Warrnambool's big attraction is whale watching. Southern Right Whales visit Logan's Beach from June to October to calve, often swimming within 100 metres of shore. A viewing platform on the dunes gives excellent vantage. The Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum is a recreated 19th-century port village that tells the story of the infamous Shipwreck Coast, and the Mahogany Walking Trail leads to the mysterious site of a possibly pre-colonial shipwreck.
Nature lovers should not miss Tower Hill State Game Reserve, nestled inside an extinct volcano, where kangaroos, koalas, and emus roam freely. The Botanic Gardens, designed by William Guilfoyle in 1879, are elegant and well maintained.