Loch Ard Gorge Living on the Edge Walk

Living on the Edge is an easy 3.2 km coastal loop from Poombeeyt Koontapool Carpark, linking the Muttonbird Island viewing platform, Thunder Cave and Broken Head. Allow about 1.5 hours for the full circuit. The track is mostly sealed or compacted gravel with a few gentle inclines; the effort is modest, but the open clifftops are exposed to coastal weather.

The walk stays above the Southern Ocean, with lookouts toward limestone headlands and surf-cut inlets. Thunder Cave is the close-up highlight: waves surge into a narrow sea cave and send their sound back out over the cliffs. At Broken Head, the coastline opens toward the Sherbrooke River mouth. Take in the view from the lookout; do not try to cross the river.

The lookout faces Muttonbird Island and Elephant Rock. Short-tailed shearwaters return to their burrows around dusk from September through April, with peak viewing in January and February. The island also lies beside the 1878 Loch Ard shipwreck site; teenagers Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael were the only survivors among the 54 people aboard.

Start at Poombeeyt Koontapool Carpark off the Great Ocean Road. The western car parks are unsuitable for caravans and other large vehicles, and there are no toilets at the Loch Ard Gorge site. Dogs are not allowed in the national park. Keep to the path and behind barriers: the cliffs are unstable, rocks can be slippery, and surf and currents are strong. Never attempt to cross the Sherbrooke River mouth; its depth and current change with tide and swell.