Things To Do Around Forrest
Otways Loft and Steam Carriage sit right in the heart of Forrest, a quietly unhurried timber town on the edge of 100,000 hectares of national park, alive with birdsong and the kind of quiet that's become harder to find. It's remade itself into one of the country's best mountain biking destinations, surrounded on all sides by the Otway Ranges. Midweek can be quiet here outside of peak season, which is very much part of the appeal.
Eating and drinking, without leaving town
The General Store does good coffee, house-made pies worth timing your day around, and enough local produce and Otways Distillery gin to put together a proper evening platter. Forrest Brewing covers breakfast through to dinner, with their own beer worth the visit on its own, they're open Friday through Monday, with dinner served Friday and Saturday nights. Worth checking their socials before you head down, hours shift, and there's a good chance they close entirely over winter, roughly July through September. Forrest Bower Bird Cafe, at the front of Forrest Guesthouse, is a newer addition, cakes, pies, pastries and pizza made fresh by Leanne with a menu that changes weekly, plus breakfast hampers you can arrange ahead for your stay. Between these, you can genuinely stay local, everything within an easy walk of the door.
Mountain biking
This is Forrest's signature activity, and for good reason. Over seventy kilometres of signposted singletrack across thirty-six trails wind through the forest, right up to the edge of town, so it's a genuine ride-in, ride-out experience from Otways Loft, considered one of Australia's top mountain biking destinations with trails for every level. Forrest MTB Hire, based at Forrest Guesthouse, is open for bookings every day except Sunday, we'd recommend booking ahead, or texting Michelle directly for last-minute availability. You'll want more than a day to do the trails justice.
Otway Fly
A treetop walk and zipline through the rainforest canopy, and the longest and highest rainforest skywalk in the world. A genuinely good outing for kids, and a different way to see the forest than from the ground. We're also fond of Treetops Adventure at Yeodene Park, only fifteen minutes from Forrest, eight courses of ziplines, swinging bridges and cargo nets through native bushland, good for a range of ages and confidence levels.
Waterfalls and the Redwood Forest
Hopetoun, Triplet and Beauchamp Falls are the pick of the region's waterfalls, with Beech Forest and the nearby Redwood Forest both worth building a stop around. Stevensons Falls, fifteen minutes away, has a short, easy walk from the day carpark, good for families, or a longer 4.6 kilometre route from the campground for those after more. The Barwon River Reservoir is close by too, and worth a wander if you're already out that way.
Lake Elizabeth
A six kilometre walk, cycle or drive from Otways Loft, with a gentle four kilometre loop around the lake itself. Platypus are regularly spotted at dawn and dusk, and glow worms after dark. Little Aire Falls, Triplet Falls and the West Barwon Reservoir are all close by if you want to keep exploring.
A little wellness
Bodysmith, a small healing studio just a short walk from the Loft, offers hot stone massage and Bowen therapy with Jen, a nice way to ease into the slower rhythm of the place.
Further afield
Brae, Dan Hunter's restaurant in Birregurra and consistently ranked among the world's best, is just twenty minutes away, set on a hillside and worth booking well in advance. Birregurra Grocer has become a local favourite too, a licensed cafe and providore with genuinely good take-home meals. The Royal Mail Hotel in Birregurra is a solid pick as well, worth a stop for a meal. Otways Distillery has recently opened a tasting room in Birregurra, organic small-batch gin, vodka and liqueurs made with botanicals foraged from the surrounding rainforest, open Thursday to Sunday with guided tastings and a chance to meet the makers. The Otway Harvest Trail links the region's farm gates, growers, breweries and winemakers into an easy driving route, a good one for a slower day. Pondalowie Vineyards, in nearby Bambra, is a particular favourite of ours.
Forrest is thirty minutes from Lorne and the Great Ocean Road, and twenty minutes from Birregurra.
A note on opening hours
Regional Victoria is doing it tough at the moment, and some local businesses run on reduced or changing hours as a result. We do our best to stay across what's open and share the most current recommendations ahead of your stay, though in a small town things can shift day to day. It's all part of the slower rhythm here, and Otways Loft is set up as a self-sufficient retreat for exactly that reason, guests who come ready to cook, explore and unwind tend to have the best time of it.
Once you've booked Steam Carriage and or Otways Loft, we'll send through our full local guide, favourite cafes, bars, restaurants and hidden corners we've come to love over our time here.
Fleur July 2016