a carpet of fallen needles beneath the Redwoods' canopy, their huge straight trunks are truly impressive as they soar towards the light far above. Located on the banks of the tree fern lined Aire River you could also be lucky enough to catch sight of an elusive platypus.

From the Redwoods, Binns Road takes you back to the Great Ocean Road near Apollo Bay, a quiet seaside town and a popular destination for tourists. Being further from Melbourne, Apollo Bay doesn't have the upmarket hustle and bustle evident in Lorne to its north and for my money that makes it a more pleasant place to stay. The town has abundant tourist accommodation and while booked out in the summer school holidays, at other times competitively priced accommodation is readily available. The town has a full range of facilities – hotels, supermarkets, hardware stores, cafes and restaurants, plus a craft and produce market held in the town's main street each Saturday morning.

The aforementioned ’competitively priced accommodation’ doesn’t seem to extend to Apollo Bay’s few campgrounds. You would expect local businesses would be keen to attract the Grey Nomad market but after being offered a patch of grass for $108 a night by one operator and $88 by another we begrudgingly took a powered site at the local recreation reserve for $68. This was the week before Christmas, and we were told the prices were due to this being ‘high season’ – despite the campgrounds being largely empty and a cannon fired down the town main street at night would have largely gone unnoticed. Like Lorne, Apollo Bay really only comes to life between Christmas and the end of January, and then again over Easter. The issue of being pillaged aside, the recreation reserve was well managed with good facilities. Located on the banks of the Barham River and across the road from the ocean beach, this campground has a lot going for it and proved to be a pleasant stay.

<SUBHEADING>TWELVE APOSTLES

No trip to the Otways would be complete without the prerequisite visit to the world famous Twelve Apostles near Port Campbell. Probably one of Australia's most readily recognised landmarks, the Apostles are usually teeming with tourists regardless of the time of the year.

The road from Apollo Bay to the Apostles winds through the southern reaches of the Otways passing Maits Rest, an 800-metre boardwalk through an unspoiled pocket of ancient temperate rainforest. Maits Rest is a truly enchanting location where fairies and hobbits wouldn't look out of place. It's also an easy walk, making it one the entire family can enjoy.

After Maits Rest there is a side road to Cape Otway where you can climb the lighthouse to take in views up and down the coast. Also keep an eye peeled for koalas that frequent the canopy of the roadside Manna Gums. A few years ago, there were so many koalas here they were eating themselves out of existence with many succumbing to starvation. A program of selective sterilisation and relocation was undertaken, and the koala population has since stabilised at a sustainable level.

Back on the Great Ocean Road, take a break at Melba Gully near Lavers Hill. This reserve provides an ideal picnic spot in the lush temperate rainforest located in one of the wettest places in Victoria. Bring a torch as glow worms can be seen here after dark.

As you near the coast there is a sideroad to Moonlight Head where more spectacular high views of the rugged coastline are not to be missed. Nearby is Wreck Beach but with 366 steps down to the beach from the cliff top car park it's not one for the dicky-knee brigade. Nor is it one to explore at high tide because the sea can cover the beach right up to the cliffs. However, make the walk along the beach and you'll find two anchors and part of a capstan from the 1869 shipwreck of the Marie Gabrielle poking from the rocks. A couple of hundred metres further on is the anchor of the Fiji which was wrecked in 1891. These were only two of the 700 or so ships that came to grief on this treacherous coastline that became known as the Shipwreck Coast.

The next point of interest is Gibson Steps where you can reach the beach 70 metres beneath the vertical cliffs to see two limestone stacks (nicknamed Gog and Magog) just offshore. From here the Apostles are just around the next corner but expect to find yourself cheek by jowl with busloads of tourists. The best time to visit the Apostles is perhaps around dawn and sunset to avoid most of the organised tours.

Just past the Apostles is Loch Ard Gorge, named after a ship that ran aground nearby in 1878. Some 52 lives were lost in the disaster with the only survivors being two teenagers who were miraculously washed into what is the only safe gorge on the coast.

For most people touring the Otways their southern journey stops at Port Campbell. This small town has a range of services and eateries and for those looking to pull in overnight or stay a while there is a NRMA Park as well as more basic (but cheaper) sites on offer at the local recreation reserve. Closer to the Apostles, the small village of Princetown also offers basic camping at its recreation reserve. Another dog-on-lead friendly campsite can be found in the sand dunes behind Johanna Beach. Run by Parks it needs to be booked online and only a couple of sites would accommodate a caravan.

To properly explore all that the Great Otway National Park has to offer would take several days, but with its numerous scenic walks and places of interest, it is somewhere likely to draw you back again and again.

WHERE

The 10,300-hectare Great Otway National Park stretches from Torquay, 75 minutes Ssouth-west of Melbourne, to Cape Otway in the south.

GETTING THERE

The scenic Great Ocean Road which borders Otways has views not be missed, but it can be busy and the road from Birregurra to Skenes Creek is arguably an easier run if towing.

STAYING THERE

Within the National Park camping is permitted only at designated campsites, Dogs on leads are permitted at some campgrounds (check Parks website).

There are B&Bs, motels, hotels and other holiday accommodation all along the Great Ocean Road. Towns such as Apollo Bay and Lorne are heavily booked throughout summer and school holidays. Most towns have caravan facilities and/or recreation reserves but there is little free camping.

CONTACTS

Parks Victoria Apollo Bay Information Centre

P: 1800 689 297

W: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/great-otway-national-park

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