Given the name, you can expect to spot a koala or two up in the trees during this walk!
The Kennett River Koala Walk is one of the main attractions of the Great Ocean Road. The walk provides people with the opportunity to spot plenty of koalas, as well as other unique Aussie wildlife.
About a two and a half hour drive from Melbourne along the incredible Great Ocean Road, the koala walk is actually located on Grey River Road. The walk in total is a 15 kilometre stretch of road between the coast and the country. But don’t let that number stop you from going, as you can actually see a few koalas all within a few kilometres of the walk.
Kafe Koala marks the start of this long walk, and within the first six kilometres from the café and the Grey River Picnic Area, you could spot a koala. Keep looking up high in the trees as these cuddly creatures are likely to be taking their midday snooze or munching on some leaves.
Kafe Koala is opened every day, so before or after your walk, you can grab some food and a coffee.
A rare place to see koalas in large numbers
Travellers from all over often think you can spot koalas everywhere and anywhere in Australia, but it’s not true! Koalas spend most of their time hanging out in eucalyptus trees, stripping them of their leaves and eating them for the small number of nutrients they provide. This explains why koalas can be so chill at all times.
But when it comes to the Kennett River Koala Walk, there are heaps of eucalyptus trees. The walk makes it the perfect spot for these koalas to call home, and a great place for you to spot them.
This is one of Australia’s rare places where you can experience a larger koala population in their natural habitat. It’s without question why it’s such an amazing attraction for local and international travellers.
There are other animals to spot
The Kennett River Koala Walk’s natural surroundings are the perfect playground for Victoria’s unique biodiversity. The walk is absolutely teeming with wildlife! Here you could see the colorful king parrots to playful cockatoos, little wallabies to cheeky kookaburras. This is truly one of the best places to see a whole cast of quirky wildlife in their element.
Don’t feed the wildlife
We know it can be tempting to get close and feed the wildlife, but it’s highly recommended that you don’t feed or touch them. The animals here may look comfortable around us humans, but they can react if they feel at all threatened.
The best way to enjoy the Kennett River Walk is to keep your distance from them and take plenty of photos. You can watch them as well and notice any kind of habits they do or hear them make any kind of noise.
Arrive early or in the late afternoon
Your best chance to see koalas is in the early morning or the late afternoon. Typically during the day the koalas are snoozing, but in the morning and late afternoon there is a chance they’re moving around a bit.
Make sure you keep looking up into the eucalyptus trees though, as this is their favourite tree to sit in to eat the leaves and sleep. You could also bring your binoculars or a good camera to have a better chance of seeing the koalas.
Whether you want to traverse the whole 15 kilometres or spot a few koalas a few minutes down the track, you are sure to have a great day out. We hope you spot all kinds of amazing wildlife on the Kennett River Koala Walk.
Related article: Unmissable Highlights along the Great Ocean Road
Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia
Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.