Otway Coast

Last updated April 30, 2019

The Otway Coast comprises a popular beach and national park section of the Great Ocean Road on the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian towns of Lorne and Apollo Bay. The townships on the Otway Coast are: Separation Creek, Wye River, Kennett River, Wongara and Sugarloaf.

The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243-kilometre (151 mi) stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I, the road is the world's largest war memorial. Winding through varying terrain along the coast and providing access to several prominent landmarks, including the Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations, the road is an important tourist attraction in the region.

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 25 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route. Lorne is in the Surf Coast Shire and at the 2016 census had a population of 1,114 but this figure grows during the holiday season.

History

The Otway Coast region became a popular holiday destination from the city of Melbourne in Victoria after the returned servicemen from World War 1 built a spectacular stretch of road along some of the state's most precipitous cliffs. The townships of the Otway Coast were all settled in the late 1800s but only became popular as beach resorts when the Great Ocean Road was opened in 1932. They differ from the other townships along the coast in that they are smaller and less developed.

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Its name refers to an urban agglomeration of 9,992.5 km² (3,858.1 sq mi), comprising a metropolitan area with 31 municipalities, and is also the common name for its city centre. The city occupies much of the coastline of Port Phillip bay and spreads into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. It has a population of approximately 5 million, and its inhabitants are referred to as "Melburnians".

Victoria is a state in south-eastern Australia. Victoria is Australia's smallest mainland state and its second-most populous state overall, making it the most densely populated state overall. Most of its population lives concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its state capital and largest city, Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. Victoria is bordered by Bass Strait and Tasmania to the south, New South Wales to the north, the Tasman Sea to the east, and South Australia to the west.

On 25 December 2015 a bushfire destroyed 18 homes in Separation Creek and at Wye River 98 homes were destroyed.^[1] No lives were lost at either town.^[2]

Koala populations

The Otway Coast has one of the most successful wild koala populations in Australia with their numbers increasing every year due to the high percentage of available suitable vegetation like manna gum and blue gum.

The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the wombats, which comprise the family Vombatidae.. The koala is found in coastal areas of the mainland's eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is easily recognisable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of 60–85 cm (24–33 in) and weighs 4–15 kg (9–33 lb). Pelage colour ranges from silver grey to chocolate brown. Koalas from the northern populations are typically smaller and lighter in colour than their counterparts further south. These populations possibly are separate subspecies, but this is disputed.

Blue gum is a common name for subspecies or the species in Eucalyptus globulus complex, and also a number of other species of Eucalyptus in Australia. In Queensland it usually refers to Eucalyptus tereticornis, which is known elsewhere as forest red gum.

National parks

A significant area of the Otway Coast belongs to the Great Otway National Park with many walking tracks and waterfalls. The Park features the magnificent trees of the ancient rainforests, the drier forests of the inland slopes and the very diverse heathlands and woodlands along with spectacularly rugged coastline. During winter it has some of Victoria's most striking waterfalls.

The Great Otway National Park, located in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia. The 103,185-hectare (254,980-acre) national park is situated approximately 162 kilometres (101 mi) southwest of Melbourne. It contains a diverse range of landscapes and vegetation types and is situated within the Otway Ranges.

Related Research Articles

The Croajingolong National Park is a coastal national park located in the East Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. The 88,355-hectare (218,330-acre) national park is situated approximately 450 kilometres (280 mi) east of Melbourne and 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of Sydney.

Anglesea, Victoria Town in Victoria, Australia

Anglesea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire local government area. In the 2016 census, Anglesea had a population of 2,545 people.

Kennett River is a small seaside town in Victoria, Australia.

Wye River is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is also the name given to the waterway which flows through the town and into the sea at this point. Situated some 155 km west of Melbourne, on the Otway Coast part of the scenic Great Ocean Road, the Wye River township is a popular tourist destination about 15 km west of the resort town of Lorne, Victoria. It became a popular place for Melburnians to holiday after the Great Ocean Road was officially opened in 1932. The postcode of Wye River is 3234. At the 2016 census, Wye River had a permanent population of 66 although its holiday population is ten times that number.

The electoral district of Polwarth is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is located in south-west rural Victoria, west of Geelong, and covers the Colac and Corangamite local government areas (LGA), parts of the Moyne, Golden Plains and Surf Coast LGAs, and slivers of the Ararat and Greater Geelong LGAs, running along the Great Ocean Road taking in Anglesea, Cape Otway, Peterborough, Aireys Inlet, Lorne, Wye River, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell, covering the inland towns of Winchelsea, Colac, Camperdown and Terang along the Princes Highway, and Inverleigh, Cressy, Lismore and Mortlake on the Hamilton Highway, and finally, includes the Otway Ranges and Lake Corangamite.

The Great Ocean Walk is a walking trail located on Victoria's south-west coast in Australia, traversing several areas of historical and cultural significance. The track makes extensive usage of eco-friendly facilities; with Parks Victoria and tour guide operators attempting to raise environmental awareness. The trail meanders along high cliff tops and sandy beaches.

The Aire River is a perennial river of the Corangamite catchment, located in The Otways region of the Australian state of Victoria.

The Wye River is a perennial river of the Corangamite catchment, located in The Otways region of the Australian state of Victoria.

The Cumberland River is a perennial river of the Corangamite catchment, located in The Otways region of the Australian state of Victoria.

The Erskine River is a river in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It arises in the Otway Ranges and enters Bass Strait to the east of Cape Otway through the town of Lorne. The Erskine River above the falls is known for its high diversity of native fish species and low occurrence of introduced species.

Big Hill is a coastal locality in the Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia.

Eastern View is a small coastal town in the Surf Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia.

Separation Creek is a small coastal locality in the Shire of Colac Otway, Victoria, Australia. In the 2016 census, Separation Creek had a population of 19.

Grey River is a rural locality in the Shire of Colac Otway, Victoria, Australia. It lies on the Great Ocean Road at the mouth of the Grey River, from which it derives its name.

Wongarra is a coastal locality in the Shire of Colac Otway, Victoria, Australia. In the 2016 census, Wongarra had a population of 37.

Sugarloaf is a small coastal locality in the Shire of Colac Otway, Victoria, Australia. In the 2011 census, the population of Sugarloaf was too low to separately report; however in November 2014 the Victorian Electoral Commission recorded 10 enrolled voters in Sugarloaf, living in 9 properties.

Petticoat Creek is a small coastal locality in the Shire of Colac Otway, Victoria, Australia. In the 2011 census, the population of Petticoat Creek was too low to separately report; however in November 2014 the Victorian Electoral Commission recorded 2 enrolled voters in Petticoat Creek, living in 2 properties.

The 2015–16 Australian bushfire season was the most destructive bushfire season in terms of property loss since the 2008–09 Australian bushfire season, with the loss of 408 houses and at least 500 non-residential buildings as a result of wild fires between 1 June 2015 and 31 May 2016. The season also suffered the most human fatalities since the 2008–09 Australian bushfire season; 6 died in Western Australia, 2 in South Australia and 1 in New South Wales. 8 deaths were as a direct result of fire, and a volunteer firefighter died due to unrelated health complications while on duty.

References

↑ "Great Ocean Road fire: Number of homes lost in Christmas Day blaze rises to 116". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
↑ "Great Ocean Road fire: Victoria should 'stand proud' that no lives lost at Wye River, Separation Creek". ABC News. ABC. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

External links

Otway Coast Tourism information

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[abc-ocean-road-lost-homes-1] "Great Ocean Road fire: Number of homes lost in Christmas Day blaze rises to 116". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

[abc-ocean-road-fire-2] "Great Ocean Road fire: Victoria should 'stand proud' that no lives lost at Wye River, Separation Creek". ABC News. ABC. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.