Lookout

Maits Rest

📍 Apollo Bay, VIC

★★★★★

4.7(1,791)

About Maits Rest

Maits Rest is an 800-metre self-guided circuit walk through cool temperate rainforest in the Great Otway National Park, 17 kilometres west of Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road. The well-maintained boardwalk showcases trees up to 300 years old, abundant ferns, bubbling streams and native wildlife including wallabies and possums. Entry is free with no toilets or water available at the carpark; visitors should use facilities in Apollo Bay beforehand. The easily-navigable loop takes 30-45 minutes at fast pace or up to an hour at leisure pace.

Reviews (5)

4.7

★★★★★

4.7(1,791)

Reviews from Google

Selina

4 weeks ago

★★★★★

This trail, located along the Great Ocean Road, is very well maintained and features a metal surface. Along the way, you'll see many ferns, mushrooms, and ancient, towering eucalyptus trees. Adding it to your Great Ocean Road itinerary is a great option. The entire trail takes less than half an hour and is a loop trail accessible from both sides. The trail itself is relatively flat. We went in mid-June, and the forest was quite damp and chilly then, so we recommend bringing a jacket and walking carefully.

PheNom603

2 months ago

★★★★★

This is an incredibly amazing hike and highly recommended! It’s a very simple and small loop which won’t take more than an hour. It’s mostly flat and often on a metal boardwalk so it’s super easy to walk. The hike itself is literally in the most green jungle, very peaceful, incredibly green, with a great jungle smell, and many birds you can heard and you can see so many great things from tiny spiders and mushrooms to massive fallen trees, super cool and so worth a stop!

Shirley Jiang

2 months ago

★★★★★

Maits Rest Rainforest Walk is a Quiet Forest Hidden Beyond the Coast. Beyond the ocean views of Lorne and Apollo Bay, Maits Rest Rainforest Walk reveals another side of the Great Ocean Road—cool, green, and deeply peaceful. The boardwalk winds through towering tree ferns and ancient temperate rainforest, filled with fresh air, soft light, and the quiet sounds of the forest. It carries the same enchanting atmosphere as places like Rainforest Gallery in Warburton and Tarra Valley. A short but beautiful walk, and a wonderful reminder that the Great Ocean Road is not only about the sea, but also the timeless forests hidden within the Otways.

Anna Dudek

3 months ago

★★★★★

Maits Rest Rainforest Walk VIC is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve accidentally wandered into a movie set where dinosaurs should still be roaming around. Towering trees, giant ferns, and moss everywhere—it’s basically nature showing off. The walk is easy, peaceful, and perfect for people who want adventure without needing to “train” for it first. Every corner looks like a postcard, and the air is so fresh it feels expensive. Even the birds sound like they’re happier here. Honestly, the hardest part of visiting is resisting the urge to narrate your own wildlife documentary while walking through it. If you love nature, calm vibes, and pretending you’re on a jungle expedition with zero danger, Maits Rest is a must-visit. Funny, magical, and absolutely worth it!

Mike Douglas

4 months ago

★★★★★

Amazing loop walk through a beautiful stand of old growth rainforest with the largest fern trees I've ever seen. Some absolutely huge trees and definitely gave the feel of an ancient Gondwanaland rainforest. The walk should probably take 30 minutes but took us forever because we kept stopping to take pictures and hunt for the elusive black snail, the largest meat eating snail! We didn't find any but maybe you will!