Winter Walks of the Great Ocean Road Region
This is why the locals love winter. Pull on your boots, pack a thermos of something hot, and let’s go.
Here's a little secret that the locals have been keeping to themselves: winter is one of the best times to walk the Great Ocean Road region. The crowds thin out, the waterfalls are thundering after weeks of rain, the rainforest feels like something out of a fairy tale, and if you time it right, you might just find yourself standing on a clifftop watching a Southern Right Whale and her newborn calf play in the water below. Not bad for a winter's day out.
Walks to see a waterfall
If there’s one time of year to chase waterfalls in the Great Otways, it’s winter. We love doing Hopetoun Falls and Triplet Falls as a pair as they’re both tucked nearby to Beech Forest. Hopetoun Falls is just 1km return from the car park (with around 200 steps), and you’ll find yourself looking at a 30-metre cascade.
From there, head down the road to Triplet Falls which is about 25 minutes away. This one is a 2km return walk through ancient mountain ash and tree fern forest, down steps to a series of viewing platforms looking out over three separate cascades.
Keep an eye out for the old timber mill relics along the track, a lovely little piece of Otways history hiding in the rainforest.
Walks along dramatic coastlines
If ever there was a landscape built for winter walking, it’s the 12 Apostles coastline. The Port Campbell Discovery Walk is a clifftop trail that takes you out along the headland from Port Campbell township, past sweeping views of the bay and back along the coast.
From there, head into the Loch Ard Gorge Precinct — which is home to around 7km of linked trails that you can mix and match depending on how far you want to go. The Shipwreck Walk tells the story of the Loch Ard, which wrecked just offshore in 1878.
The Geology Walk is great if you want to understand how this coastline was formed. And make sure you visit the Poombeeyt Koontapool lookout completed in 2025, it’s a new viewing platform looking out over the blowhole at Loch Ard Gorge.
Walks where you can spot a whale
Each year between June and September, female Southern Right Whales migrate to the sheltered waters of Lady Bay at Warrnambool to give birth to their calves.
The best place to see them is from the Logans Beach Whale Watching Platform, a dedicated viewing platform. A couple of tips to make the most of it: whales aren’t always visible right from the platform even when they’re in the area, so make time for a couple of visits across your stay.
Check the Visit Warrnambool whale sightings Facebook page before you head out and pack for wind and a bit of weather; rugging up is half the fun.
Walks among the trees
If the waterfalls get you interested in the height and drama of the Otways in winter, then Maits Rest is a can’t-miss stop on your way through.
This short, easy boardwalk loop (only about 30 minutes, completely accessible) takes you right into the heart of a cool-temperate rainforest where the tree ferns tower overhead and mountain ash trees, some estimated to be over 300 years old, disappear up into the canopy. In winter, with the ferns dripping from recent rain and a hush over the whole forest, it feels genuinely ancient. We love it because absolutely anyone can do it and it rewards you like a much longer hike would.
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