Hi!
welcome to my blog, I hope you have a lovely time here.
Love Anna x
welcome to my blog, I hope you have a lovely time here.
Love Anna x
Goodness me – Forrest, Victoria is simply delightful. It’s an easy and lovely 2hr drive from Melbourne & it truly makes for a wonderful mini getaway to indulge in some exciting treasure hunting & forest adventures. Forrest has 2 super awesome op shops, Lake Elizabeth is a tree fern drenched 20min drive away & some of the most breath taking Otways forest walks & waterfalls are on your doorstep. This getaway is perfect for like-minded family & friends…..I hope you enjoy my guide. Love Anna
Forrest town is small, it has the cutest of general stores, a brewery & 2 op shops, and truly, that’s pretty much it – perfect right!
The op shops are special, very special indeed. Forrest Retro Road is owned by Mara, she’s awesome! Mara has lived in Forrest for 20 years and her wonderfully quirky & kitsch vintage store is not to be missed. Her store consists of 5 rooms of amazing treasure, and then there is outside stuff too. Check it!
And the cute little church op shop is so cool, honestly, you will love these shops so much.
We stayed in the most rustic of forest cabins during our time in Forrest – The Otways Loft. It has 4 massive bedrooms & is 100% kid & dog friendly. It’s a lovely option to hire this home out with your whole family or a get together with friends.
Its smack bang in Forrest & a 1min walk to Forrest Retro Road. A 20 min drive to Lake Elizabeth & so accessible to the Otways for the most amazing forest walks!
Lake Elizabeth is probably one of the most majestic lakes I have ever seen. Its an easy 30min walk in and the same out, or you can walk around the whole lake in about 1.5hrs – fully accessible with a toddler, there was even a guy wheeling his wife in and out in her wheelchair. Frankie is 4 and walked pretty much the whole way, we carried her in our pack for the remainder.
We also have a blow up Kayak which we carried in one day. This place will blow your mind.
We also spent one day exploring some unreal forest walks in the Otways. It was a lovely 1hr forest drive from our Forrest house to Beauchamp Falls, which I 100% recommend! The walk to the falls took about 40mins and was a little harder than Lake Elizabeth with more hills and stairs, but again, totally doable with a toddler and our pack for when she got tired. The walk blew our minds and the falls at the end are simply breathtaking
So if you want to get a little off the beaten track, find some genuine and kitsch op shops, stay away from main tourist hubs yet still indulge in the Otways - then I highly suggest you check out Forrest & its surrounds. Peace!
Forrest Retro Road
12-14 Station St Forrest
Open Thurs - Sunday
DIRECTIONS
Forrest Church Op Shop
20 Grant St, Forrest
Open Fri & Sat 9.30am - 4pm
DIRECTIONS
Want more op shops, I’ve got you covered
Check out some on the Great Ocean Road HERE
Check out Camperdown & Cobden HERE
Check out Colac HERE
Lake Elizabeth
If you go at dusk you may spot platypus and glow worms dot the paths
Easy 30min walk to the lake or you can walk all around in about 1.5hrs
Dogs are allowed on this walk
DIRECTIONS
Beauchamp Falls
A beautiful forest walk which takes about 40mins each way
A little hilly on the way back and lots of stairs to get to the falls
DIRECTIONS
All photos taken by me Pixie Rouge Photography
Film by my husband Pale Forest Films
