Currawong Falls

Currawong Falls is a waterfall on a shared walking and cycling circuit through the eastern Great Otways. Start at Distillery Creek Picnic Area; the full outing takes around four hours over rocky ground, with some steep sections. The park guide lists 12 km, while other route descriptions give 10.2 km. Some walkers report unclear junctions or a longer day, so leave a margin and keep checking the route. This is a substantial walk to a waterfall, not a roadside stop.

Walkers and mountain bikers use the same circuit. Cyclists are directed to ride clockwise; on foot, stay alert at bends and give riders room. Difficulty descriptions range from easy to moderate, but the rocky climbs and descents can feel rugged underfoot.

The falls spill over a rocky ledge in a fern-lined gully, but their flow changes. After rain they can be a cascade; at other times they may dwindle to a trickle or dry up. Recent rain improves the odds, but is no guarantee, so the wider loop is part of the reason to come.

The circuit climbs to a cliff-top lookout with views toward Aireys Inlet and Split Point Lighthouse. A seat there commemorates Claire Roberts, a co-founder of Friends of Eastern Otways. The falls are only one stop along a route that also opens onto the coast.

The walk moves through ironbark forest and heath, rocky ridges and gorges, then Melaleuca swamp and fern gully. Spring brings Common Heath, wattles and flowering grass trees; orchids are occasional, not a certainty. King Ferns and other tree ferns grow in the moist sections. Eastern Yellow Robins are associated with the gully, while the Southern Emu-wren is much more elusive.

The lower picnic-area car park is the walk start, with a second parking area above. Distillery Creek has picnic tables and wood barbecues at both areas, plus flushing toilets at the upper area. The falls themselves have no vehicle access.