Koalas, actually in the wild
Kennett River is a tiny settlement on the Great Ocean Road between Lorne and Apollo Bay, where a creek comes out of the Otway forest and meets the sea. There's not much to it: a caravan park, a beach, a picnic area. But it's still one of the best-known places in Australia to look for wild koalas in the manna gums along Grey River Road. Farther along the road, Lighthouse Road at Cape Otway is another place to look for them. Our Cape Otway and Apollo Bay guide covers that stretch.
It's not a zoo, and no one can promise you a koala. Walk slowly up the road and look into the gums. Kids love it. So do adults, if we're honest.
From Holyday House it's a little over an hour, via Lorne. Wye River is a good beach pause before Kennett; our Wye River guide covers the village and hotel. Kennett also makes a good add-on to a Lorne day trip, or a stop on the long run to the Twelve Apostles.
Getting there
From Torquay
Follow the Great Ocean Road west. Lorne is about 45 minutes, then Kennett River is another 27 km of winding cliff road beyond it. Allow about an hour and a quarter without stops, more on summer weekends. It's slow going on the bends, and that's fine. The views are the point.
Check the road
The stretch between Lorne and Skenes Creek, which takes in Kennett River, was closed for a time in January 2026, and this part of the road does close now and then for storms and landslips. Check VicTraffic the morning you go, and VicEmergency in summer for fires.
The new car park
The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority finished a $3.8 million upgrade of the Kennett River precinct in October 2026. There's a rebuilt car park, road and footpaths, new landscaping and a new public toilet block. The layout is also designed to stop multiple large coaches parking in the precinct, which should make it calmer than it used to be. Park in the marked bays, not on the road verge.
Where to look
Grey River Road heads inland from the Great Ocean Road at Kennett River and climbs into the manna gum forest. That's where the koalas are. It's a narrow gravel road, so walking the first stretch is the easiest way to do it. You'll spot more on foot, and you won't be the car holding everyone up.
The trick is to look up into the forks of the trees for what looks like a grey lump. Koalas sleep for much of the day, wedged in where the branches split. And watch the other people. A little cluster of folks staring upwards is a pretty good sign. The first few hundred metres are always the busiest, so walk on a bit further and you'll often have one to yourself.
If you'd rather drive further up, go slowly, pull right off the road when you stop, and use the pull-offs. Don't stop in the middle of the road because someone's spotted a koala. It happens a lot.
Best time of day
Koalas are more active towards late afternoon and early morning. In the middle of the day they're mostly asleep, though you can still see them. The trouble with late arvo is the drive home: you'd be on the cliff road around dusk, when wallabies and kangaroos are out. Mid to late morning, on the way somewhere, is a good compromise.
Bring
Binoculars, or a camera with a decent zoom. Comfy shoes, since the road's uneven. A jacket, because it's cooler and damper in the forest than on the beach.
Photo: Darren Donlen,
courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo: Darren Donlen,
courtesy of Visit Victoria 
Photo: Darren Donlen,
courtesy of Visit Victoria A bit of history
In 1977, fifty koalas from Phillip and French Islands were released in the Grey River area behind Kennett River. Local naturalists reckon there was probably a colony there already. Since 1997, volunteers from the Friends of Eastern Otways have walked Grey River Road counting koalas each year. Their first count found 35. The highest, in 2008, was 144.
Numbers go up and down with the health of the trees and the weather. The point is, these are wild animals living their own lives in a working forest. Which is why how you behave around them matters.
Watching wildlife without bothering it
- Keep your distance. Koalas are wild and territorial, and Visit Great Ocean Road asks you to watch from a respectful distance. Use your zoom, and don't climb the bank or stand right under the tree
- Let them sleep. No shaking branches, no calling out, no throwing things to get them to look your way
- Don't feed anything. Not the koalas, and not the birds. Feeding wildlife isn't allowed in Victoria's parks, and Parks Victoria says it can make animals sick
- Don't touch sick or dead wildlife. Because of H5 bird flu, the Authority asks you to keep away, note what you saw and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888
- Found an injured animal? Parks Victoria asks you not to handle it. Call Wildlife Victoria on (03) 8400 7300
- Dogs on a short lead, or in the car. Keep them well away from the koalas. Better still, take turns while someone stays with the dog near the beach
- Watch the road. Keep kids to the edge and watch for cars on Grey River Road, especially when drivers are looking up instead of ahead
The birds, and the rest of Kennett River
Kennett River is pitched as "where the forest meets the sea", and the birdlife is half the fun. King parrots and crimson rosellas are regulars around the picnic area. They're bold and very photogenic, and they will absolutely land on you if someone nearby has been feeding them. Please don't be that someone. The local community's Kennett River Nature Walk asks visitors not to feed the birds or other wildlife.
After the koalas, the beach across the road is a nice spot to sit with a sandwich. Check Beachsafe before you think about swimming here. If you want a patrolled dip, Lorne is half an hour back up the road. The Kennett River Family Caravan Park is the place to stay if you want to be there at dawn, but most people pass through.
Kennett River koalas FAQ
How far is Kennett River from Torquay?
About an hour and a quarter without stops, along the Great Ocean Road through Lorne. Lorne is about 45 minutes, and Kennett River is 27 km past it.
Will we definitely see a koala?
There are no guarantees with wild animals, but Kennett River is one of the best-known places in Australia to look for them. Walk slowly up Grey River Road and look into the forks of the gums.
What's the best time to see koalas at Kennett River?
They're more active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, but you can see them sleeping in the trees in the middle of the day. If you go late, plan for the drive home around dusk and watch for wildlife on the road.
Is the Kennett River koala walk closed?
Not when we checked in October 2026. The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority announced on 6 October 2026 that its upgrade of the Kennett River precinct is complete. Grey River Road is a public road, so you can walk it any time. The Great Ocean Road itself does close now and then for storms and landslips, so check VicTraffic the morning you go.
Is there parking and toilets?
Yes. The upgrade finished in October 2026 included a new car park, paths and a new public toilet block. Large coaches can no longer park in the precinct in numbers.
Can I feed the birds?
Please don't. The local nature walk asks visitors not to feed the birds or other wildlife, and with H5 bird flu around, keep your distance from wild birds and don't touch any that look sick.
Can we bring our dog?
Keep the dog on a lead and well away from the koalas, or let someone wait with the dog by the beach while the rest of you walk up Grey River Road.
Kennett River fits neatly into a Lorne day trip, the Twelve Apostles day trip or our three-day Great Ocean Road itinerary. Want kangaroos too? Try the tours at Anglesea. The family holiday guide has more for the kids, and the whale watching guide covers the other wildlife worth looking out for on the drive. Want somewhere comfortable to come home to? Check dates and send us an enquiry.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 14 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Kennett River Improvements Complete — Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority
- Annual Koala Survey Grey River — ANGAIR
- Kennett River — Visit Great Ocean Road
- Kennett River, Victoria — Wikipedia
- Kennett River Nature Walk — Melbourne Playgrounds
- Wildlife viewing — Parks Victoria
- Great Ocean Road wildlife — Visit Great Ocean Road