Surf Coast Waterfalls
Deep in the forests
The Surf Coast includes part of the Great Otway National Park. To get to the waterfalls means heading inland from Lorne. The waterfalls are especially breathtaking in winter as the rivers swell with rain.
Follow the rivers
The waterfalls are basically located on the Erskine, Saint George and Cumberland Rivers cascading from the heart of the Otways with the water finding its way back to the Lorne coastline.
Waterfalls formation
Typically, a stream flows across an area forming shelves, when the less erosion-resistant rock around it disappears. Over a period of years, the edges of this shelf will gradually break away and the waterfall will steadily retreat upstream, creating a gorge. Often, the rock below will erode to form a shallow cave-like formation behind the waterfall. Eventually, the outcropping rock will collapse under pressure to add blocks of rock to the base of the waterfall. These blocks of rock are then broken down and erode the base of the waterfall, creating a deep plunge pool.