National Parks and Reserves – Great Ocean Road
From rainforests and rivers to old volcanoes and deserted coastlines with towering limestone stacks and dunes, the national and state parks of the Great Ocean Road region display the diversity of nature at its very best.
Pounded by wild seas and fierce winds, the coastlines of the Port Campbell National Park and Bay of Islands Coastal Park have been sculpted over millions of years to become one of the most breathtakingly beautiful natural areas in the world.
Some of Australia’s best rainforest scenery can be found in the Great Otway National Park. See ancient mossy trees, cool fern gullies, waterfalls and a coast of tall cliffs and sandy beaches.
Further down the coast the Discovery Bay Coastal Park is a majestic 50 kilometre sweep of ocean beach, huge dunes, Aboriginal middens and coastal lakes, while the Lower Glenelg National Park offers stunning river scenery including a spectacular 15 kilometre long gorge.
Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula:
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The granite peaks of the You Yangs rise dramatically in the Werribee lava plains. Although only 352 metres high, they dominate the landscape and are easily identifiable from Melbourne.
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Set in a low range of mountains dissected by rocky gullies, this park has the state's richest wildflower habitat and the greatest density of koalas in Victoria.
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Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park is Melbourne's summer playground and popular for a range of recreational pursuits from snorkelling to scuba diving.
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With stunning rainforest scenery and some of the most rugged and inaccessible coastline in Victoria, the Great Otway National Park is perfect for nature based activities.
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This park is representative of the central Victorian coastline with its intense wave action. The waves shape the coastal landforms as well as the animals and plants that live in the area.
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Apollo Bay to Warrnambool:
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Famous for the Twelve Apostles and historic shipwrecks, Port Campbell National Park also contains the most significant areas of vegetation and fauna native to south-western Victoria.
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This park extends out from the renowned Twelve Apostles and includes some of Victoria's most spectacular underwater scenery including dramatic underwater arches, canyons and deep sloping reefs.
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The Bay of Islands Coastal Park offers spectacular ocean views and a variety of rare and threatened flora and fauna species in its coastal heathland environment.
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Tower Hill was Victoria's first national park and declared a State Game Reserve in 1961. It is a haven for native wildlife including kangaroos, koalas, emus, echidnas and many types of birds.
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Mount Eccles National Park stands at the western edge of the volcanic plains that stretch from Melbourne to Port Fairy. Dsicover lava flows, lava caves, scoria cones and crater lakes.
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Mount Richmond is an extinct volcano surrounded by low, flat land. Forest, open heath and scattered swamps cover the park, which is noted for its spring wildflowers.
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The Glenelg River is the central feature of this national park. The river has carved a spectacular gorge up to 50 metres deep and erosion has created some remarkable caves.
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Beauty and desolation blend as the 50 kilometre sandy sweep of the Discovery Bay shoreline heads west toward the South Australian border. Huge sand dunes and salt lakes provide a backdrop.
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