While we can’t guarantee sightings, we have a 95% success rate throughout the year on both dawn and dusk tours.

Each tour runs for around 2.5 hours. Start times vary throughout the year:

• The dawn tour starts at 6:00am in summer, and 6:30am for the rest of the year.
• The dusk tour starts at 7:30pm in summer, and begins 30 minutes earlier each month until it reaches a 3:30pm start in winter.

We operate most of the year, but take a break from mid-July to mid-September during platypus breeding season to avoid disturbing them.

It’s best to book early, as tour groups are small and spots fill quickly.

Our tours run with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 people.

We meet at Forrest Brewing Company, 26 Grant Street, Forrest.

Lake Elizabeth is a 10 minute drive on a gravel road from the town of Forrest. The road is suitable for all vehicles except large buses and caravans. From the Lake Elizabeth carpark there is a 1km walk to the lake, which includes an uphill section.

Sorry, we don’t offer a pickup service.

• A car for the 10 minute drive from Forrest to Lake Elizabeth.
• Appropriate clothing for the day including footwear suitable for a 1km walk to the lake.
• Water.
• Camera without the use of a flash.
• Binoculars.

Our tours are available to guests of all abilities. Companion cards are accepted. Car parking at Forrest Brewing Company and Lake Elizabeth is on level ground with toilets at both.

The walk from the car park to the lake is 1km on a well-maintained track that includes an uphill section. Your guide carries and launches the canoe, no paddling or carrying of equipment is required.

• Wheelchair users can participate with a carer.
• Blind or low vision guests can participate with a carer.
• Deaf or hard of hearing guests can participate. The guide can assist with any instructions needed during the tour.
• A moderate level of fitness is required. For older guests and parents with prams, the 1km walk includes an uphill section.
• We welcome guests with a range of abilities and encourage anyone with concerns to get in touch before booking.
• Pregnant guests should use their own judgement. The tour involves a 1km walk with an uphill section.

Lake Elizabeth is located in the Great Otway National Park in Victoria. The lake was formed in 1952 by a landslide caused by heavy rain. We offer 2.5 hour guided canoe tours with small groups of up to seven to see platypus on Lake Elizabeth. Lake Elizabeth is on the National Estate Register.

The Otway Ranges in Victoria are the traditional land of the Gadubanud (Katabanut) people, who have occupied the rainforest, coastline, and estuaries for thousands of generations. The area is considered an Aboriginal cultural landscape with deep connections to the Gulidjan, Wadawurrung, and Kirrae Whurrung peoples.

The Otway Ranges are dominated by tall eucalypt forest with a majority being manna gum and stringy bark with an under story of Blackwood. The area is also home to tree daisy, blanket leaf, mock olive, native currants and a large selection of ferns, including the rough and soft tree fern.

The area is home to koalas, swamp wallabies, bandicoots, echidnas, bats, water rats, bush rats, antechinus, yellow belly gliders, black snails and many small invertebrates.

There are a number of different reptiles, including tiger snakes, copperhead, blue-tongue lizards, skinks.

There is a large number of bird species including cormorants, azure kingfishers, night heron, rosellas, cockatoos, boobook owls, powerful owls and nightjars.

The track to Lake Elizabeth has many colonies of glow worms and the lake itself is home to the platypus, water rats, eels, black fish, trout, redfin, yabbies, frogs, insect larvae and worms.

We explain to our customers the need for management procedures that minimise impacts on biodiversity. We interpret the environment in an educational way for our customers to help them understand the need for sustainable tourism.

We want customers to leave with a better understanding of the environment and its need for conservation and hope that they will live a more sustainable life.

Our general travel ethics include:

• Wild animal populations are never fed or encouraged to interact with us.
• We take only photos and leave only footprints.
• We take a break from mid-July to mid-September during platypus breeding season to avoid disturbing them.
• We only take small groups up to 7 to reduce our impact on the environment.
• We have reduced the time of the tour to around 2.5 hours which allows us one hour on the lake and helps limit our disturbance and impact on any wildlife.
• No flash photography of the platypus is allowed.
• The use of binoculars is encouraged so that we can be further away. We try to keep a minimum of 20m from the platypus so they do not hear or see us.
• We do not actively chase the platypus.
• Our canoes are painted green to blend in with the background.
• We use dark coloured PFD’s and try to reduce the wearing of bright colours.
• Park permits are required and we work within their guidelines.

We are dedicated to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to climate action by:

• Transitioning to renewable energy sources wherever possible, including solar-powered facilities and the use of equipment that doesn’t require power, such as living off-grid, human-powered canoes.
• Improving energy efficiency across all operations, including promoting local accommodation to reduce travel distance.
• Reducing fossil fuel use by using an electric vehicle.
• Monitoring and reporting our carbon footprint and setting measurable reduction targets.
• Offsetting unavoidable emissions through locally relevant and credible carbon offset programs.

• Avoiding single-use plastics and prioritising reusable, compostable, and recyclable materials. No waste is produced as a result of the tour.
• Encouraging all participants to take any rubbish home.
• Composting organic waste where possible and supporting local waste reduction initiatives.
• Educating staff and guests on responsible waste practices and “leave no trace” principles.

We are committed to achieving and maintaining recognised ecotourism standards:

• Working towards and maintaining certification through programs such as Ecotourism Australia’s ECO Certification.
• Embedding sustainability into all aspects of our planning, operations, and visitor experiences.
• Engaging with Traditional Owners to ensure respectful incorporation of cultural knowledge and land stewardship.
• Supporting conservation efforts and local biodiversity through partnerships and contributions.

Through these actions, Otway Eco Tours strives to be a leader in sustainable tourism, ensuring that the natural and cultural values of the Otways are preserved for future generations while offering authentic, responsible visitor experiences today.

We support and continue to support:

• Landcare events.
• Australian Platypus Conservancy.
• Disease research in Tasmania.
• Local CFA.
• Numerous tree planting days with the southern Otway land care network and upper Barwon group.

• CFA: Community acknowledgement and fundraiser, Forrest, Barwon Downs and Gerangamete.
• Forrest Landcare Group: Annual Landcare Event.

Otway Eco Tours acknowledges the Traditional Owners, Eastern Maar and the Wadawurrung of the lands on which we live and work.

The Otway Ranges in Victoria are the traditional land of the Gadubanud (Katabanut) people, who have occupied the rainforest, coastline, and estuaries for thousands of generations. The area is considered an Aboriginal cultural landscape with deep connections to the Gulidjan, Wadawurrung, and Kirrae Whurrung peoples.

We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and emerging.

Their ongoing roles and rights regarding the land are defined by native title determinations, formal partnerships with land managers, and cultural preservation.