Wildlife

Witness an amazing display of wildlife in the Great Ocean Road region. See kangaroos, emus and koalas up close at the Tower Hill State Game Reserve, look out for echidnas in Port Campbell National Park or wander through Melba Gully to view a large colony of glow-worms providing a spectacular light show. Watch whales and seals in their element or take a canoe trip at dawn on Lake Elizabeth and try to spot the elusive platypus in the wild.

Koalas at Kennett River

Stop off along the Great Ocean Road to the small hamlet of Kennett River, one of the best places in Australia to see koalas in the wild. Turn into Grey River Road and you will be guaranteed to spot koalas in the gum trees. Visit in the late afternoon to see them more active, eating leaves, grooming or seeking new food trees, as they rest throughout most of the day.

Kangaroos

Play a round of golf at the Anglesea Golf Course and share the course with the resident population of eastern grey kangaroos. If you're not much of a golfer, just stop into the clubhouse for lunch and watch the kangaroos from the balcony. Tower Hill Wildlife Sanctuary is another great spot for kangaroo spotting.

Whale watching

Time your trip to include whale watching from the dunes of Logans Beach, Victoria's southern right whale nursery. Come within 100 metres of these beautiful mammals as they swim close to the shore and can be seen from a specially constructed viewing platform.

Travel a little further west and see blue whales migrate to the waters off Portland to feed on the abundant swarms of krill. Whilst blue whales rarely approach land very closely, their blows and backs can sometimes be seen at a distance off prominent headlands such as Cape Nelson and Cape Bridgewater.

Seals

Watch playful Australian fur seals waddle, lumber and tumble down off rocks and into the sea at Lady Julia Percy Island, the largest colony of Australian fur seals in the southern hemisphere. Take the Cape Bridgewater trail or a cruise out to Cape Bridgewater and see another colony of seals up close.

Marine reserves

Dive beneath the waves on an undersea adventure and get up close to the myriad marine life that calls the region home. Swim through the underwater structures beneath the towering limestone stacks in the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park and see colourful sponge gardens, reef fish, sea spiders and lobsters. Travel east to the waters off Apollo Bay to 'The Gap' at the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary and marvel at the zebra fish, seals, soft corals and kelp forests.