Before visiting the Great Ocean Road for the first time a few years ago we had no idea that there were so many amazing waterfalls in the area. Luckily lots of them are also fairly close together so you could spend a day chasing waterfalls and see many of the most beautiful.

There are more waterfalls than you’ll find on this list but given that most people have limited time we wanted to highlight only the ones we think are the true must dos.

The 6 most beautiful waterfalls on the Great Ocean Road

These are the most beautiful waterfalls in the Great Ocean Road:

Stevenson Falls
Hopetoun Falls
Beauchamp Falls
Triplet Falls
Erskine Falls
Sheoak Falls

1 - Stevenson Falls

Distance from the car park: 500m (one-way)
Difficulty: Easy
Area: East Otways

Several of the waterfalls in the Great Ocean Road area have become Instagram famous, but Stevenson isn’t one of them. In fact before we visited I’d never seen a photo of it in my life.

I wasn’t expecting to find one of the most spectacular of all the waterfalls, but that’s exactly what happened. To get to Stevenson Falls requires a short and relatively flat walk through open grassland, followed by a path through the forest which runs alongside a river.

To be honest, on a gorgeous summer’s evening this walk alone was enough for me, and then I saw the falls and actually turned to Joe in surprise at just how incredible it was! Despite visiting in a drought, it had great flow and the high rocks and tree fern setting made it feel really wild.

This is exactly why we travel: to already have visited five waterfalls and then find another that nobody makes a big deal about, but that you fall instantly in love with.

It’s what we live for.

Best waterfalls in the Otways - Stevenson Falls

There’s a railed viewing platform which offers an unobscured view of the falls, but we preferred the spot just a few minutes walk before it, which is an opening just off the path and has a lot of rocks you can sit on. It made for one of our favourite photography spots in Victoria.

The large rocks you can see in the photo below obviously obscure some of the falls, but I didn’t think it detracted from the beauty and I appreciated being able to sit and relax without any railings in the way.

Waterfalls in the Great Ocean Road - Stevenson Falls

If you want to take a dip you can carefully cross the river (if the flow is low) using some handily placed rocks. It’s then a bit of a scramble to get to the pool at the base, so only go for it in dry weather and watch your step. The water was cool but not freezing so it’s a great one for a summer swim.

2 - Hopetoun Falls

Distance from the car park: 400m (one way)
Difficulty: Easy
Area: The Otways

Hopetoun is a true beauty and the setting - if you get it at a quiet time - makes you feel like you’ve strayed into a fairy grotto. There’s just something about it.

We visited when it had great flow, but I have seen pictures when there hasn’t been much rain and it doesn’t look as majestic, so ideally you’d time your visit when it hasn’t been too dry.

There is an initial lookout just a minute’s walk from the car park where you can see the falls from above, but the view is heavily obscured and doesn’t give you any idea of its majesty. For the great view you need to work a little harder and descend the couple of hundred steps to the base.

You’ll reach a viewing platform with quite high railings. Many photographers jump these barriers to get different angles and to catch the river in the foreground. The barriers are fairly high, but most people were doing it.

You can still get the magnificent view within the railed area, you just can’t mix up the composition for photos much. Having said that the photo above is taken from behind the railings and I think it still offers a great view.

Best waterfalls in the Great Ocean Road - Hopetoun Falls

The setting is lush and wild, with a fast flowing river (or it was when we visited after a heavy downpour) and lots of fallen logs.

Over the years this waterfall has become more and more famous, so if you want to guarantee serenity I would go early or late. If not, we found most people moved on quickly so you can always wait people out for a bit of peace and quiet!

Getting back up the steps is obviously harder than getting down but oh so worth it! This is one waterfall you can’t miss when visiting the Great Ocean Road.

3 - Beauchamp Falls

Distance from the car park: 1.5km (one way)
Difficulty: Moderate
Area: The Otways

This was the first waterfall we saw on the Great Ocean Road and it’s still one of our favourites. It has a longer walk to reach it than any of the others, but it’s a very pretty trail, through the forest with lots of bird life. You’ll mainly be descending on the way to the falls and then (obviously) it’s a bit of a climb on the way back.

The falls themselves are dramatic: surrounded by trees and tree ferns, with lots of rocks, and a picturesque log that has fallen across the water in front of the waterfall.

When you get to the end of the walking trail you will reach a railed lookout which gives a great view of the falls but it feels like you are still slightly far away.

The path to the base of the falls is technically now closed, but - to be honest - many people still head down there, and we personally couldn’t resist.

It only takes a few minutes but just watch your footing on the small trail down - particularly if it’s been wet. From the base there are loads of spots you can sit at to enjoy the view, and you really do get a better sense of the power and beauty of the falls.

4 - Triplet Falls

Distance from the car park: 2km circuit
Difficulty: Easy
Area: The Otways

Triplet Falls is the one which broke our camera on the first time we visited (that was an expensive trip!). The area was experiencing monsoon like rains and I ridiculously still took the camera out with us! Those weather proof DSLRs aren’t always so weatherproof…..

Luckily, our second visit was much less eventful, and we were able to get a good look at the falls which had been partially obscured the first time round.

This is the only waterfall which can be accessed along a loop walking track which was nice because you got to see different scenery on the way back. The forest is gorgeous and shady and felt cool even when we visited on a really hot day.

If you have more time you can actually make a detour from this track to visit Little Aire Falls, which sadly we couldn’t squeeze in this time.

Triplet Falls - Best Waterfalls on the Great Ocean Road

Walking in a clockwise direction you’ll reach Triplet Falls after around 1.25km. There are technically three falls here, hence the name, but it’s only really one that you get a great view of from the viewing platform.

It’s a gorgeous waterfall though, much wider than many of the others and set in an even more jungly setting. There are a fair few steps on this track but nothing too difficult and it is definitely worth it.

Views from the platform of Triplet Falls

5 - Erskine Falls

Distance from the car park: 220m (one way)
Difficulty: Easy
Area: Lorne

Erskine Falls is the tallest waterfall on this list and it’s definitely a beautiful spot. If you only want to see the falls from above, you can get a pretty good view just 80m from the car park.

Having said that it doesn’t really compare to the view from the base which make the falls feel far more majestic. You’ll need to walk 220m to the base of the waterfall and it’s pretty much all steps, so easy on the way down……

Once at the bottom there is another railed viewpoint which gives you a good view of the falls.

To get a better one you need to cross over the river (using the rocks as stepping stones) and walk along the bank and over some more rocks to get to the base. It’s not too difficult but in wet weather the rocks would be slippery.

Erskine Falls - Best waterfalls on the Great Ocean Road

You can actually continue for around five minutes through the forest on the further side of the riverbank to a second set of falls. Hardly anyone did this and it would be a great spot, but in the drought these falls were almost bone dry so I’d only recommend it after rain or at least when there hasn’t been a long period without rain.

The walk through the forest is not difficult, but does require some rock hopping and climbing over a fallen log. If you have heaps of energy and two cars for a car shuffle, you can actually continue the walk through the forest all the way to Lorne, which is around 8km.

6 - Sheoak Falls

Distance from the car park: 700m (one way)
Difficulty: Easy
Area: Lorne

Now when you see our picture of the almost dry Sheoak Falls you could be forgiven for wondering why on earth we included it on our list of the most beautiful waterfalls on the Great Ocean Road.

The reason is, we loved it. It was one of our favourite places in Lorne.

Yes the water was reduced to just a dribble but the setting is really, really stunning and the photo doesn’t do it justice.

Sheoak Falls - Great Ocean Road Waterfalls

The falls drop down a fairly dramatic cliff and the rock creates the feeling of being in a secluded spot, tucked away from the rest of the world.

We had it all to ourselves and it was full of brightly coloured birds, butterflies and dragonflies and it gave me such a feeling of peace that I didn’t even mind the lack of water. I imagine after rain it is even more special.

To get to the falls you’ll walk for 700m on a mix of path and boardwalk. There’s a few steps but it’s not difficult and you do get a great view of the Great Ocean Road along the way. You can also make a 550m detour from just before the falls to the Swallow Cave which is very much worth seeing.

Packing suggestions for the walk

Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:

Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon

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