You Yangs & Great Ocean Road
The You Yangs and Great Ocean Road region is only a short distance southwest of Melbourne and is characterised by dramatic coastal scenery, wet hinterland rainforests, spectacular heathlands and vast grassy plains.
The You Yangs are the best known granite ridges in the area, rising 350m above the Werribee Plains. The grasslands and low woodlands around the You Yangs are home to more than 200 bird species such as White-naped, White-plumed, New Holland and Brown-headed honeyeaters, Laughing Kookaburras, White-winged Choughs, Eastern Yellow Robins, as well as a key habitat for Eastern Grey Kangaroos, possums and Koalas.
The Great Ocean Road region stretches from Geelong to Portland in south-western Victoria with the limestone rock formations and cliffs being one of Australia’s most famous landscapes. The Twelve Apostles are 20 million year old limestone towers that rise dramatically out of the sea; a result of being pounded for centuries by the raging Southern Ocean, with other striking natural features in the area including the Loch Ard Gorge and the Blowhole.
Inland from the coastal landscape lies the cool, wet hinterland rainforests. Home to Eastern Kangaroos, Swamp and Red-necked Wallabies, possums, Southern Brown Bandicoots, Short-beaked Echidnas, King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas, the Great Otway National Park is a landscape of tall eucalypts and Myrtle Beech dominated forests, rushing waterfalls, cascading streams and tranquil pockets of fern gullies. These forests are alive with vividly red and green coloured Australian King-parrots, Crimson Rosellas, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos as well as 38 species of butterfly.
Quick facts
- Some of the world's most dramatic and rugged coastal scenery
- Wet hinterland rainforests a sanctuary for numerous marsupials and parrots
- You Yangs key habitat for Koalas
- Western Plains prime opportunity to see kangaroos and raptor birds
Experiences
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Koala Recovery Experience
From $830 USD
2 or 3 days
Koala Recovery Experience
From $830.00 USD
2 or 3 days
This tour provides an opportunity to take an active role in assisting with Koala conservation and research! You will spend two or three days in the Great Western Plains near Melbourne, to plant trees and participate in recovery activities for this iconic species.
You will assist by planting targeted trees... -
Private Great Ocean Road
From $1,245 USD
3 days/2 nights
Private Great Ocean Road
From $1245.00 USD
3 days/2 nights
This private three day journey covers some of the most rugged and awe-inspiring coastline in Australia and includes a canoe trip to look for the elusive Platypus!
Explore the Serendip and You Yangs National Parks, the Great Ocean Road, Great Otway National Park, the Twelve Apostles, the Shipwreck Coast and... -
Wonders of Australia
From $4,260 USD
12 days/11 nights
Wildlife Interests: Birds, Land Mammals & Marsupials, Reptiles & Amphibians
Wildlife Interests: Birds, Land Mammals & Marsupials, Reptiles & Amphibians
Wonders of Australia
From $4260.00 USD
12 days/11 nights
Discover the pristine wilderness and abundant marsupials outside of Australia's two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne, combined with World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest; the oldest continually surviving rainforest in the world!
Travel to the You Yangs outside of Melbourne to see abundant marsupials and birds and help conserve a colony...