DOWNLOAD THE MAP (Winter Whale Trail at a glance)
We know that chilly days can be a real drag, but that’s no reason to meltdown your travel plans. Winter along the Great Ocean Road isn’t all grey skies and rainy days. Rainforests come to life, the ocean adds powerful drama to the coastline, fireplaces crackle and invite cosy evenings, and crowds dwindle. And of course, our giant flippered friends return to the southern shores for their annual babymoon.
Our winter is a whale’s summer and from May to September, the giants of the deep journey from the Antarctic to the warmer waters of the Southern Ocean to breed, birth and raise their calves. This is what we call that ‘whale corridor’. It’s the only place in the world where you can watch whales breeding so close to the shore, and we’re not at all surprised our mammal friends love to come here and play. It is one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in the world – if we do say so ourselves.
Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland offer some of the best whale spotting vantage points to watch the Southern Right, Humpback, Blue, and the occasional Orca whale breaching, chin slapping, flippering and spy hopping. And if you’re lucky enough, you might even see a few young calves splashing about, too. But the region offers much more beyond blow holes and flipper slaps.
Uncover the secrets of the Shipwreck Coast at Loch Ard Gorge and Wreck Beach in Port Campbell National Park. Sure, the limestone structures of the 12 Apostles and London Bridge are pretty remarkable, but thereare some lesser selfie-ed spots just as worthy of asnap’n’brag. Visit Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village to seethe resurrection of the 19th century village broughtto life by day, and by night a dazzling sound and light show. Warm up at the Deep Blue Hot Springs; thenbrunch, lunch, wine and dine on lip-smacking localproduce in one of Warrnambool’s cafés or restaurants.
The Portland Maritime Discovery Centre allows you to dive into the history of the whaling industry, before exploring the Historical Buildings of Portland trail. Cape Bridgewater will offer a marine-life view of a furrier kind thanks to the colony of fur seal that call it home. Take the opportunity to walk amongst the petrified forest’s moon-like rock formations perched high on coastal cliffs and see the oceans iconic blowholes.
Talk about a whale of a time.
