A small drive from Forrest Haus Retreat (turn right down Hennigan Crescent, then right down Kaanglang Rd - drive for 5 mins), embark on a hike to Lake Elizabeth. The trail winds through lush forest and offers stunning views through the tall Mountain Ash rainforest. Take a scope or binoculars to spot the elusive platypuses swimming in the lake. For those interested, a guided tour can be booked through Otway Eco Tours - they have been operating for over 21 years with a 95% chance of spotting a platypus via a guided canoe tour. See for further details.
Pack a picnic lunch!
Enjoy a nice lunch down by Lake Elizabeth, make sure to bring plenty of water and listen to the local birdlife. The return trip is around 1h 30 mins return (easier on the way back), a further trip to the beach adds another 1 hour.
As dusk settles, return to Lake Elizabeth and walk down to the lake. Experience the magical display of bioluminescent glow worms lighting up the forest. The glow worms are towards the bottom of the trail near the lake. December - March is typically the best time to see them however they can be seen during colder months (just make sure you rug up and have appropriate footwear and socks in the cooler months). Headlamps are provided for your use at Forrest Haus Retreat, just make sure you limit the use as you get towards the bottom of the lake to avoid distributing the glow worms.
There are so many waterfalls nearby! Stevensons Falls is a rainforest experience just a short drive south of the township in the Otways. Stevensons Falls walking track provides a beautiful stroll along the end of the Gellibrand River to the day visitor area. The walking track then continues across the river, through Forrest and down to the edge of the river where you can start to hear the distant roar of Stevensons Falls. The hiking trail ends at a viewing platform at the base of the falls.
Beauchamp Falls is one of several waterfalls in the Great Otway National Park, southwest of Forrest, near Beech Forest. A beautiful 20-metre waterfall rewards a reasonably challenging walk from a picnic area just off the Aire Valley Road from Beech Forest Road. It’s about a three-kilometre return walk to and from the viewing platform, however there is no access to the falls. Also located southwest of Forrest near Beech Forest is Hopetoun Falls, which fall 30 metres into the Aire River, also in the Great Otway National Park. You can take in the falls from an upper platform which is just a short walk from the car park, or you can descend about 200 stairs to the base of the falls, which is about a one-kilomete
round trip.
One of the more renowned waterfalls in the Great Otway National Park is Triplet Falls, located near Beech Forest, three kilometres past the iconic
Otway Fly. The pristine waterfalls are beautifully set in ancient forest, with the area providing views into the lower cascades and the main falls. There is a small picnic area, as well as a car park and public toilet facilities, and from which the waterfalls are about a two kilometre round trip.
More information about the waterfalls, walking tracks and other nature walks can be found in the book Walks of the Surf Coast which is located in Forrest Haus Retreat
Every season brings a different opportunity to explore the rainforest, and its emerging wildlife and seasonal flowers, trees and plants. Winter is a magical time to step through the rainforest floor and spot hundreds of different varieties of fungi which call the Otways home. If you are interested in going on a fungi walk, get in touch Calendar – Southern Otway Landcare Network (soln.org).
Cockatoos, galahs, kookaburra, wallaby, koala, echidna and thousands of species of wildlife occupy the Otways and Great Ocean Road. You don't have to go far to witness a variety of birdlife, just view from the windows at Forrest Haus Retreat!