Caring for Country — The Otways and You - Parks Victoria

Basisincluded Kalimna Falls, Cora Lyn Cascades,Cumberland Falls and Sheoak Falls. Lorne andApollo Bay became popular tourist localitiesand Colac became a stepping-off point toforest sites such as Triplet Falls, HopetounFalls, Beauchamp Falls, Maits Rest and MelbaGully. Fishing and hunting were also popular.The Great Ocean Road was constructed withthe labour of returned servicemen from theFirst World War. Completion of the GreatOcean Road in 1932 led to a transformation inuse of the Otways. Reliable vehicle access toparts of the coast and hinterland becamepossible, visitor numbers grew steadily and aburgeoning tourism industry developed, withthe road becoming recognised as one of theworld’s most scenic touring routes. Manyspecial places along the Great Ocean Roadbecame popular stopping points. In response toincreasing demand, dedicated visitor facilitiessuch as lookouts, car parks and walking trackshave been developed.2.4 Park visitation and experiencesThe Great Ocean Road region attractsapproximately 4 million day trip visitors and2.4 million domestic overnight visitors peryear, spending approximately 62 milliondollars in the region. Visitors from outside theregion account for 65% of visitors to the area.Of these, 87% are from Victoria and 60% arefrom Melbourne. The number of day trips tothe area is declining, while overnight trips andinternational visitor numbers are increasing(Tourism Victoria 2006).Many towns in the Otways are surrounded bythe parks, which makes the parks veryimportant to permanent and seasonal residents.These residents account for 35% of all visitorsto the parks (Parks Victoria unpublished data).Visitor research for the year 2005/2006 hasestimated that just over one million visitorsvisited the Great Otway National Park. Manyvisited multiple times, representing 2.3 millionsite visits. The Great Ocean Road is the main‘supply’ of visitors with Erskine Falls, MaitsRest, Point Addis, Southside (Bells Beachsouth) and Urquhart Bluff all receiving over100 000 visits per annum. Triplet Falls is themost popular hinterland site with 82 500 visitsper annum (Parks Victoria 2007d).Together, the features and facilities of theGreat Otway National Park and Otway ForestPark provide a complementary suite of publicland opportunities for outstanding recreationand tourism experiences.For the car or motorcycle-based tourist, thetwists and turns of the Great Ocean Road andhinterland routes reveal dramatic coastal andforest views, showcase lush forests, rainforestgullies and heathlands, wildlife viewingopportunities, and vibrant tourist resort townsand rustic scenes of rolling hills and ruralsettlements.For four-wheel-drivers and trail bike riders, anextensive network of roads and tracks providesmany opportunities to get off the bitumen andonto rough, winding and steep sections toexperience freedom, adventure and challenges.Visitor sites provide opportunities for vehiclebasedcamping and socialising within theparks.For bushwalkers the variety of landforms andvegetation, combined with easy access,provides opportunities for enjoyablebushwalking experiences from easier shortwalks at popular natural points of interest, tofull day and overnight walks with increasedchallenges and deeper immersion in the naturalenvironment.For cyclists, the dramatic coastal stretches andforested hills of the hinterland offer a numberof routes for sealed road cycle touring, andmany unsealed roads offer adventurous roughroadcycle touring and mountain biking.Dedicated mountain bike trails (single track)offer technical challenges in a user-friendlyenvironment.The enjoyment of dogs, in companionship,exercising in nature, and interaction with otherdogs and dog owners is a popular and highlyvalued part of the Otways experience for manypeople.For horse riders, the parks offer opportunitiesto experience enjoyable riding throughbushland, forests and beaches. Riders canselect routes ranging from short, easy loops tomore challenging or long distance ridesinvolving camping.The Otway Forest Park offers huntersopportunities to pursue their pastime and enjoythe natural bush environments.The long sandy beaches and exposedheadlands provide world-renowned surf breaks8 Great Otway National Park and Otway Forest Park Management Plan