The last stretch of road to Cape Otway runs for kilometres through tall forest, and the trees are full of koalas. Manna gums line the lane to the lighthouse, and the animals can be spotted sleeping in the forks of the branches, grey furry lumps with their heads tucked in. Stop on the verge and look up, and you will soon see one, though the ride is slow because other drivers do the same. Apollo Bay is some eighteen kilometres back along the road, the only real town for a long way.
Cape Otway Lightstation, built in 1848, is the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. It stands on a cliff above the point where Bass Strait meets the Southern Ocean, one of the most dangerous passages in the world, and the coast to the west is known as the Shipwreck Coast, after the hundreds of ships lost on its reefs. The lighthouse guided immigrant ships on their final approach to Melbourne, and the lightkeepers' cottages and a telegraph station and wartime radar station are now open to the public, with an entry fee.
The road to the cape is a quiet detour from the Great Ocean Road, a narrow, winding lane with plenty of curves and a surface in fair condition. In the forest it is cool and damp, with the smell of eucalyptus and wet earth, and on the headland the wind is strong and salty. Wildflowers bloom on the heath in spring, and whales sometimes pass offshore in winter, heading for warmer water. Echidnas and wallabies are occasionally seen.
A cafe at the lightstation serves coffee and cake. The detour adds about an hour to the day, and it is best done in the morning, before the light fades. The road is open all year, though rain and fog are common in winter, and the best season is late spring to autumn. Keep your speed low in the forest, since koalas and kangaroos cross the road without warning.