The Great Ocean Walk is one of Australia’s most iconic treks. Join us on this fully-hosted trip as we walk 50km of the best bits, between Elliott Ridge and 12 Apostles.
The spectacular walk, opened in 2006, weaves its way through national parks full of tall forests, coastal heathlands, wild rocky shores and windswept cliff-tops, presenting amazing views. If you have driven the Great Ocean Road you are in for even more of a treat, walking it gives you a unique perspective of the remote and dramatic landscape which cannot be appreciated from a vehicle window.
During the day we will enjoy fairly steady walks, averaging 17km per day over three days. These walks can be undertaken by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. It is not technically difficult, but the walk is certainly worth training for if you are not used to long-distance walking. However, you probably won’t notice how far you’ve walked as you’ll be distracted by the natural scenery around you. Only day packs to be carried.
At night we’ll stay in shared apartments/cottages, with comfy beds and warm showers, no need to do it too tough!
It’s a great way to make friends, spend time with like-minded people, to challenge yourself and test your fitness.
Melbourne Airport
Midday
Meet at Melbourne airport public pick-up at mid-day. Once gathered we’ll take the 3 hour drive to Castle Cove in a private vehicle, stopping for lunch along the way (own expense) and a supermarket shop to collect supplies. We’ll arrive late afternoon at our accommodation. Rest of day at leisure.
Today we start with a baptism of fire with a steep hill climb to get the heart pumping! Then we’ll head inland to walk among the tall eucalyptus forest which subtly changes the further we walk until we reach Blanket Bay.
From here we’ll follow a boardwalk to Point Lewis Lookout, then wander through coastal forests to Parker Inlet. We’ll get our feet wet on an unbridged river crossing. A great opportunity take a break and dry our feet. The next few km have your camera ready to take photos of some of the cliff edge views. We’ll finish our walk at the Otway Lighthouse and if time permits, spend some time learning about our fascinating history (entry $20)
From our starting Point at Cape Otway we’ll walk past the small cemetery of light keeper’s families and shipwrecked sailors. As we leave the tourists behind we head along cliff tops towards Station Beach, we can decide if we want to walk 4km along the beach (which is not easy) or up high along the cliff top as we head toward Aire River. At the camp ground we are almost guaranteed to see koalas lazing in the low trees above us, a highlight for many. Our final 6km sees us walking back to our accommodation at Castle Cove for a well earned glass of wine!
If the tides allow us, today we’ll head to the most exciting part of the walk – Wreck Beach. Starting at Gables Lookout, we’ll experience one of the highest cliffs in mainland Australian. Then it’s just a short walk to the top of the 366 steps down to Wreck Beach. It’s important we get the timing right, that’s too many steps to come back up if the tide is in! This beach is seriously impressive with its towering cliffs, intriguing rock formations and half buried anchors from long ago seafaring tragedies. There will be some rock scrambling, so we’ll need to work as a team to help each other. We’ll take the inland route back to the vehicle. Then drive to the 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge.
Time to pack our bags and drive back to Melbourne Airport to be there by midday. Or why not stay in Melbourne for a couple of days, it’s probably been a while since you’ve been!
From her starting position as tea lady, a job she took way too seriously (trust us, tea is something of an obsession with her), she wins the gold star for giving everything a go.
As a former police officer, Suzanne joined the ICON team with not only a can-do attitude but also a bloody-well-will-do attitude too. If she’s in charge of a tour or helping to organise independent travel for you, you can be rest-assured it will be like her tea, done to the highest and most meticulous standard.
