LATEST NEWS

  • CONTACT
  • 0161 870 6212
  • 1.413.517.0266

Great Ocean Road Volunteering Australia

Great Ocean Road Volunteering Australia located in an iconic destination in Victoria will provide you with an overview of the type of conservation activities happening in diverse coastal and inland environments to help protect and restore along the way as they are important wildlife habitats

Highlights of Great Ocean Road Volunteering Australia

 

  • Get the chance to see the iconic Great Ocean Road and witness for yourself the astonishing Twelve Apostles, London Arch and Loch Ard Gorge along the Shipwreck Coast as well as the Eastern View Memorial Arch.
  • Volunteer and learn practical conservation skills that impact important wetlands, woodlands and coastal sand dunes.
  • Head to the famous Bells Beach, one of the world-famous surfing location.
  • Experience and explore Australian rainforests, waterfalls, inland plains, coastal and mountain regions, plus Otway and Port Campbell National Parks.
  • Cross path with loads of wildlife such as koalas, kangaroos, emus, brolgas, dolphins and migrating whales (June – Sept), and enjoy the rugged coastline of South West Victoria.
  • Experience an abundance of native animals at Tower Hill and enjoy a guided twilight tour to gain insights into Indigenous culture and Aboriginal lifestyles.

Sample Itinerary

 

Note that itineraries, activities and visited places may vary based on seasonal weather conditions.

Day 1 – Meet the local team at 8am at the meetup point in Melbourne. Get transfered to your accommodation via ferry through the Port Phillip Bay to one of the historic townships of either Queenscliff, Portarlington or Barwon Heads depending on the group number and availability. That day, you will have the opportunity to start conservation activities on the foreshore and Ramsar- listed Swan Bay Wetlands. You will be provided with Lunch and Dinner.

Day 2 – In the morning, you will continue conservation activities by helping with the coastal sand dune rehabilitation at Barlow Heads. In the afternoon, you will set off to go to Lorne via the Great Ocean Road and enjoy the scenic views. You will be provided with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. 

Day 3 – You will explore the Great Ocean Road starting with the Erskine Falls, then discovering the lighthouses, rainforests and koalas of Otway National Park. You will also visit the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge along the Shipwreck Coast. While there, you may want to keep a lookout for migrating whales between June and September. You will visit Tower Hill at twilight and take an Aboriginal cultural tour to learn about bush tucker, Aboriginal lifestyles and native wildlife. You will also learn how to throw a boomerang, and as night closes in you will hopefully see emus, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and a range of birdlife. You will spend overnight in the town of Warrnambool, at the very end of the Great Ocean Road.
You will be provided with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 4 – It will be spend within the vicinity of Warrnambool and support the conservation efforts of the local Basalt to Bay Landcare network. This full day of volunteering may involve tree planting, pest plant control and flora and fauna surveys in rare and special places depending on the season. You will be provided with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 5 -You will start traveling back inland and east towards Melbourne via the volcanic western plains. You will stop to volunteer at the wildlife haven of Serendip Sanctuary. The conservation activities will focus on invasive weed control, native vegetation and animal habitat management. It will also be an opportunity for you to have close encounters with wildlife such as emus and eastern grey kangaroos, along with a variety of birdlife such as brolgas, whistling kites and spoonbills. You will end the trip with a nature walk in the dramatic granite peaks of You Yangs National Park before returning to city life in Melbourne at around 4pm. You will be provided with Breakfast and Lunch.

Conservation Impact

 

Port Phillip Bay –
Protecting the Bay from marine debris has important ecological impact as up to 28% of the marine life in Port Phillip Bay is found nowhere else in the world. It is estimated that around 1,300 different plant and animal species are unique to Port Phillip Bay, and it is home to around 100 individuals of bottlenose dolphin known as Burrunan. For these reasons, the Bay has some significant ecological importance that cannot be ignored.

Barwon Heads coastal sand dune rehabilitation –
Conservation activities in this area involves tackling invasive weeds to prevent them spreading all along the coast and ruining the picturesque environment. This wild coastline of cliffs, rock platforms, sand dunes and surf provide habitat for a diverse range of animals and plants, including the threatened Coastal Moonah Woodlands and wetlands with high environmental biodiversity and conservation values.

Basalt to Bay Landcare –
South West Victoria is home to some of the most productive agricultural areas resulting in many of the existing remnant bushland areas being small, isolated and sometimes under pressure from those adjoining agricultural practices. The project is working with farmers to develop more sustainable practices including protecting remnant bushland, revegetation and indigenous shelter belt plantings to link isolated remnants. These initiatives encourage greater community engagement and a better understanding for all of existing bushland reserves.

Serendip Sanctuary –
Serendip is a haven for nature enthusiasts and wildlife watchers and is located at the base of the You Yangs, 60 km from Melbourne and 22 km North of Geelong. Originally used for farming, in 1959 the state government purchased the Sanctuary to create a protected area for wildlife research, captive management and breeding for threatened species such as the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, whose grasslands habitat has been destroyed by over 99%. Our project works directly with the Serendip Sanctuary (Parks Victoria) where volunteers assist in establishing crucial grasslands to support threatened species.