It’s been in continuous operation since 1848 thanks to its devoted keepers, in particular Henry and Mary Ford, who until 1878 operated the lamp every day for 30 years as well as raising seven children.
Hearing about their daily struggles, we’re grateful for today’s mod cons, although as we hit the road we wonder whether those mod cons will be available to us at our next destination, the Great Ocean Ecolodge. Although the word ‘eco’ used in conjunction with accommodation often conjures up images of no-flush toilets and unreliable electricity, it certainly does not apply at this comfortable bush retreat. We’re greeted with that hallmark of civilised society – afternoon tea served on a silver tray – and are soon joined by the other guests and Shayne Neal, who together with his wife Lizzie Corke owns and operates the Ecolodge.
Run entirely on solar power and ecologically responsible from every angle, the lodge supports the efforts of the Conservation Ecology Centre, meaning all profits are fed into wildlife conservation and research.
A dusk walk led by Shayne takes us through the surrounding bush and includes encounters with the adorable joeys and baby koalas being rehabilitated after injury or losing their mothers.
We’re also lucky enough to meet some extremely rare tiger quolls – the centre has three in captivity and is carrying out research on the animals. Back indoors, we enjoy a dinner that includes vegetables from the lodge’s garden and a decadent chocolate torte.
But the sweetest treat is outside, where tiny sugar gliders peep out of the nest boxes in their enclosure to lick honey from our fingers.
After a restful night’s sleep (thanks, in part, to being out of range of phone reception), we wake to a kangaroo mob grazing quietly outside our window. Reluctantly we leave the lodge, but we’re booked in to swap peace and serenity for screams and shouts on the Otway Fly Zip Line Tour. We’re harnessed and given a safety drill before climbing to a treetop platform from where we fly along cables and walk across rope bridges between trees at heights of up to 20 metres. It’s an exhilarating way to experience the rainforest and get up close to the giant mountain ash trees.
Impressive as the trees are, they may have met their match in the Triplet Falls, the final stop on our journey. An easy walk through the rainforest reveals an awe-inspiring show, with three waterfalls gushing over a series of huge boulders.
After three days of being spoiled in such pristine wilderness, I’ll certainly be gushing about the Otways – as soon as we get back to an area with phone reception.
Leeyong Soo travelled courtesy of Geelong Otway Tourism.
