Sheoak Falls

Sheoak Falls is a 15-metre cascade on Sheoak Creek, tucked into a dark, rocky gorge about six kilometres west of Lorne. From the Great Ocean Road car park, it is roughly 600 metres each way, or 1.2 km return. It makes a worthwhile short detour when the creek is running; after a dry spell, the falls can shrink to a trickle.

The formed track follows the creek through coastal vegetation, crosses a boardwalk and descends steep steps to the viewing platform. The distance is short, but the repeated climbs and drops make it more work than a flat viewpoint stroll. There are no toilets or picnic facilities at the falls car park; the nearest facilities are in Lorne.

Flow can be slight or absent after dry weather, especially in summer. Visitors report a stronger cascade after rain and through wetter months. If the waterfall is your main reason to stop, aim for a period after rain, while allowing that the creek's flow can change.

The viewing platform brings you beneath the falls, where water spreads across dark, layered rock into a deep pool. Frame some of the rock around the cascade and leave the pool or water ferns at the bottom of the picture; that shows the scale of the little gorge better than a tight crop of the water.

For a longer walk, return to the junction and continue toward the gully lookout, Sheoak Cascades and Swallow Cave. Published descriptions give different totals for this extension, so treat it as a separate outing. The creek stepping stones can be covered when water is high; do not cross when they are submerged. Tree Martins breed near Swallow Cave and are often seen there in spring, summer and early autumn.