OUR GREAT OCEAN WALK
Day 2: Making our getaway.
We woke early to a clear sunrise and energetically made
our way to the 4wd track. Accompanied by the calls of Superb
Fairy Wrens and the cryptic Bassian Thrush, the track to Blanket
bay climbed through massive old Southern Blue Gums
(Eucalyptus globulus), and was lined with dense foliage.
Descending into gullies rarely touched by light except when
filtered through the leaves of the giants around them, we saw
stumps bearing the scars of tree logging - notches where planks
would be lodged allowing foresters to fell the old-growth timber
from a time before chainsaws.
Soon the wet, tall forest was replaced by Melaleucas, this
heralded that we were approaching the coast again. Before
long we were crossing Blanket Bay creek, and soaking up the late
morning sun as we ate lunch at the Blanket Bay Campground.
Fine weather had us in a high mood as we set off - eager to arrive
at Cape Otway and see the (mildly famous) lighthouse. Walking
was easy through low stringybark forests along cliffs, but our
earlier hopes of good weather were dampened as we arrived at
Parker Inlet - truly a wild and beautiful place, but the boots-off river
crossing had us cursing.
We continued to walk, and were buoyed by a sign touting a
suspiciously low distance the campsite - only one kilometer to go!
Sadly, that one kilometer turned into the longest of our lives as
a squall brought freezing, driving rain which soaked our pants
through. A hard slog brought us bedraggled and sodden to the
campsite (we skipped the lighthouse) and keen for shelter where
we learned that we had just walked nearly four kilometers in the
rain!An empty camp meant we could dry off and relax in the shelter
for the night. And our bodies were warmed by delicious chicken korma as well as a little port left by a kindly previous party!
Again we decided to link two sections together - in the hopes of catching Peter and Gary, or at least having a campsite to ourselves.
Spectacular weather and clifftop views saw us bust out the shorts and shirts . A few kilometers after Aire River we descended below the shadow of towering sandstone cliffs - a geologist's delight. Powerful waves crashed against the shore, spurring us onward to lunch overlooking Castle Cove - one of our favourite views of the trip (it may have had something to do with our long awaited lunch). Climbing hills toward Johanna Beach the track wound through moist gullies, and over stony ridges featuring abundant Grass Trees (Xanthorea spp). Now with aching bodies we struggled down to what we knew would be a long haul across the two kilometers of shifting, desert-like sand known as Johanna Beach. Nearly succumbing to the quicksand that lined Johanna river, we limped into camp to be greeted by a hot cup of tea from our friends Peter and Gary - it could not have been more appreciated. Bree’s foot had many blisters and heavy bruising where we had taped around her arch caused a very slow and grumpy walk.
Day 3: Beach views and beach walks
Day 1: A merry start
Delicious beers were had the night before at the Great Ocean Road Brew House; kicking our trip off with a chilly night walk back to Marengo Holiday Park. A great way to start the trip! Over night we had what we thought (hoped) was the forecast rain for our first day of walking. The section from Marengo beach to Elliot Ridge was easy and enjoyable, with some short beach walk sections and ‘a couple’ of steps at the end. We did however miss one of the signs to exit back off the beach onto the dunes which saw us cautiously walking over a large section of kelp covered rocks. Once off the beach we headed up into the hills and saw a beautiful double rainbow.
Climbing through low coastal trees and scrub saw us approach the Shelly Beach picnic area and magnificent tall Manna Gums. Steep steps seemed to rise forever with rain pattering on our raincoats as we ascended to Elliot Ridge campsite; our first experience of the campsites on this walk.
A cosy, three-walled shelter provided ample room to boil a kettle for an afternoon cup of tea out of the heavy rain. This we shared with two travellers we had met on this first leg (and would later share much of our journey with) Peter and Gary.
We naively thought that perhaps after Peter and Gary had ventured on to the next campsite we may have Elliot Ridge to ourselves. This was not the case, and we were later joined by a family from Sydney and a group of excited young Venturer Scouts. Although the Venturers provided us with an entertaining dinner experience, we crept off to bed early and left them to figure out how to make their tuna mornay in peace.
Day 4: “Ahhhh poop, geez…”
Possibly the most difficult day of the walk for us. We rose late, and admired the view at breakfast before setting off through rolling hills and farmland. Stopping on the way to chat to a group of German and Englishmen who were stuck axle-deep in the mud, precariously perched on the side of a very steep hill. They cheerfully informed us they intended to make it to Adelaide that day.
Residential roads took us through farmland - an odd juxtaposition with the wild coast we had been seeing. Soon we were descending (read: sliding) down a muddy track to Milanesia Beach (Bree’s favourite) which featured a private fishing shack and marvelous geological formations.
Milanesia Beach is one of those places you’d never get to unless you were on the walk, and well worth the visit.
Day 5: Biscuits and Whales.
Day 6: A nice stroll in the driving rain. (Low spirits, and high winds)
Progress would be slow today so we rose before dawn; Bree’s feet were sore, and Cam’s knee was aching, and a fall near the start of the day left Cam’s knee in even more pain. . More steep gullies kept us inching along through windy weather. We were both glad to reach a straight flat section beside a road, and a snack in some sheltered trees.Before long we were walking through a wonderland of ferns and fungi, flat track and curious Grey Fantails. This was Cam’s favourite section of the track. We made good progress through the next 4 kilometers, and being only another 4 kilometers from camp, we decided to skip lunch in favour of getting in early (yet another mistake). One and a half grumpy hours dragged by as we passive-aggressively beat out the next section of track. Passing up the option of resting at a ‘few fallen trees’ across the path, we found ourselves in the middle of what would be our last campsite of the Great Ocean Walk, Devils Kitchen.
Returning from a trip to the best toilet of the trip (more on that later), I found Bree sitting happily in the shelter, one jam biscuit down and with a massive grin on her face. All it takes is a little food to lift the spirits. I then sat in the shelter eating my biscuit and preparing lunch when I heard Bree running down from the toilet. She rounded the corner and appeared in the shelter huffing and puffing dressed in her rainbow thermals. Full of excitement and energy, a stark contrast to 5mins ago, she told me she’d just seen whales and waved me up to the toilet block. Sure enough in the bay that the drop toilet overlooks there were two blue whales playing. Talk about a poo with a view!
We came back down to find Peter and Gary having lunch in the shelter and rushed them up to have a look at the whales. Returning to the shelter we enjoyed lunch and another lovely conversation with them. This was the last time we would see them, and we said goodbye with sadness and gratitude to have been able to share such a beautiful walk with such a fantastic duo.
It was fortunate, perhaps, that this was our last day. Neither of us were in the mood to talk much and aching bodies led to a falling out shortly before arriving at Princetown.I (Cam) was in a lot of pain, and was adamant that I would wait in Princetown while Bree walked the final 7kms to the 12 Apostles and our pick-up point.A hearty lunch of leftover Spaghetti Bolognese led me to be convinced by Bree that I should ditch my pack in a bush and hobble onward to victory. I was gullible enough to believe her.Though the track was not difficult, this section brought its own perils as we were hammered by 70 kilometer-an-hour winds (BOM suggests gusts of 90km/hr!) and stinging, icy rain which insidiously crept its way into our raincoats even with the hoods cinched as tight as possible. To give an idea of how wild the weather had become - we grimly shouted to each other that the marble-sized hail was preferable because it didn’t make it’s way inside our jackets!
Struggling through, our first sign that our walk was actually coming to an end was when we powered into the carpark for viewing the apostles themselves. Tourists gave us wide-eyed stares as we motored past. It was at this time the Bree spied her car being driven toward the information centre (our pick-up point). How lucky that our friend had decided to take the earlier ferry - as we nearly swam into the centre an hour and a half ahead of time!
Overall, the trip was a soggy test of our organisation, meal preparation, and physical fitness. It exceeded all expectations and was one of the most scenic and spectacular walks we’ve done to date. Despite wild, windy, and wet weather we couldn’t imagine a better time of year to do this walk; cool temperatures, a little sun, and very quiet campgrounds ensure that you can lose yourself in the raw nature of the Otways rainforest and wild Southern beaches. We’d love to thank our unplanned travelling companions Peter and Gary for providing engaging conversation and life-saving cups of tea.
The Great Ocean Walk is an easily accessible walk which showcases some of the most beautiful landscapes you will see in Victoria. We highly recommend it for anyone looking to get back to the real world - whether you want to do the whole thing, or tackle just a few of the sections to suit your own abilities.
We’re very excited to be back on another hike like this - bring on the Australian Alps next!
