Tower Hill, 15km west of Warrnambool, is a vast caldera born in a volcanic eruption 30, 000 years ago. Aboriginal artefacts unearthed in the volcanic ash show that indigenous people lived in the area at the time. It’s jointly administered by the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative, which operates the visitors centre with Parks Victoria. There are excellent day walks, including the steep 30-minute Peak Climb with spectacular 360-degree views. There’s a fascinating painting in the Warrnambool Art Gallery by Eugene von Guérard of Tower Hill painted in 1855. After a century of deforestation and environmental degradation, this incredibly detailed painting was used to identify species used in a replanting program begun in 1961 when Tower Hill became a state game reserve. Since then over 300, 000 trees have been replanted.
