The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most scenic drives. This 150-mile route along the country’s southeastern coast is best known for its postcard views of the 12 Apostles. However, the Great Ocean Road is also prime country to spot koalas in the wild.

Most Australian travelers want to know where to go to see kangaroos in the wild. Koalas are also on most travelers’ bucket lists, but they’re not as easy to find. Their range is shrinking, and increasingly limited to small stands of euculapt forest in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. If your travel plans include the Great Ocean Road, however, you’ll be passing through pockets of gum trees that are home to Australia’s largest population of koalas. Here are four side trips on the Great Ocean Road where you’re more or less guaranteed to see wild koalas:

Kennett River Koalas

Kennett River is sleepy, seaside stop on the Great Ocean Road. There aren’t many people here, but there are heaps of koalas. Park at Kafe Koala, buy a coffee, and cross Hawden Ave for the Kennett River Koala Walk. You’ll be welcomed immediately by King Parrots and Crimson Rossellas begging for birdseed handouts (sold at the Kafe)–don’t be shocked if one lands on your shoulder or head. Once you’ve had your fill of these colorful birds, continue down Grey River Road, scanning the eucalyptus trees for koalas.

You’ll likely find koalas scattered along the first mile of the Grey River Road and just below the road in the Kennett River Holiday Park. This popular tour bus stop is not very “wild,” but it’s an easy and accessible way to spot one or two dozen koalas in their natural habitat.

Otway National Park Koalas

The greatest concentration of koalas in Australia is in Otway National Park. Travelers can spot koalas in their natural habitat along Otway Lighthouse Road as part of their side trip to Cape Otway Lighthouse. You can also “camp under koalas” at Bimbi Park campground, Cape Otway. If you’re looking for more of a wilderness experience, you can also spot koalas on various hiking trails in the Otways–including the Great Ocean Walk.

Great Ocean Walk Koalas

The Great Ocean Walk is the most satisfying way to spot koalas in the wild off the Great Ocean Road. Beginning at Apollo Bay and ending at the 12 Apostles, Victoria’s signature walking track spans 104 kilometers of coastal heath and rain forest, remote beaches, and eucalypt forests. You won’t find koalas across the entire walk, but you can enjoy stretches of the Great Ocean Walk where there are no roads, no people, and heaps of koalas.

Forget about koalas on the coastal stretches of the GOW–just enjoy the surf, beaches, and cliffs. When the trail leaves the coast and turns into the eucalypt forests, however, look for koalas in large manna gum trees, especially in the Otways. We spotted two spotted dozen koalas along the inland track between Shelly Beach and Blanket Bay. Hikers also spot koalas between Parker Hill and the Cape Otway Lighthouse and at the Aire River Campground.

Koalas at Tower Hill Reserve

The Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve lies west of the Great Ocean Road in the crater of an extinct volcano. The wildlife reserve is enclosed, more or less guaranteeing that travelers will have close encounters with some of the 200 koalas living in the park. Look for koalas in the gum trees around the car parks and visitor center. For more of a nature experience, grab a trail map and set off on a wildlife walk along the park’s loop trails. (For more on Tower Hill, please go here.) Look for koalas in the gum trees, watch out for snakes on the trails, and enjoy the emus, kangaroos, wallabies, and echidnas that roam freely across the park. If you’re fascinated with Australian wildlife, this is a great stop.

Tips for Spotting Koalas

Many travelers head to zoos and animal sanctuaries to see Australian animals in captivity. Fine. But wouldn’t you rather see them in the wild? These four side trips off the Great Ocean Road more or less guarantee that you’ll spot wild koalas in their natural habitats.

At the same time, you need to know where and how to look. Here are some tips:

• Focus on gum trees (eucalyptus). You’ll only find koalas in their preferred habitat, munching on their favorite leaves. Koalas eat several species of gum trees, but their favorite food is manna gum. Find a grove of manna gum trees, and you’ll likely find a few koalas scattered among them.
• Scan the forks of tree limbs for resting koalas, and look for round and lumpy shapes in the upper branches of gum trees. Koalas sleep most of the day and rarely leave the tree tops. So keep your eyes up in eucalyptus groves, and consider yourself lucky if you find one feeding, climbing, on the ground, or jumping to a neighboring tree.
• Spotting koalas is much like hunting for wild mushrooms. They’re hard to spot at first. But once you’ve found a couple, your eyes will start to recognize their distinctive shape and color. And like mushroom hunting, if you spot one, there are likely a few more nearby. Once you’ve trained your eyes, you’ll start recognizing the most promising gum trees, and you’ll start spotting koalas with your peripheral vision– in campgrounds, car parks, and the gum trees along the Great Ocean Road itself.

You won’t find koalas anywhere else on Earth. So it’s worth venturing outside of Australia’s major cities for memorable wildlife experiences. The Great Ocean Road takes you into the heart of Australia’s koala country, and these four side trips will let you experience one of Australia’s iconic animals–not in a petting zoo, but in their natural habitat.