Koroit, Victoria: What are the best things to do & main attractions?

The best things to do in Koroit, Victoria are the Tower Hill Reserve, Killarney Beach, Koroit Botanical Gardens and the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail.

Koroit in Victoria is one of those places you might visit without realising it.

18km north-west of Warrnambool at the end of the Great Ocean Road, the town of Koroit is nothing much to get excited about. It has a strong Irish Catholic heritage, and a smattering of shops, but the key tourist attraction in Koroit is the Tower Hill Reserve.

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.

Koroit attractions: Tower Hill Reserve

The Tower Hill Reserve lies to the south of Koroit’s commercial and residential areas, and it’s an extinct volcanic crater.

The lake that has filled much of the crater makes Tower Hill a pretty place to hang out, but you really come here for the wildlife.

Head along one of the Tower Hill walking trails and you’re likely to encounter a host of Aussie creatures. The emus are the most brazen, and will have a go at your picnic if you leave it unguarded. But other creatures on display at Tower Hill include kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and echidnas.

echidna at Tower Hill Reserve near Warrnambool — Echidnas are just one of the Australian native creatures you can see at the Tower Hill Reserve near Warrnambool in Victoria. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Things to do in Koroit, Victoria: Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail

If it’s walking you’re more interested in, then the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail also passes through Koroit. This 37km long walking and cycling trail largely follows the path of a former railway line. Koroit is roughly in the middle of the trail, which is handy if you want to park there and tackle the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail in two stages.

Much of the coastline between Port Fairy and Warrnambool is technically part of Koroit. The bulk of this wild, undeveloped coastline is in the Belfast Coastal Reserve. Killarney Beach is the best of several pretty little beaches gathering between the rocks, marshes and dunes.

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.

What to do in Koroit, Victoria: Koroit Botanical Garden

The main attraction in Koroit, the town, is the Koroit Botanical Gardens. These botanical gardens are pretty impressive for a small town, but inessential as a visitor. You’d be hard-pushed to put them on a list of the best gardens in Australia.

Perhaps Koroit’s main problem is its proximity to Port Fairy and Warrnambool, both of which are better places to stay. You don’t really need to go into the town itself – just head to Tower Hill and the coast in the car.

To find out why there are so many volcanoes in the area, head north to Penshurst, where the Volcanoes Discovery Centre does a commendable job of explaining the landscape.