Great Ocean Walk and Beyond

All daily distances are approximate and the itinerary is subject to change. RAW Travel reserves the right to make necessary itinerary changes based on local conditions, group safety, extreme weather or unforeseen difficulties with local suppliers due to COVID-19.

Your day starts with a 7.30am pick up from the Melbourne Arts Centre, St Kilda Road, in Melbourne. We stop for a morning tea and briefing in the Great Otway National Park and have a quick stop at teh coastal town of Apollo Bay. Afterwards we explore the temperate rainforest of Maits Rest, a pocket of rainforest that harks back to the Gondwanan era. We take a short walk through this stunning, lush rainforest on a boardwalk track that loops through thick tree ferns and towering Mountain Ash, and cool streams. There are plenty of seats along the walk to sit and take lunch as you appreciate this special environment.

Afterwards we drive onwards to Cape Otway and meet up with our lighthouse historian who’ll walk with us this afternoon. We’ll walk from the beautiful Parker Inlet along the coast to Cape Otway Lightstation, picking our way over tidal rockshelves, passing shipwreck remains and then an easy trail from picturesque Point Franklin and Crayfish Bay. Expect to see Koalas, black wallaby, echidna,  black cockatoo, rosella and other wildlife along our route. We’ll stop at  Cape Otway Lightstation to learn of the fascinating and often tragic histories of Cape Otway and its significance in Australia’s development. From here we transfer to our secluded bushland accommodation tucked away near Moonlight Head to enjoy stunning views and fabulous food to prepare us for a big walk tomorrow.

Overnight: Moonlight Head

Meals: L, D

Today’s walk is a wild one and more challenging because of the hilly terrain and the consistent trail roller coasters, up and down. Milanesia Beach is an isolated and hidden beach that receives few visitors and is all the more special for it. From Milanesia the walk follows spectacular high sea cliffs and passes Ryans Den with breathtaking views all the way back to Cape Otway. The scenery along this stretch of the Great Ocean Walk is stunning; the rocky cliffs, bays and caves provide a wonderful backdrop. Because the walking today is quite hilly, there is an option to shorten the walk by walking out at Ryan’s Den (6km).

Overnight: Moonlight Head

Meals: B, L, D

Dependent on tide movements the 2km walk at Wreck Beach may be substituted at the end of this day. 

This morning we’ll start at the Gables lookout and the old cemetery. We walk to our favourite section of the Great Ocean walk at Wreck Beach where at low tide (this access is tide dependent)  we can descend the 366 steps and see the anchors of two of the many shipwrecks that lie submerged along this coast (The Fiji and the Marie Gabrielle). After exploring the coast to the Devils Kitchen we return on the same track to our vehicle and transfer to Princetown for the last leg of the Great Ocean Walk.

As we embark on the final section of the Great Ocean Walk along sandy track and boardwalks we see our first tantalising glimpses of the Twelve Apostles before reaching the viewing platform near Gibson Steps. Tide permitting we can descend the stone staircase down the cliff faces at Gibson’s steps. You will be at the water’s edge, the crashing surf at your feet and towering cliffs behind you as you walk along the beach. This is a unique view of the amazing rock platforms of Gog and Magog which don’t actually form part of the Twelve Apostles, but are nonetheless impressive.

As we transfer to our accommodation in picturesque Port Campbell, we will catch our first glimpse of stunning Loch Ard Gorge with its tragic Shipwreck tale. We stop here to explore the boardwalks and you can descend to the beach for an incredible photo opportunity or simply listen from above to the sound of waves crashing into the gorge. We stay right on the waterfront so you can have a great sunset on the beach and cove.

Overnight: Port Campbell

Meals: B, L, D

Today is a stunning day as we follow the wild coastline and discover more spectacular coastal formations along the Great Ocean Road. We stop to explore the impressive London Bridge and The Grotto before making our way to the unique Tower Hill Reserve. The reserve sits in a large volcanic crater and is one of Victoria’s most significant geological formations. We can enjoy morning tea before our private 1.5 hour walk with a local guide to discover and better understand traditional Aboriginal lifestyles. We learn about the natural habitat of some of Australia’s most iconic animals as well as how to identify native plants for food and medicinal purposes. We should arrive in Port Fairy by 3pm so you can independently discover and enjoy this quaint town – you may want to take a short 5km walk to Griffiths Island to view the large mutton bird breeding colony (September to April). Please stay on the trails as the birds nest in the sand.

Overnight: Port Fairy

Meals: B, L

We’ll depart at 8am for Portland via UNESCO World Heritage listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape site. The site is older than Egypt’s pyramids and the first site in Australia to be offered protection purely for its Aboriginal cultural importance; its aquaculture system dates back over 6,600 years and was used to harvest eels.

We’ll walk as guests on Gunditjmara country and join a 2.5-hour guided tour to experience the landscape, history and 60,000+ year-old culture through the eyes of one of their expert Indigenous guides. We’ll arrive in Portland for lunch at around 12 noon before checking into our hotel. We commence walking a small section of the Great South West Walk around 1.30pm beginning at the Enchanted Forest and finishing on the dramatic wind-blown craggy cliffs of Cape Nelson Lighthouse.

Overnight: Portland

Meals: B, L, D

We finish our last day of walking with an astounding display of natural beauty and diversity. Enjoy sensational cliff-top walking, two large seal colonies, a surreal petrified forest, ocean blowholes, kangaroos, pristine lakes, remote rugged coastline and ancient limestone caves!

Our climb out of Cape Bridgewater takes us to some of the highest coastal cliffs in Victoria (130m) past two seal colonies; Australian and New Zealand Fur Seals who interestingly do not mingle even though they live in close proximity to each other. With several viewing platforms you can take advantage of the magnificent uninterrupted views over deep-blue water to the horizon. Look back over the perfect crescent-shaped beach of Bridgewater Bay sitting on the rim of a long extinct volcano, reminding us we walk upon million-year-old landscapes. We follow easy trails along a rugged coastline where it seems you never put your camera away – the views are glorious!

Hopefully, we will encounter a mob of kangaroos who usually keep a close eye on things, then pass the aptly named ‘Perilous Parapet’ before arriving at a moonscape of petrified trees. Here we will break for lunch, allowing you time to enjoy the views and explore this fascinating area. The walk after lunch is just as remarkable so have your cameras ready to capture the juggernaut of waves as they crash onto the rocks below before we meet our bus at Amos road and finish the walk.

That evening we visit the only mainland gannet colony in Australia, perched on the cliffs at Point Danger and observe these birds up close, hearing the remarkable story of this colony from a local birding enthusiast. These striking birds can have a wingspan of up to 2m and dive fully submerged into the ocean in search of prey.

Overnight: Portland

Meals: B, L, D

On our return journey, we will call into the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, home to fabulous relics that have been salvaged from shipwrecks. There is also a replica of 1850’s Warrnambool Port to walk around and grab tea in a period teashop. We’ll stop for breaks en-route to Melbourne to arrive back by late afternoon.

Meals: B

• 2 nights accommodation at secluded Moonlight Head
• 1 night accommodation in picturesque Port Campbell
• 1 night accommodation in charming Port Fairy
• 2 nights accommodation in historic Portland
• All meals (excluding dinner on day 4 in Port Fairy, lunch on last day)
• Return transfers to/from Melbourne
• Refreshment stops during walks
• Experienced hiking guide
• Tour of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim with Indigenous Guides
• Tower Hill Reserve guided walk (2.5 hours)
• Driver and support vehicle for the duration of the tour
• Exclusive RAW Travel Cape Nelson Lighthouse dinner
• National park fees
• Full carbon offset for your trip and an Australian tree planted on your behalf
• 10% GST

• Travel insurance
• Items of a personal nature
• Alcoholic beverages
• Single supplement – please enquire; limited single rooms available