Otway Shire

The day before “the big final” of Australian Rules Football (this year between a Brisbane and a Melbourne team), is a public holiday. I’m not sure why it’s not on the day of the final, but they do things differently down under. Elizabeth wasn’t working today so we were all going on an adventure that Dale had planned out. It was a gloriously warm, sunny day. All 7 of us went in E&D’s Mazda 7 with Elizabeth driving us to our first stop - Otway Fly Treetop Adventure, approx 90 minutes away at Ferguson. The treetop walk is 600m in length and varies in height around 25-35m above ground, but still below the canopy of many of the trees. The native Australian Mountain Ash grows over 100m high. The walk has a steel mesh floor so that you can see through it. Partway around is a 47m high spiral tower that swayed gently. There was also a cantilever section that ran out about 30m to a viewing area. This was only supported by two cables back to a structural mast. I went down to the end with Charlotte who decided it made a great trampoline, bouncing up and down as she jumped. Fortunately, she stopped when I asked her to. As a child I wasn’t frightened of heights but, as I have grown older, I have found that I don’t like them. I have a nagging curiosity about what would happen if I jumped. I’m told that it’s not uncommon. I also have an imagination of all of the events that could lead to whatever I am on collapsing etc. Last time we were in Oz, I cut a walk in the Blue Mountains short, because the path was along a sheer drop of many hundred feet. Yes, there was a wire fence, but that was not sufficient for me. Since then I have endeavoured to overcome my fear “Fear is temporary, regret is permanent” and yes I do regret not continuing along that path in the Blue Mountains. I was proud of myself after completing the treetop walk, but I wonder how far I can push this new-found braveness.

The kids thought it was time for lunch, but Dale’s plan was a few km drive to Triplet Falls and a walk to see the waterfall.

The 600-metre-long Otway Fly Tree Top walk is a cleverly designed series of lightweight steel trusses built on steel pylons.
It is built to provide an elevated walk through the magnificent Myrtle Beech rainforest and Mountain Ash eucalyptus forest.
Situated on 225 acres of what was previously used for logging and farming. The 47-metre high spiral tower is only half the height of the trees that originally grew here, As a viable alternative to tree harvesting it has paid for itself many times over, as well as providing a wonderful and educating nature experience for visitors from all over the world. Many times the timber value of these forests has already been generated while preserving nature in all its glory.
The Fly opened in September of 2003. By January 2010 over two million "feet" will have walked over the Otway Fiy.Read more