Treetop walks seem to be a common feature of nature parks these days, and we certainly enjoyed our very own along the Southern Ridges of Singapore. Being hardcore outdoor lovers, we decided to check out the Otway National Park on our way to the Great Ocean Road and Port Campbell (near where the 12 Apostles stood) and had an acrophilic (opposite of acrophobic!) time walking amongst some of the tallest trees in the Southern Hemisphere at Otway Fly.
Stretching for 600 metres long at heights up to 25 metres above the ground, Otway Fly is a steel girded treetop walk weaving through age-old primary temperate forests with a 45-metre high observation tower. Apparently, the tree top walk here is the world’s highest and longest, and is nestled amongst temperate rainforest species like Mountain Ash (the world’s tallest flowering plant), Myrtle Beech and Blackwood. Other than the canopy high attraction, one could also take a prehistoric walk through ancient ferns and other species along the 1.9 km long forested path.
Hitting the long and winding road to Otway via Geelong and the M1 Freeway.
Fortunately, my wife has found ways to keep Ethan amused during those long drives….
Once we reached our location, Ethan couldn’t help posing amongst the hills ala Julie Andrews in Sound of Music….
A playground like this provides endless fun for kids. One thing I noticed is that they can be found everywhere!
Beware of this bone-headed dinosaur (Pachycephalosaurus) as it can crush your ribs with a single head butt!
Restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops are a must-have feature out in the wilderness.
This photo shows you the scale of those trees, relative to our puny selves.
We were stopped in our tracks by this sign…
…unfortunately, we were too late to stop our five year old from wandering off on his own!
Educational panels like this one here help to enlighten us about the various fauna and flora found in the cool forest.
Little resting points like these allow photographers to take some scenic shots without blocking the pathways.
This is the 45 metre high observation tower which could be reached by climbing a spiral staircase.
The view from the top was breathtaking, breezy and very very green.
After we descended from the tower, we walked downwards along the steel path.
And descended into a gorgeous valley of giant ferns.
Another view of the forest giants – this time from the bottom of the trees.
Fortunate for us, we could hitch a ride on this buggy which saved us lots of time coming back.
It sure was a fast and rollicking ride….. hold on to your seats!
After all that hardwork, we had some food and coffee at the cafe…
