UNTOUCHED VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES

Unearth the fiery past of vast Volcanic Lakes and Plains as you journey beyond the Great Ocean Road.

Clamber up lookouts to see where lava once bubbled and the earth heaved up to create a land of fertile plenty, now a place of pure serenity. Slow down and wander through tiny country towns and rolling rural tracts that sweep to the horizon. Perch on the edge of a deep crater lake where life abounds and lone anglers quietly haul in treasures from beneath. This is the world’s third largest volcanic landscape – a place of ancient stories, unrivalled scenery and intriguing geology forever connecting you to the natural world. Untouched, unspoilt and ready for you to find your own story here.

DOWN-TO-EARTH MOMENTS …

• Peer out from Red Rock Lookout where 360-degree views take in steep craters and stunning Lake Corangamite Nature Reserve. Stand tall on one of Australia’s youngest volcanoes, erupting as recently as 4,000 years ago.

• Feel the serenity at Lake Bookar, an in-the-know birdwatchers’ haven where your patience might be rewarded with a glimpse of a hoary-headed grebe or a freckled duck.

• “Budj Bim” created some of the important aquaculture systems that allowed the Gunditjmara people to thrive in the landscape. At Budj Bim National Park, take the Lake Surprise walk to the face of the crater.

• Put together a picnic lunch of delicious local produce grown in rich volcanic soils and settle in on the shores of beautiful Lake Bullen Merri. For peak serenity, glide in a canoe across the deep, glassy waters.

• Step back in time on the Alan Marshall Discovery Trail at Mount Noorat (below), as you wander around one of Australia’s best-preserved dry craters and reflect on a site that was once a traditional meeting place for local Aboriginals.