Great Otway National Park
🇦🇺 Australia
🐨 Koalas Doze in Roadside Manna GumsGreat Otway National Park is a protected temperate forest stretching along Victoria’s rugged coastline and dense interior hills. Towering eucalyptus trees, cool fern gullies, and cascading waterfalls define this southern Australian landscape, separating it from the drier national parks nearby through its deep, moisture-rich woodland habitats.
-38.591° S 143.743° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
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Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus
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Cool-temperate Water Skink
Eulamprus tympanum
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Pobblebonk
Limnodynastes dumerilii
📊 Most Spotted
Superb Fairywren
Malurus cyaneus
Australian Magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Crimson Rosella
Platycercus elegans
Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa
Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
New Holland Honeyeater
Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita
Gray Shrikethrush
Colluricincla harmonica
Pied Currawong
Strepera graculina
White-browed Scrubwren
Sericornis frontalis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Macropus giganteus
Short-beaked Echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Swamp Wallaby
Wallabia bicolor
Common Ringtail Possum
Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Common Brushtail
Trichosurus vulpecula
Red-necked Wallaby
Notamacropus rufogriseus
Yellow-bellied Glider
Petaurus australis
Australian Swamp Rat
Rattus lutreolus
Duck-billed Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Grey-headed Flying-fox
Pteropus poliocephalus
Fallow Deer
Dama dama
📊 Most Spotted
Superb Fairywren
Malurus cyaneus
Australian Magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Crimson Rosella
Platycercus elegans
Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa
Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
New Holland Honeyeater
Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita
Gray Shrikethrush
Colluricincla harmonica
Pied Currawong
Strepera graculina
White-browed Scrubwren
Sericornis frontalis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Eastern Tiger Snake
Notechis scutatus
Pale-flecked Garden Sunskink
Lampropholis guichenoti
Blotched Bluetongue
Tiliqua nigrolutea
Jacky Lashtail
Amphibolurus muricatus
Lowlands Copperhead
Austrelaps superbus
McCoy's Skink
Anepischetosia maccoyi
White-lipped Snake
Drysdalia coronoides
Common Bluetongue
Tiliqua scincoides
White's Rock-skink
Liopholis whitii
Southern Weasel Skink
Saproscincus mustelinus
Entrecasteaux's Skink
Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii
Trunk-climbing Cool-skink
Pseudemoia spenceri
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Common Eastern Froglet
Crinia signifera
Striped Marsh Frog
Limnodynastes peronii
Spotted Grass Frog
Limnodynastes tasmaniensis
Southern Smooth Froglet
Geocrinia laevis
Southern Toadlet
Pseudophryne semimarmorata
Southern Bell Frog
Ranoidea raniformis
Recent sightings in Great Otway National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Koala Breeding Season
Koalas become more active and vocal as they enter breeding season, making them easier to spot in eucalyptus canopies.
2Eastern Tiger Snake Emergence
After winter dormancy or summer rains, Eastern Tiger Snakes emerge to hunt, often basking on warm tracks or near water sources.
3Pobblebonk Chorus
Male Pobblebonks gather in wetlands to call in unison after rain, creating a distinctive, loud chorus that echoes through the forest.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Koala Breeding Season
- 2Eastern Tiger Snake Emergence
- 3Pobblebonk Chorus
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Great Otway, VIC Australia – Not Sew Fancy Travels Molly & JD While talking to a park ranger in Wilson’s Promontory I asked about seeing koalas and was told I wouldn’t see them in the wild there, but there was a nice conservation on Phillips island.
We knew that kangaroos are relatively abundant and somewhat easy to spot all across Australia, but we wanted to see koalas and wombats too.
While we were walking, I kept my eyes peeled for rainforest birds like Bassian Thrushes, Olive Whistlers, and especially the gorgeous Pink Robin, but the mist and thick vegetation made it hard to spot any birds around me.
Driving in the Otways with our two mascots – Potato the Wombat & Pickles the Echidna As we drove along Grey River Road (aka the Kennett River Koala Trail), we spotted our first two koalas chilling high up in the trees.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Great Otway National Park?
The most likely sightings are Superb Fairywren (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Australian Magpie (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Red Wattlebird (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Koala (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Crimson Rosella (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 636 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Great Otway National Park for wildlife?
August has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Koala in Great Otway National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Koala sighting in Great Otway National Park, based on 864 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Cool-temperate Water Skink in Great Otway National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Cool-temperate Water Skink sighting in Great Otway National Park, based on 186 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Pobblebonk in Great Otway National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pobblebonk sighting in Great Otway National Park, based on 44 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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