I actually had no specific plan. I had tried to find out what I could about Otway National Park but hadn’t been able to locate a good map of the area anywhere online. So, this day unfolded in an unexpected and fun way!
We woke up and it was even colder than the morning before! We really need to layer up at night because these compact sleeping bags are obviously not meant for as cold as it has gotten, especially in the early morning hours.
I had planned to wake up around 6:30am but I went to the bathroom and was so frozen on the way there and back that there was no way I would get up and about in that cold. So we snuggled up in our sleeping bags until around 7:30am when the sun was a little higher and the air not so chilly.
We took a quick look around Aire River, which was similar to the Yambuk Lake area but also very muddy. We found there was a trail leading down to the nearby beach and I considered whether to take it but knew we might want to fit in a lot of other hikes today and as we had already done quite a few walks along the beach on our trip we decided to go ahead and begin our day elsewhere.
We traveled a few miles down the road to the Cape Otway lighthouse, which is the oldest running lighthouse in Australia, built in the mid-1800s. I had come there for two reasons, one to see the lighthouse, obviously, and another to ask about the greater park and any trails good for hiking. Well, the lighthouse had quite an admission fee, $17.50 per person, which I was not prepared to pay. Although the lighthouse was probably neat, the view was something we had already seen, cliffs overlooking the ocean, so the lighthouse itself didn’t seem worth the price.
We did, however, get information on the park. We found a map of the area which was very helpful and the guy working at the desk at the lighthouse entrance was very informative about hikes and roads and such. So we made a plan, bought the map for peace of mind, and headed out on what turned out to be a very full and fun day.
Our first stop was a place called Blanket Bay, which had been hyped up as a good beach and a good place to swim. We drove about ten miles to get there and it was worth the drive only for the long thick strip of seaweed I found on the beach there. It was so heavy and sturdy like nothing I’d seen before and we both wore it on our heads for some pictures, looking like a lady with two long locks of wavy brown hair, haha. If you think that’s gross, it wasn’t slimy at all but felt like leather almost!
We didn’t linger as the weather was certainly not good for swimming and we had other things we wanted to get to. We went for a bit of a drive through beautiful green hills and forest – and spotted a few wild koala in the trees along the way - and parked our car for a hike to Triplet Falls. This was an incredible hike! I was spellbound by the rainforest we walked through with thick tall trees covered in moss, dark wet ground, ferns, and creeks! Beams of light would stream through the forest canopy and add a lot of contrast to the scene, with bright patches among the dark wet branches and leaves. I had songs and scenes from the Fern Gully movie – which is set in Australia, by the way, if you have seen it and noticed the kangaroos and cassowaries - in my head the whole time because it was very much that kind of setting.
The falls were also very impressive. There was a lower falls and just beyond that a double set of falls, thus giving it the name Triplet Falls. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there and argued it as one of the best hikes I had ever done due to the impressive destination and the enchanting journey to get there!
We just so happened to pass the Otway Fly on the way to and from the falls, which I had read about as one of the hot spots of the area. I had also read, however, that it was not worth the money. We decided to stop and check it out, however, and it was indeed overpriced at $22 per person! I left it up to Nick and he decided we would go ahead with it and hope for a good experience.
The Otway Fly is a construction of bridges high above the rainforest. It is unique in that you get that perspective of the rainforest from up above. In fact, I was a bit scared some of the time because the walkways are made of a grate you can see through so you sort of get a sense that you are floating high above the forest, looking down past your feet to see the ferns far below. I am not usually afraid of heights but something about that particular setting – perhaps being able to easily visualize the grating disappearing beneath me – was a little unsettling. Still, it was a unique look at the forest.
At one point on the Fly is a tower that climbs even higher. We went up there and the tower swayed a little bit, haha. Everything seemed pretty sturdy though so I was alright. I enjoyed the view, though the place was swarming with kids. Apparently that was the place to take your children and they cater to that too since they had set up some dinosaurs along one part of the walk there. It would have been a cooler display if the dinosaurs were life-size! But maybe they don’t want to scare the children.
So we finished up with the Otway Fly and did feel it was overpriced but enjoyed our experience nonetheless.
We went on to our next stop, a place called Beauchamp Falls. This was another very cool hike just like the Triple Falls with some unique encounters along the way. First, I saw some mushrooms growing on the trees that were just too perfect, like little fairy pads! Then, as we were walking down the path, we heard some fluttering in the trees above and looked up to see some wild parrots chewing on fruit! Wow, it was so cool! They were green and red with blue-ish beaks. We both were so pleased with that encounter, especially as Nick had specifically expressed a hope to see wild parrots! Man, what else should we wish for!?
The Beauchamp Falls were also picturesque, though not as unique as the Triplet Falls. We hustled back to our car – and encountered the parrots once again, though briefly – and got quite a workout from the steep incline of the hike. Phew, it felt good to get the heart rate up and we blasted our air when we got back to the car. What an awesome day with two awesome hikes to two awesome falls!
Oh, but we weren’t done. We drove a bit more, this time through a very windy road through the rainforest. It was just a little stressful because the corners were so tight and the road so narrow, you had to hope there wasn’t an idiot coming the opposite direction barreling through those turns. We saw none, luckily. To better enjoy the drive, I played Yo Yo Ma – a cello player, in case you don’t know him – and then Nick and I felt like we were in a commercial for the Suzuki Kizashi with the tight turns, picturesque scenery, and the cello music, haha. We were narrating, “Effortless. Graceful. Powerful. The Suzuki Kizashi.”
We made it to our final destination, Stevenson Falls – yes, another falls – around 5:30pm. I must mention that we passed these sheep on the way to the site that were the fluffiest sheep I had ever seen! It was almost like they were covered in down feathers instead of wool, they were so big and fluffy! It was funny and I got out to take a picture but they ran away when I got out so I couldn’t get a very good shot of them. Oh well, they made me laugh with their fluffiness, like maybe they had never been sheered?
We were camping at Stevenson Falls for the night and were worried when driving through the camp and seeing the place filled with tents! Oh no, not again! But we found a spot – yay – and set up our tent real quick.
We had just enough light left to drive down to Stevenson Falls which is just a little bit of a walk from the parking area. It was actually a very beautiful falls with a good-sized swimmable pool below, though I would not swim in it considering the temperature. The river it flowed into was accessible and I wanted badly to go exploring along the river rocks there but we didn’t have the time. Still, we saw three falls in one day and I didn’t think we’d be able to do it! I was so pleased with what we had accomplished and how so very enjoyable it had been.
Inside our tent, we ate our dinner of cold soup and bread again. Nick was cracking me up again with his comments. One of the camper;s dogs came up to the tent and looked in at us with his tail wagging. Nick said, as if from the dog, “Hey guys! That smells like dog food, can I have some!?” Haha, we were eating these soups straight out of the can so it was pretty fitting. Nick also said, “When I take my wife on a vacation, I know how to treat her right.” LOL! But the best was, “We have thousands in the checking account, thousands in savings, and we go for the $1.50 soups.” I don’t know if that is funny to you but I was busting a gut! Maybe you had to be there, in this tiny tent, eating out of a tin can, and hearing it from Nick himself, haha!
Sadly, our Kindle seems to be malfunctioning so we are out of reading options at the moment. Nick was pretty sad about that. Maybe we can find some way to repair it here. If not, I guess we will need to buy some books!
Pictures:
We start with a look at the reflection on Aire River then move on to Blanket Bay with our huge leather seaweed. We then hike to the beautiful Triplet Falls and on to the Otway Fly with views from above and below. Then we travel to Beauchamp Falls where we encountered a wild parrot, mushrooms, and a lady who can't hold a camera level. And we end with Stevenson Falls where we camped for the night.
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