Colac between the lake, gardens and rail trail

Colac offers a range of reasons to shape your trip around your own interests: Lake Colac is a place for waterside recreation, the Botanic Gardens combine botanical and historical significance, and the Old Beechy Rail Trail follows a former railway line between Colac and Ferguson. The town also has cultural and memorial sites. If you are looking for holiday accommodation in Colac, you can start by considering whether nature, exercise or culture will shape your stay.

Lake Colac and the Botanic Gardens

At 2,778 hectares in area and with a circumference of 33 kilometres, Lake Colac is Victoria’s largest natural freshwater lake. Fishing, water sports and other recreational activities along the shore are among the options the lake offers. This gives your trip a clear focus on waterside experiences; which activity you choose depends on whether you prefer fishing, water sports or other recreational activities along the shore.

The Colac Botanic Gardens cover about 16 hectares and are located on elevated ground on the southern shore of Lake Colac. They have historical, aesthetic and scientific significance for Victoria, particularly in botanical terms. The gardens are therefore interesting as more than just a green space: their botanical and historical aspects can also be a reason in their own right for visitors to set aside time to explore them. The lake and gardens appeal to different interests that you can discover in Colac.

At the eastern end of the lakeshore, below the Botanic Gardens, there are car parks, barbecue facilities, picnic tables, a playground and public toilets. These amenities are grouped together along this section of the shore. If you are planning a visit to the lake, you can therefore decide how to spend the day by choosing between the listed picnic and recreation options there and the other activities along the shore.

Exploring the former railway line

The Old Beechy Rail Trail is a 50-kilometre walking and cycling trail between Colac and Ferguson. Access is free, and the trail is suitable for walking and cycling, including mountain biking. It offers a different way to shape your trip from lakeside recreation: here, the focus is on covering a longer distance on foot or by bike. You can choose between these two focuses based on your travel group’s interests without needing to combine both activities into one outing.

The line’s history is also part of its character. The trail largely follows the original route of the narrow-gauge railway, “The Beechy”, which operated from 1902 to 1962. If you are interested in transport and regional history, you can encounter a historic railway connection in the form of today’s walking and cycling trail. This historical context complements the practical information about the trail’s length and use, without conflating the present-day trail with the railway’s former operations.

Culture, events and remembrance

COPACC is a major venue in Colac for events and business functions. It provides space for conferences, meetings and workshops as well as job interviews, mediations and community consultations. The venue is also used for gala dinners, special occasions and trade fairs. This broad range makes COPACC part of the town’s cultural and business life; however, it does not specify which events will take place during your stay.

The Colac History Centre is open to visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm and on Sundays from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You can take these set opening hours into account if you would like to include a visit in your day’s plans. At Colac Memorial Square, a striking stone monument commemorates those who served in the First World War. The square also has a purpose-built play area for several age groups. For families with children of different ages, this is another specific place to visit, in addition to the activities at the lake and on the rail trail.

The experiences described offer different focuses: waterside recreation, botanical and historical interests, walking or cycling, and culture and remembrance. When looking for holiday accommodation in Colac, you can use these focuses to guide your trip planning and consider which ones matter to your group.

Discover more places

You can also discover these places: Wesburn, Robinvale Irrigation District Section C, Rowville, Eagle Point, Tarwin Lower, Yea, Beeac and Heath Hill.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.