Wye River and surrounding area attractions
Come and experience the enchantment of Wye River and it’s sister village, Separation Creek, two tranquil hamlets surrounded by rainforest, 2 hours drive from Melbourne (15 minutes from Lorne) on Victoria’s spectacular Great Ocean Road. For peace and nature, sand and sea, Wye River / Separation Creek is the place.
Wye River Eating – The General Store Cafe – The locals said all their Christmas’s had come at once when Dave and Richie and Nigel, expert foodie people from Melbourne took over the tired old Wye store and turned it into this great food and convivial cafe. People are coming for the great coffee and the breakfasts and lunches from miles around. And then there are the dinners! Exotic pizzas, Mediterranean seafood stews, tangy tasty curries and always something vegetarian and something gluten free. Baker Pip’s breads have become legendary – huge crusty nutty sourdoughs. His grandmother’s recipe for polish donuts – well, as they say, to die for! Dogs allowed on the porch outside.
Wye River – Eating. We have a superb pub, the Wye Beach Hotel for lunches and dinners. Try the fish of the day or the exotic rich chicken rice curries made by the new chef from Martinique. The view from the balcony looking over the sandy beach and the ocean has to be the best eating view anywhere along the Great Ocean Road and it’s right here in our little village of Wye River. Some days the Kookaburras will come to be fed, ready to eat leftovers from your hand. Dogs allowed at the outside tables on the car park level.
Wye River – Rock discoveries. The rocks are a crazy mix of bubbles, froth, wind-worn shapes and amphitheatres. See the ancient pier remains – two piers were blasted away by storms early last century.
Wye River – Village walk. Although a little bit hilly you and your friends (two legged and four legged) will enjoy a walk around the village. Do the circuit of Karingal drive from our house TreeTops Wye River accommodation to feel a part of the village rainforest. Go for a beer, wine or cider at the Wye Beach Pub or a latte at The General Store Cafe. Then walk back up the hill for views of the ocean and the village.
Wye River – Fishing. The beach is a very popular spot especially for rock fishing. Ask around the guys either on the sand enar the Surf Club or on the rocks by the old pier for handy hints.
Wye River surfing – A white sandy beach to hang five and popular with surfers all year round. For surfing and information on the Wye River Surf Life Saving Club go to their site.
Lorne cafes and restaurants – 20 mins drive for lattes, capuccinos, gourmet meals.
Lorne Cinema – 20 mins drive.
Lorne Pier – 20 mins drive. Take a stroll along the foreshore and the cliffs to the Pier and buy delicious fresh fish and seafood at the Fishermen’s Co-op. Check out Christos the resident poet who composes odes to the world, displayed above the fresh fish!
Erskine Falls – half a day. The Falls are 9 km from the centre of Lorne. From the Falls car park take a short walk to the two lookouts where you see the falls as well as ancient trees and ferns. Take a picnic lunch or return to TreeTops via a Lorne café lunch stop. Lattes, cappuccinos, fish and chips, gourmet meals and more.
Lorne Visitor Information Centre – 20 mins drive. For more information on Lorne visit the Centre at 144 Mountjoy Pde (a part of the Great Ocean Rd) or phone(03) 5289 1152.
Grey River – koalas
Guaranteed koala sightings any time, Grey River is a short (10 mins) drive from Wye River. For anyone who’s never seen koalas in the wild this is a MUST see. Turn off at Kennet River village and then turn left into the Grey River road at the General Store. Drive for about half a kilometer and start looking out for koalas in the trees. Some are very close to the road. One afternoon we counted 29 and then ran into some Swiss tourists who told us they had counted 58!
Apollo Bay – Known to locals as “The Bay’, Apollo Bay is an easy 40 minutes away. Take an afternoon drive for that latte or walk along another beautiful beach.
You can sit and watch the unloading of the fishing boats on the marina. Fish or day trip charters are also available.
Treat yourself to fresh lobster or prawns from the Fishermen’s Co-op.
Great Otways National Park – 45 mins drive into Lavers Hill and Beech Forest townships. Any time of year you can enjoy walks and drives through this spectacular rain forest. See the Parks Victoria Great Otways National Park site for things to do in all seasons including walking, horse riding, fishing and picnicking.
Great Ocean Road – 300 km of spectacular drives. For a complete list of things to see and place to go on the Great Ocean Road visit the regional website. 2007 is the 75th anniversary of the road and there will be a new sculpture unveiled at Eastern View to celebrate the courage, hard work and mate-ship of the men who carved out and built the road from the rocky cliffs and bluffs of this coast.
Great Ocean Walk – starts 45 mins drive away. We recently did a part of this spectacular new walk and it’s even been mentioned in the New York Times. The entire walk is 91 kms from Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead (close to the 12 Apostles) and takes you through beautiful beach, cliff and foreshore landscapes. The Great Ocean Walk has been designed so that you can do small day trips (try one during your stay at Treetops) or walk the entire route with overnight camping. For more info.
Otway Fly – 1 hour away near Lavers Hill. The Fly is an aerial walk high in the rainforest treetops of the Otway Ranges. You can walk through the tree canopy in this tranquil beech myrtle forest and enjoy the birds in their own habitat.
Melba Gully State Park – 1 hour away near Lavers Hill. For many Melba Gully is “the jewel of the Otways”, a delightful 48-hectare park facing the ocean just south of the main Otway ridge. The park receives one of the highest rainfalls in the state (more than 2000mm annually) and the tree and plant growth in this rainforest is thick with myrtle beech, blackwood, tree ferns and mosses.
Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell and the Shipwreck Coast – a day trip from Treetops. These unique rock stacks are a must see if you are in this area so pack a lunch and drive along the rugged coast. See where the soft limestone has gradually eroded over thousands of years to form caves in the cliffs. When these collapsed they became arches and island stacks, some of which are 40-50 metres high.
One of the Apostles is also called Mutton-bird Island because it is the only nesting ground for Mutton-birds in the world. These birds achieve an incredible feat every year when they migrate all the way to Alaska and back again.
1001 places to see before you die
“For the price of a tank of gas, you can drive through some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery along the Great Ocean Road in southern Australia.”
Patricia Schulz, author of the New York Times bestseller “1001 places to see before you die.”
