If Australia's iconic four-wheel drive destinations were high school subjects, the Vic High Country would be the final exam, Dirk Hartog Island would be geography, the Simmo would be advanced maths and the Great Otway National Park would be kindergarten through to University.
That's what makes it so bloody good.
Stretching from Torquay through to Princetown and blanketing more than 1,000 square kilometres of towering mountain ash, cool temperate rainforest and Shipwreck Coast, the Otways are one of those rare destinations that genuinely has something for everyone. Whether you call Melbourne home, live down Geelong way or you're lucky enough to be based around Colac, Camperdown or Warrnambool, you're never all that far from pointing the bullbar towards a weekend that'll either be unbelievably relaxing... or unbelievably character building. Or, possibly both.
The beauty of the Otways isn't that they're Australia's toughest 4X4 destinations. It's that they can be. Or they don't have to be. The choice is entirely yours.
You can arrive having never left the blacktop before and leave with a genuine understanding of how your vehicle behaves on gravel, loose climbs, ruts and slippery clay. Or, if you've already got plenty of experience under your belt, you can seek out tracks that'll have you earning every inch.
It's a destination that grows with you. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out.
Ready for the rough stuff?
get a quote for insurance that covers you anywhere you can legally go in Australia
THE TRACKS
Within about half an hour of leaving the bitumen you'll realise the Otways don't really have a "type" of track.
Some are beautifully maintained forest roads where a bloke in a stock Subaru Forester would be grinning from ear to ear, winding through towering gums and fern gullies wondering why he hadn't discovered the place years ago. Others have rolled multiple vehicles of mine onto their sides, left experienced drivers stranded overnight and demanded every trick I'd learned after hundreds of thousands of kilometres travelling Australia.
Sometimes they're only separated by a single intersection.
That's what I love about this place.
You can spend the morning introducing someone to dirt for the very first time before spending the afternoon questioning your own life choices on a clay climb that's somehow become significantly steeper since the last time you drove it.
The tracks themselves are generally well signposted and, unlike some Victorian forests that seem determined to redecorate your paintwork, most give you enough room to actually breathe. Large touring rigs are surprisingly well catered for, while dual cabs, wagons and the standard crop of touring four-wheel drives will comfortably fit pretty much everywhere you'd realistically want to point them.
If you're new, stick to the forest roads, enjoy the waterfalls and learn what your vehicle feels like on gravel before chasing the harder stuff.
If you've got a few trips under your belt, start linking together some of the more technical climbs and descents. The Otways reward smooth driving far more than heroic driving. Ask me how I know.
PREPARING TO TACKLE THE GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK
Like anywhere worth exploring, the further you wander from civilisation, the more responsibility shifts onto you.
If you're sticking to the easier forest roads in good weather, there's a fair chance you'll see another vehicle before too long should something go wrong.
Head deeper into the park after rain and that's a gamble I'd be far less interested in taking.
At a minimum I'd be carrying recovery boards, a quality recovery kit, an air compressor, a tyre repair kit and reliable communications. If you're travelling solo or planning to tackle tracks you've never driven before, a winch. Hopefully none of it leaves the vehicle.
“DIFFERENT CHALLENGE. SAME GRIN ONLY A 4X4 AND A GREAT TRACK CAN GIVE YOU.”
But hope has stranded plenty of people over the years.
Tyre pressures have too.
People spend thousands chasing traction with lockers, tyres and suspension while stubbornly refusing to let 20 psi do what 40 psi never will. Don’t be that wheeler.
GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK WEATHER AND WHAT IT MEANS
If there's one thing that determines whether the Otways feel like a Sunday scenic drive or a genuine 4X4 challenge, it isn't your vehicle.
It's the weather.
Come here in the middle of summer and many of the clay climbs dry into steep, technical ascents and descents that'll keep you honest. You'll still find yourself picking careful lines, crossing ruts and occasionally hanging a wheel high enough to make your passenger suddenly very interested in the grab handle.
Hit those exact same tracks after a proper winter soaking and it's a completely different conversation.
That harmless-looking red clay transforms into something with all the grip of a freshly buttered frying pan. Climbs can quickly become recovery operations. Descents demand complete concentration and a basic understanding of physics. Wheel placement becomes critical and momentum trots a very fine line between "just enough" and "I've made a terrible mistake."
Honestly, some of the satisfaction you get finally cresting one of those climbs reminds me of the feeling you get ticking off a difficult section of the Old Tele Track.
Different challenge. Same grin only a 4X4 and a great track can give you.
The beginners guide to tackling different 4WD terrains.
You don’t need to be a jack of all trades on day one, but having a rough idea and the basics of each terrain will limit the shock factor on your off-road adventure.
JOSH’S TOP TRACKS
They’re all good. But, if I had to pick a top three tracks for both beginner to intermediate and experienced these are what I’d choose:
Easy to Intermediate Tracks:
- Turtons Track (Forrest to Wye River) - Turtons Track itself is one of the most scenic drives in the Otways, but it's the maze of four-wheel drive tracks branching off it that really showcase what the region's capable of. Some are little more than easy forest roads, while others will happily test both your vehicle and your nerve. The catch? Conditions change constantly.
- The Old Coach Road - Old Coach Road is a cracking little detour if you're after a touch more challenge. It's generally straightforward in the dry, but after rain the steep clay sections can become a test. This track does get tight in sections, so be ready to pull your mirrors in.
- Curtis Track - This is classic Otways wheeling. It starts innocently enough beneath towering gums before serving up steep climbs, deep ruts and creek crossings that become progressively more entertaining the wetter it gets. In summer it's a rewarding technical drive. In winter Curtis Track starts to move toward being appropriate for more experienced drivers.
Tough Tracks:
- Harrison Track - Harrison Track is where many drivers get their first taste of what the tougher side of the Otways has to offer. It's generally well formed, but don't let that lull you into complacency. Wet weather quickly transforms its clay climbs into something requiring careful wheel placement and a healthy respect for momentum.
- Jenkins Link Track - Jenkins Link Track links together some of the Otways' better technical country, serving up steeper climbs, rougher surfaces and plenty of slippery clay after rain. It's a brilliant progression track once you're comfortable venturing beyond the easier forest roads.
- Cecil Track - Cecil Track proves, once again, that the Otways don't need giant rock ledges or bonnet-deep mud holes to get your attention. Steep clay climbs, deep ruts and plenty of off-camber sections make for an entertaining drive in the dry. Throw in a decent dose of winter rain and you'll soon discover why locals pay more attention to the rain radar than the track rating.
AFTER THE TRACKS
The beauty of the Otways is you don't have to spend every minute bouncing off the bump stops.
Once you've washed the mud off your boots, you've got some of Victoria's best touring sitting right on your doorstep. Wander through the rainforest to Triplet Falls or stretch the legs at Hopetoun Falls or Beauchamp Falls. Duck into Forrest for a feed or a beer, or point the bullbar back towards the water and explore the Shipwreck Coast, then wander Apollo Bay or watch the sun disappear behind Cape Otway.
The Otways don't hand out bragging rights. They hand out experience. Sometimes that's the confidence that comes from driving your very first dirt road. Sometimes it's the satisfaction of finally conquering a clay climb that's beaten you twice before. Either way, you'll head home with a dirty four-wheel drive, a few more stories than you arrived with and, if you're anything like me, already planning which track you'll tackle next time.
Ready for the rough stuff?
get a quote for insurance that covers you anywhere you can legally go in Australia
