Parking
Start at Cape Otway Lightstation Carpark, the named access point for this walk.
Overview
About Station Beach and Rainbow Falls Walk
This is a long out-and-back from the Cape Otway Lightstation carpark, crossing open dunes and following Station Beach to spring-fed Rainbow Falls. The full mapped line is 11.5 km (7.1 mi); published descriptions give shorter figures from 3 to 8 km, so plan for the longer trace and allow about five hours.
Why go
- Spring-fed Rainbow Falls streaks an algae-coloured cliff above the shore.
- The boardwalk crosses the dunes, then the beach opens to Bass Strait views.
- The access passes a historic cemetery with many unmarked graves.
Heads up
- The full mapped return is a long 11.5 km.
- Soft, sloping beach sand makes the route tiring and slow.
- The open dunes offer little shade, and the beach section is tide-sensitive.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Ocean Road map
Full mapElevation0–106 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Great Ocean Road alerts
- ClosureLorne-area walking trails closed after flood and storm damageSeveral walking trails near Lorne remain closed; do not enter closed tracks. - Phantom Falls Walk is temporarily closed because flood and storm damage affected the trail and structures.Official details
- ClosureWye Road closed after storm and flood damageWye Road is closed until further notice for road maintenance and repairs following storm and flood damage; do not use the road. Check current Great Otway National Park conditions before travelling.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Ocean Road Tour Guide
Your drive to Station Beach and Rainbow Falls Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Ocean Road. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Ocean Road audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Cape Otway Lightstation0:00 / 0:33
“Up ahead is Cape Otway Lightstation, built around a lighthouse first lit in eighteen forty-eight.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Ocean Road Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Ship That Became a House
- A Fairy-wren Without the Blue
- A Crab Outgrows Its Shell
- A Koala's Double Grip
- 181 audio storiesacross Great Ocean Road’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Koala, Kangaroo, Little Penguin, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 109 trails, 99 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Station Beach and Rainbow Falls Walk
From the carparkThe path leaves the lightstation carpark and crosses sandy, mostly exposed ground through the…
The path leaves the lightstation carpark and crosses sandy, mostly exposed ground through the dunes. A boardwalk descends to Station Beach and helps protect the fragile dunes; keep to it.
Along Station BeachTurn left along the beach toward the coloured cliff.
Turn left along the beach toward the coloured cliff. Soft, sloping sand makes this a slower walk than the distance suggests. Rock channels and open views across Bass Strait mark the approach to the falls.
Rainbow FallsSpring water trickles over algae on the cliff above a rock platform at beach level.
Spring water trickles over algae on the cliff above a rock platform at beach level. The green and orange streaks give the falls their name, with the surf and sea forming the backdrop.
Effort and conditionsThe route combines exposed dune paths with a long stretch of soft beach sand.
The route combines exposed dune paths with a long stretch of soft beach sand. Aim to reach the beach at low tide and keep watch on waves, which can rush high up the sloping shore during high tides or stormy weather. Station Beach is unpatrolled and swimming is not recommended.
Cape Otway cemeteryThe access route passes the Cape Otway Cemetery.
The access route passes the Cape Otway Cemetery. Its more than 20 graves include early settlers, shipwreck victims and children; many are unmarked.
Facilities and dogsThere are no toilet, camping or litter facilities at Station Beach.
There are no toilet, camping or litter facilities at Station Beach. Dogs are not allowed on this walk.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Great Ocean Road
900 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
358 sightingsKangarooMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
49 sightingsLittle PenguinMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
155 sightingsEchidnaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
33 sightingsFur SealMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsRed-necked WallabyMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Ocean Road. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
