Maits Rest Rainforest Walk

Maits Rest Rainforest Walk is an 800-metre loop in Great Otway National Park, just off the Great Ocean Road about 15 minutes west of Apollo Bay. Its gentle boardwalk circuit is a good quick break from the coastal drive: tree ferns, giant rainforest trees and moss-covered roots, in about 30 minutes.

The car park is beside the walk, but visitors report that it can fill on busy days. There are no toilets, food service or drinking water at the stop, so use facilities in Apollo Bay before heading west. The route is described as gentle and boardwalked, but full wheelchair and pram access isn't confirmed; reports mention some slopes and uneven sections.

The timber path crosses tree-fern gullies and moss-covered roots, letting you see the forest floor without walking over its delicate root systems. Look up into the tall canopy, then slow down for fallen logs, moss and fungi close to the path. The sheltered walk feels cool and damp beside the more open coast, and visitors often linger for photos.

Some of the giant rainforest trees here are up to 300 years old. Myrtle beech and giant tree ferns are among the forest’s characteristic plants. The old trees can be up to 300 years old, and fallen timber continues to feed the forest for decades, helping keep the understory layered and lush.

This is a close-up forest stop, not a wide coastal lookout. A view along the boardwalk beneath the tree ferns gives the scene depth; then get close to the moss-covered roots and fungi that make the loop more than a quick walk under tall trees.