Otway Birds with Adam Fry 6 – 9 Oct – Womens Retreat
Event Description
Away with the birds? This tour is for women who love our feathered friends.
I’m Michelle, host of Forrest Guesthouse and fellow nature lover. I’m really excited to have put this package together as an opportunity for women to get together, experience nature and explore. I think a womens retreat could be just what we all need!
Find yourself nestled away in our cosy self-contained accommodation, set in gardens that are constantly tweeting and flitting with tiny birds. If you can think of nothing better than spending hours each day seeking out local birdlife, come and join like-minded women as local birder and author, Adam Fry, guides us around his favourite locations in the Otway Ranges during the day.
This all inclusive retreat has all the details organised for you. All you need to do is pack your walking shoes, then come to relax and wander the bush.
Each day of the retreat will show you birdlife from a different area of the Otways, some hinterland, some coastal and some water birds in lakes areas. You also have the opportunity to spot platypus on the unique kayak tour on Lake Elizabeth offered by Otway Eco Tours, another local tour operator in Forrest.
At each destination you will see a variety of birds, flora and fauna. Koalas, kangaroos and wallabies are fairly common and depending on the time of year you may also spot echidnas, snakes and other small reptiles.
But we know you’re really here for the birds. Wrens and robins abound in the shrubby bush, king parrots and rosellas are fairly cheeky locals, yellow-tail black cockatoos float above, but perhaps you might see some of the more elusive birds like the pink robin, or an emu wren. Don’t forget to look up – birds of prey are often around as you travel. Near the coast you might see hooded plovers, gannets, terns, and cormorants. In the gardens of your accommodation, spinebills, fairywrens, bowerbirds, parrots, thornbills and silvereyes are commonly sighted. Find a quiet seat and see who comes to visit you.
When night falls and your legs are tired from all your wanderings, relax into the comfort of your suite to recharge for the next day.
There’s an option to suit everyone. You can book a suite to yourself, or save money by sharing with a friend or another solo birder. If you want to bring your bestie, you can share a suite with twin king singles. Talk to us about what suits you best.
The retreat includes all meals, snacks and drinks but you can feel free to bring anything else you particularly love. A bottle of local wine will be provided to each suite per day to go along with your dinner.
You can count on a well-organised tour, relaxing and comfortable accommodation and a warm country welcome to the Otway Ranges. Can’t make these dates? Join our mailing list for future tours.
Sale of tickets will close on 22 Sep. Miminum numbers must be met by this date for retreat to proceed.
Frequently asked questions
What is included?
All hikes will be guided by a Licensed Tour Operator with First Aid qualifications.
All food, snacks and drinks are included from afternoon tea on the first day until lunch on the final day, including local wines with dinner.
Accommodation is self-contained suites with all linen and towels included.
This tour includes a private kayak tour with Otway Eco Tours to look for platypus and other birdlife.
Food and Drinks
- Dietary considerations taken into account as long as you notify Forrest Guesthouse in advance, at least one week prior to tour starting
- 3 x breakfast provisions provided in suite daily
- 3 x packed lunch daily
- Snacks during hikes
- 3 x “Heat and eat” dinners daily
- Bottle of local wine per suite included daily
Experienced Guide
For this tour, your guide is local birder and author, Adam Fry.
Adam is a self-described "bird nut" who lives in Colac and loves to spend his time photographing birds. His love of birds started young and has never left. In 2019 Adam and his friend Ian Davies co-created a local field guide for our region called Colac Otway Birds. Getting out to see and photograph birds is his favourite thing to do. Adam is friendly, knowledgable and loves to share his love of birds with others.
Accommodation
Relax and recover each night in your self-contained suite. Set in beautiful gardens, enjoy modern comforts with a touch of vintage styling. There is a firepit in the gardens to relax and chat around if the weather is fine.
All suites have reverse-cycle heating and cooling, a heater in the bathroom as well as electric blankets on the beds. There are extra blankets and doonas also so although it's Winter, you should be warm and cosy in the evenings.
Each suite has its own bathroom coming off the main bedroom. The kitchenette is well equipped with a mini fridge, toaster, kettle, sandwich press, mini toaster oven and a plug-in induction cooktop.
Your breakfast supplies and ready-to-heat meals will be provided in your suite daily from the onsite cafe, Forrest Bower Bird Cafe.
All linen and towels included.
There are options for twin singles in Otway and Barwon suites. The Lake Elizabeth suite has a queen bed only. Forrest King suite has been ticketed as a solo King Bed suite but can be converted to twin singles for the same rates as Otway and Barwon if required.
Transport
Transport during the retreat. You will need to drive your own car to the birding destinations each day. We will drive in convoy. It may be possible to carpool with other willing attendees. Please fill your car up with petrol on your way to Forrest as there is no petrol station in town.
Sessions
Day 1 - arrival day. No formal session.
Day 2 - there will be a morning and afternoon session.
Day 3 - there will be a morning and afternoon session.
Day 4 - there will be a morning session.
Women Retreat - what does that mean?
This tour package is only being offered to women this time. While the day tours are being conducted by a man this time, only women will be staying at the retreat.
If you are keen to join a female led bird retreat, or a mixed or male only retreat, please join our mailing list for future offerings. Join our mailing list for future tours.
Why choose this tour?
There are so many tour companies out there. They can pick you up from Melbourne and whizz you out here and lead you around. It's all super professional.
This tour is run by locals, people who have made the Otways their home. It's personal to them. I love the idea of a tour that is run by Otways locals, using local businesses. Our difference is the personal connection.
Local accommodation, locally made food, local wine, local tour guides.
Event Timelines
Check in to your suite from 2pm.
4pm: Once you’ve settled in, join your accommodation host, Michelle, for a Forrest loop or fern gully walk around town to acquaint yourself with your surroundings.
For those who arrive after the group walk, meet your birding mates for the next few days while enjoying dinner and drinks around the firepit.
Morning birding location
Lunch at Marriners Lookout
Afternoon birding location
Barwon River Walk
Picnic lunch at the Reservoir
Stevensons Falls/Gellibrand River
Walk to Lake Elizabeth for the platypus kayak tour, bird spotting plus glow worms
Pack up accommodation
Morning session at Colac Lake/Botanic Gardens
Share lunch
Depart for home
