What's On

Otway Harvest Trail

Have a look at the brand new Otway Harvest Trail website, or download a brochure to show you the ropes of what tourism has to offer in our fabulous region. 

For just some of the offerings, read on....

Hungry?

Try the wonderful new cafe in Dean Marsh for lunch - Old Lorne Road Olives - a superb setting, great lunch menu and lovely gallery. Open 10 - 5 Thurs - Mon and seven days during January. Well worth the visit.  From Nov - April, Gentle Annies in Pennyroyal offers a delectable range of wonderful home style food for lunches, morning and afternoon teas.  The newly opened cafe, Winchelsea Larder in Winchelsea, offers an internet cafe/wireless hot spot, sensational coffee, food baked on site and sales of fabulous fare from across the region. 

For some great dinner options, we have three fabulous restaurants within 15 minutes easy drive from our gate. Try Matildas in Inverleigh for a relaxed contemporary feel; or Martians in Deans Marsh for laid back ambience and frequent live music sessions. Great bistro meals are available in Birregurra and Winchelsea.  Watch this space for Nippers much awaited reopening after their closure due to fire on the premises early this year.

Berry picking

Pick your own berries in season at many berry farms in the area. Season runs from November to April each year.
Try the fabulous Gentle Annies in Pennyroyal and settle down to a rejuvenating Devonshire tea in their delightful tearooms after all your work is done.

Also from December to January, you could try the Pennyroyal Raspberry Farm for some huge scones and jam for an after picking reward.

Wineries abound in the area.

Dinny Goonan wines is just 3 k's from our gate. With an impressive and growing array of medals (awarded a FIVE STAR rating by James Halliday in his 2010 Wine Companion) as well as delightful light lunches under the trees, they are well worth a visit. Open public holidays, every weekend from Nov to April and throughout summer from 22 Dec to the end of Jan. 

Try our the newest cellar door just down the road at Blake's Estate. They carry a wonderful Rose , Pinot Noir and sparkling wine of their own making. Open every weekend and public holidays.

Also highly in favour is Gosling Creek, just 15 minutes away. Open weekends and public holidays.

We can also supply you with a comprehensive map of other cellar doors in the area.

Tours

Go Birding Tours provide ecotours offering a wide range of bird watching experiences in the Great Ocean Road and Otways region. They will arrange to pick up small groups of up to 6 people from your cottage. Contact us for details.

Take yourself off to the Old Beechy Rail Trail for an amazing bike ride, promised to be challenging with undulating terrain and exhilarating descents.  This follows the old narrow gauge rail line for 45 km's from Colac through to Beech Forest and can be done in small loops or using a car shuffle, along various segments of the trail.

Our beautiful Otways!

We are surrounded by the Otway Forest Park (formerly the Angahook State Park), a great work out for you and your pooch.

The Otways hinterland is an amazing place full of great adventures. Paddle Lake Elizabeth at dawn to see platypus in the wild.

You could cruise the delightful drive to Lorne the newly extended Great Otway National Park While there, bring out the picnic basket, explore the amazing waterfalls and bush walks nearby, go search for a koala (we can tell you where you are sure to find them), take in a walk on the beach, or just sit back and enjoy the fabulous restaurants/cafes and wonderful gourmet and fashion shops of cosmopolitan Lorne.  See the beautiful Erskine Falls on YouTube

A little further down the track:

Along the Great Ocean Road, make sure the lunch stop is the Wye River pub - for the best views and great meals - try their fish and chips. Fabulous.

Take in easy day trip segments of the wonderful new Great Ocean Walk. The walk takes in 90 k's of the magnificent coastline between Apollo Bay (an hours drive from Countrywide Cottages) and Princetown. Some of my favourite segments are Blanket Bay to Parker Inlet and the Wreck Beach hike (but watch out for those steps on the way back up!). Take a look on YouTube.

A little further beyond, you will find the rainforest walks of Maites Rest and Melba Gully. Make sure you breathe deep!

In between these two, you could visit the Cape Otway Light Station for a cuppa in the assistant lighthouse keepers cottage and a guided tour of the historic light station which has run continuously since 1848.

Take in the stunning drive along the Turtons Track in the Otways takes you to the Otway Fly - stroll among the tree tops on this magnificent tree top walk. Have a look at their video on YouTube.  The gorgeous Triplet falls is nearby - see it on YouTube.

And there's nothing stopping you going all the way and taking in those most famously over counted 12 Apostles See Richard Attenborough's clip on YouTube...a great day trip.

Barwon Park

Birregurra

Birregurra is a fabulous old town. Fifteen minutes drive from Countrywide, a perfect spot for a wonder up the street. Pop into the gourmet butcher Farm Foods for a delight for all who love to cook. Lots of lovely curio and assorted shops there will keep you happily amused for hours.

Don't miss the increasingly popular annual Birregurra Festival, held in October each year. Fabulous market stalls, food and entertainment. 14,000 people were there in 2009 - an event definitely not to be missed!

Winchelsea

You may have driven through Winchelsea enroute here. It's well worth a look at the curios and antique stores there.  Also home to the brand new Winchelsea Larder, offering fabulous foods and wines from around the Otways, as well as a fabulous internet cafe with wireless hot spot.

Each year in November, Winchelsea comes alive with it's Winchelsea Festival. Full of market stalls, music and traditional wool sports exhibition, it's well worth a visit.

Galleries

Markets

Markets are held regularly over the summer months in Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Birregurra and Deans Marsh. Check here for dates. 

Horse Riding

Local Services

You will find the following services:

• IGA Supermarket
• Butcher
• Chemist
• Bendigo Bank
• Bakery
• Doctors surgery
• Mechanic
• Hospital
• Internet cafe

a mere 10 minutes drive from Countrywide Cottages