Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Tower Hill is a nested maar volcano that erupted around thirty thousand years ago, an event recorded in Aboriginal oral tradition and confirmed by artefacts found beneath the ash. The crater holds a lake with islands, and by the twentieth century farming had stripped it bare. Replanting from the 1960s used an unusual reference: an 1855 painting by Eugene von Guerard showing the crater's original vegetation in enough botanical detail to guide the species list. The result is a restored bushland now dense with koalas, emus, kangaroos and waterbirds, walked on several short tracks. The visitor centre, designed by Robin Boyd, runs Aboriginal cultural tours with Worn Gundidj guides.

What you actually see

• The crater and lake - the volcanic bowl with its islands and water.
• The wildlife - koalas, emus, kangaroos and waterbirds through the reserve.
• The replanting story - vegetation restored using an 1855 painting as the guide.
• The cultural tours - Worn Gundidj guides interpreting the country.

When to go

September to May; wildlife is most visible in the early morning and late afternoon. Emus wander the roads and car park. Cultural tours run on a schedule and should be booked. Winter is cold and wet but quiet.

Honest expectations

Emus approach vehicles and people looking for food, which can be intimidating and should not be encouraged. The tracks are short and the reserve can be seen in a couple of hours. Facilities are limited outside the visitor centre hours.

Nearby

Warrnambool lies east; Port Fairy is a short drive west.