Cape Otway is situated 30kms to the west of Apollo Bay at the
southern tip of Victoria's western coast where the Southern Ocean
meets Bass Strait. The area around Cape Otway is included in
the Great Otway National Park where rainforests and streams extend
to the coast where a rugged coastline meets with pockets of sandy
beaches. Koalas are in abundance throughout the area and are
a popular attraction for visitors wishing to see these cuddly
marsupials in the wild.
Cape Otway was originally inhabited by the Gadubanud people;
evidence of their campsites is contained in the middens throughout
the region.
Eight ships were wrecked along the coast and hundreds of lives
lost which lead to the construction of the Cape Otway Lightstation
in 1846 from stone quarried at the Parker River. The lightstation
was decommissioned in 1994 after being the longest continuous
operating light on the Australian mainland. It has now been
replaced by a low powered solar light in front of the original
tower which displays three white flashes every 18 seconds.
The Lightstation is open daily to visitors