Erskine Falls, Lorne: Great Ocean Road waterfall walks & lookouts

There are three ways to see Erskine Falls near Lorne in Victoria. The Upper Falls Lookout is close to the car park. It’s 240 steps down to the base of the falls. But the real workout comes in taking on the 7.5km Erskine River Track.

What is Erskine Falls?

Erskine Falls is an Australian waterfall. It is located in the Great Otway National Park, behind the town of Lorne on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.

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Erskine Falls, Lorne, is one of Australia’s most visited waterfalls. This is thanks mainly to its position just off the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road to the south-west of Melbourne is Australia’s most famous tourist drive. The variety is a major part of the appeal. You can move from spotting kangaroos on the Anglesea Golf Course to surfing at Johanna Beach, then helicopter tours over the Twelve Apostles rock formations at Port Campbell.

The road mostly hugs the coast, but if you detour slightly inland, you’ll find plenty of Great Ocean Road waterfalls in the deep green forests.

Getting to Erskine Falls from Lorne

Erskine Falls is about 10km inland from the Great Ocean Road beach town of Lorne. It is inside the Great Otway National Park, which covers large chunks of the Great Ocean Road hinterland.

Getting to Erskine Falls is fairly easy, as the Erskine Falls Road from Lorne goes pretty much straight up to the waterfall. The walk from the Erskine Falls car park to the viewing platform at the top of the falls takes about five minutes.

From the viewing platform, you can watch the Erskine River plunge 30 metres into a lush green gully. Getting to the bottom of that gully, however, requires a bit more work.

The lower lookout requires a pretty strenuous walk down 240 steps. But it worth it. Erskine Falls feels much more like a discovery in a lost world once you’re down at the bottom.

7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences
1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour. 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb. 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster. 5. Guided wildlife walk. 6. Budj Bim National Park tour. 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike.

Erskine River Track to Erskine Falls, Lorne

If you really want a work out, however, take on the 7.5km Erskine River Track from Lorne. This walk follows the Erskine River, and gets very tricky in places. You’ll pass Straw Falls and Splitter Falls on the way.

More Great Ocean Road attractions

Indulge in top-notch Greek food at Ipsos in Lorne.

Enjoy sunset beers at Aireys Pub in Aireys Inlet.

Canoe with platypus on Lake Elizabeth.

Surfing lessons at Lorne Beach.

Zipwire through the forest at Live Wire Park in Lorne.