Nature

See some of Australia’s best rainforest scenery in the Great Otway National Park. Walk among tall trees and giant tree ferns, discover beautiful waterfalls, see the Melba Gully glow worms, or just meander on secluded beaches along the shore at Cape Otway. Experience the Otway Fly tree top walk with breathtaking views and abundant plant and birdlife.

Make your way further inland to explore the rolling hills, lakes and valleys of Victoria’s ancient volcanic plains, the third largest in the world. Some must see Vocanic attractions are as follows:

Mount Leura lookout, Mount Leura Road, Camperdown, VictoriaThe car park and lookout offer commanding views of Lake Corangamite and views across Lake Colongulac towards Mount Elephant.

On a clear day the Grampians and Otway Ranges are easily picked from the mounted distance and direction marker.

• Distance: 1.7km
• Length: 45 minutes

Mount Elephant, Hamilton Highway, Derrinallum, VIC 3325: Visible from 60 kilometres in every direction, Mount Elephant dominates the landscape and now you have the chance to put yourself on the top of it. Open Sundays from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. There is a growing number of kangaroos and wallabies which can be found in the bush around the base. Hawks and eagles patrol overhead searching for unwary rabbits, while many smaller birds flit among the denser vegetation.

A modern Visitor Centre with unique design and spectacular views provides nature displays, light refreshments and toilets. It is manned by local volunteers who have the answer to any questions.

The walk from the car park to the crater rim is a two kilometre return walk to the peak (John and Millie Borbridge track) and around the crater rim is an extra three kilometres (steep in sections). The path is steep and uneven, not suitable for prams or wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. The Visitor Centre is available for hire to groups of up to 50 people. Catering can be arranged. Education packages can be provided for school groups of any level.

Budj Bim National Park, previously known as Mount Eccles, is home to a tranquil crater lake, lava canals and caves in a lush bushland setting. Enjoy a picnic, camp and walk among Manna Gums teeming with native wildlife. Discover the rich cultural heritage of Budj Bim and the natural wonders of this ancient, volcanic landscape.

Budj Bim is the Gunditjmara name, meaning “High Head”, the roughly conical peak rising 178 metres. The peak is a scoria hill that was thrown up beside a group of three overlapping volcanic craters that now contain Lake Surprise. A line of smaller craters and scoria cones runs to the southeast. Lava flows extend to form a shield volcano and are fed by several lava channels, or “lava canals” as they are known locally. This lava flow, known as the Tyrendarra lava flow, changed the drainage pattern of the region, and created large wetlands.

The wider Budj Bim Heritage Landscape dates back thousands of years and shows evidence of large, settled communities systematically farming and smoking eels for food and trade. The Heritage Landscape area is considered one of Victoria’s earliest and largest Indigenous aquaculture ventures, and has recently been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List recognised solely for its Aboriginal cultural values.The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape features the earliest living example of aquaculture in the world, with a history of eel farming dating back over 6,000 years.

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, Tower Hill, Victoria, Meet koalas, emus, kangaroos and many species of waterbirds roaming freely in Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, which sits inside an extinct volcano formed some 30,000 years ago.

Declared Victoria’s first National Park in 1892, Tower Hill is the ideal place for visitors to experience the Australian bush, enjoy magnificent scenery and landscapes while getting up close and personal with some of Australia’s most iconic native birds and animals including emus, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and seasonal reptiles. Wildflowers abound in springtime.

The Reserve and its plethora of wildlife provides visitors with the rare opportunity to witness animals at close range in their natural habitat. This, combined with guided tours to learn about Aboriginal history and cultural heritage provides a unique eco-tourism experience.

Worn Gundidj guided tours are available everyday at 11am and 1pm. Attractions on offer include walking tracks, picnic facilities and lookouts.

Wildlife haven, Wander through more than 300,000 trees that provide a natural habitat for many animals. There are over 200 kangaroos and koalas in this tiny crater-bound ecosystem, and many live around the visitor car park. Boardwalks, nesting boxes and a birdhide have been constructed to assist bird watchers in catching a glimpse of many birds, including chestnut teal, musk dusks, and spoonbills.