Things to do in Kennett River, Victoria: Expert visitor tips

The best things to do in Kennett River, Victoria, are hanging out with the cockatoos near Kafe Koala and spotting the Kennett River koalas on Grey River Road.

Kennett River, Victoria, is a small settlement along the Lorne to Apollo Bay section of the Great Ocean Road.

The town gets its name from the river that empties into the Southern Ocean here, and has become a popular tourist spot over the years.

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.

Kennett River caravan park and Kafe Koala

This is partly because of the cheap accommodation. The Kennett River Family Caravan Park is one of the classic budget stays on the Great Ocean Road. It has a nice spot overlooking the Kennett River Surf Lifesaving Club and Kennett River Coastal Reserve.

But the main hub of action in Kennett River is Kafe Koala. This Great Ocean Road café and general store is fairly simple, but caters to a surprisingly large number of visitors. That’s because many Great Ocean Road tour buses stop at Kennett River for a few minutes before heading on to Apollo Bay, Cape Otway and the Port Campbell National Park.

Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne

For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.

Things to do in Kennett River, Victoria: Meet the cockatoos

Over time, those tour buses have attracted legions of cheeky cockatoos, who hang around in the clearing outside Kafe Koala. They know there’s a decent chance they’ll get some food out of it, so they strut around on benches, picnic tables and fence posts. They’re noisily entertaining, too.

But people don’t come to Kennett River to see the cockatoos. The main attractions here are the koalas, which are notoriously abundant around the town.

Where to see the Kennett River koalas

The trick to seeing the Kennett River koalas, however, is knowing where to look. They don’t hang out with the cockatoos around Kafe Koala. Instead, you need to take a walk up the gravelly Grey River Road, which climbs into the hills from behind the Kennett River caravan park. There are usually dozens of koalas here, albeit sleepy ones up trees.

One of the Kennett River koalas. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Other attractions on the Lorne to Apollo Bay section of the Great Ocean Road include Teddy’s Lookout, Cumberland River Beach, the Cape Patton Lookout and Skenes Creek.

More Victoria town and city guides