What Can I Do, Food & Wine, Lavers Hill, Great Ocean Road and Region, Victoria, Australia

What can't you do? That would be a shorter list. There are attractions, activities, events and features throughout the region to suit all ages and interest groups. From theme parks for children to adventure sports for adrenaline junkies. From gourmet food and wine experiences to bushwalking through campsites. From a simple dip in the ocean to a luxurious spa retreat. There really is something for everyone.

Things to See & Do

Touring Routes & Tour Operators

Forrest

Otway Harvest Trail

The unique combination of aspect, soils, climate and farming practices of the Otway hinterland produce distinctive and exceptional flavours in our produce that cannot be found anywhere else. The Otway Harvest Trail is a celebration of the seasons that bestow their rich bounty on a luscious part of Victoria. Spring is a time of plenty and promise. As the winter gives way to warm sunny days, see the bright patchwork of yellow canola fields appear, the farmers out mowing their grass and baling their hay and the spring lambs frolicking on a frosty morning. The first berries appear. Green shoots can be seen in the vineyards as the vines burst their buds and flowers and spring vegetables appear at farm gate stalls. New release wines can be found at cellar doors. Summer is all about being outdoors. All the berry farms have opened and their sweet juicy berries are ripe for the picking. The lush emerald green of the vineyards become more distinctive as the land around slowly turns a golden brown. People clamour for outdoor tables and chairs at cafés and restaurants to soak in the warm days, mild evenings and glorious pastel sunsets. Local wines and beers go so well with the seafood, vegetables and fruits in plentiful supply. Wine lovers are welcomed at cellar doors and their curiosity is rewarded with the discovery of new wines. Autumn is a time of harvest. The days become still and warm, and the crisp cool nights are perfect for sleeping. With the winter rains not far away, the wineries are busy harvesting their fruit and the vignerons hands become garnet red as they nurture the new wines through their ferment. It is also time to harvest the olives from their groves before the first frosts of winter arrive. Smell the fruity aroma of the extra virgin olive oil as it flows from the presses. The last of the berries are picked. Winter is a time for taking stock of the seasons passed and making ready for the farming year ahead. The farmers plough their fields and sow their winter crops. Vineyards, olive groves and orchards are pruned and readied for a new season. Fences are mended. The days shorten and become colder. Cattle turn their backs to the wind. Dams pent over the summer begin to refill. Root vegetables appear at the farm gate stands. It’s a time for reflection and for savouring the joys of recently harvested produce. Lengthy conversations occur over bottles of wine in front of toasty log fires. Eventually the tell tale signs of another Spring begin to appear.

Food & Wine

Lavers Hill

Blackwood Gully Restaurant

Welcome to Blackwood Gully, the ultimate Otways stop for bird-watching, a rainforest walk, fresh coffee, and delicious food prepared by the chef for mouth-watering breakfasts, lunches, morning and afternoon teas. The architect-designed two storey pole-house, with its vine-covered deck, is the perfect vantage point for views of the Otways while recharging your batteries for the stunning walks and waterfalls along the Great Ocean Road. Blackwood Gully is fully licensed and famous for alfresco dining, family-friendly service and delicious food. Blackwood Gully have their own patch of cool-temperate rainforest, complete with blackwoods, tree ferns, and a footbridge over a little creek which flows in the winter.

Beech Forest

Peveril Vineyard/Beechy Berries

The Peveril Vineyard cellar door is in a shed directly off the Colac-Lavers Hill Road. It is built from local timbers by a local It's small and tasteful. The wines, like the berries, are grown with natural nutrients and no chemicals. The sole exception is the anti-fungal spray used sparingly on the vines. Other than that the grapes are the product of pure water and soil. Small, tasteful, clean. That's the way the Rossiter family want to go on this patch of perfection. The name Peveril is a tribute to Marg's three aunts, Peggy, Vera and Lil. The vineyards, orchard and garden are a tribute to the earthy visions and energy of owners, Bruce and Marg. All you have to do is take that small turn into their drive to enjoy the splendid fruits of their loving labours

Beech Forest

The Ridge Organic Food Store & Café

The Ridge Organic Food Store & Café takes a simple approach to life & food. They keep in touch with local organic farmers and when produce is at its finest their chefs create beautiful, rustic food enticing the natural flavours to sing. The breakfast, lunch and take-away menus change with the season and the produce available from local organic and biodynamic farmers. The Ridge Organic Food Store & Café make sensational chutneys, jams and gourmet goodies to help you prolong the taste of the Otways after you've reached home.

Packages & Offers

See, Do, Stay & Save

Welcome to goTravlr, your passport to great deals in Geelong, the Bellarine and the Great Ocean Road.

Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant & Villas Winter Warmer Getaway Package

Package for two from $350.00.

Stay & Save at Cumberland Lorne Resort

From $411 for a three night stay.

BIG 4 Beacon Resort Blues Train Package

A unique musical experience! Toe tapping entertainment, a cool drink and a good laugh. Rock your stay in Queenscliff with Blues Train tickets and award winning accommodation at BIG4 Beacon Resort.

Seahaven Village - Taste of The Bellarine $495

Relax at stunning Barwon Heads Friday and Saturday night in a cosy 4.5 star one bedroom spa suite.

Barwon Heads Golf Club Winter Escape

$240 per couple per night

Food & Wine

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Food & Wine

Things to See & Do

Food & Wine

Blackwood Gully Restaurant

Peveril Vineyard/Beechy Berries

The Ridge Organic Food Store & Café

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What Can I Do?

Where Can I Eat & Drink?

What's On?

Packages & Offers

See, Do, Stay & Save

Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant & Villas Winter Warmer Getaway Package

Stay & Save at Cumberland Lorne Resort

BIG 4 Beacon Resort Blues Train Package

Seahaven Village - Taste of The Bellarine $495

Barwon Heads Golf Club Winter Escape