Little Aire Falls

Overview

Little Aire Falls is a rainforest ramble to a graceful cascade deep in the Otways, best tackled from the Triplet Falls car park near Beech Forest. It’s a quieter companion to Triplet Falls, with the payoff being a suspended, cantilevered lookout right opposite the drop.

The Walk

Plan on roughly 5 km return and about 2 hours. The track undulates, with steps and a few steeper pinches, before delivering you to the viewing platform. The turnoff is signed early on the Triplet Falls loop, so you can combine both if you’ve got extra legs.

What You’ll See

The path threads through tall wet forest and cool-temperate rainforest, with ferns and mossy logs for days. You’ll finish at a purpose-built platform facing the falls—great vantage, no scrambling required. The route follows old timber-working lines in places, a reminder of the area’s logging past.

Wildlife

These forests support nocturnal heavyweights like Powerful Owl and Yellow-bellied Glider, plus day-time birds such as Golden Whistler. In warmer months, keep an eye out for snakes; after rain, expect leeches.

Geology Snapshot

Waterfalls here form where streams cut into the Otways’ ancient sandstones and siltstones, dropping over tougher layers that resist erosion—textbook geology for this range.

Practicalities

• Start: Triplet Falls car park on Phillips Track (last kilometres are unsealed but typically fine for 2WD in normal conditions).
• Facilities at the car park: toilets and picnic tables.
• Rules: it’s national park—no dogs, no swimming at the falls, and stick to signed tracks. Check Parks Victoria for changed conditions before you go.
• Context: You’re on the lands of the Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar Traditional Owners.

Getting There

From Apollo Bay it’s about 70 km inland via Forrest–Apollo Bay Road and Beech Forest–Lavers Hill Road, then Phillips Track to the car park.

Best Time to Visit

Go after rain—late autumn through spring tends to deliver the strongest flow and best atmosphere. Mornings are usually quieter; tracks can be slick, so give yourself time and wear proper shoes. If you’re keen on a bigger day, pair this with the Triplet Falls circuit and, after dark, consider a glow‑worm detour at nearby Melba Gully.