length

5 Days

difficulty

Moderate - Challenging

trip cost

From $2550 pp

Icons / stylised / time Created with Sketch.

length

5 Days

Icons / stylised / difficulty Created with Sketch.

difficulty

Moderate - Challenging

Icons / stylised /cost Created with Sketch.

trip cost

From $2550 pp

Nature Immersion

Cultural Interest

Guided Trip

our walk experts

  • Overview
  • Highlights
  • Local Guides
  • On the trail
  • Itinerary
  • Inclusions
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Private group tour
  • Exclusive Guide
  • Similar walks

Overview

Great South West Walk

Please note in 2023 our 5-day GSWW is being replaced with a 6-day version with an added night in Port Fairy, fulfilling a common request of our past travellers. This can be found on the main site destination menu. 

The Great South West walk is one of Victoria’s best-kept secrets; a long-distance trail that gets few visitors but has some of the sublime scenery, as well as great historical and cultural places of interest We showcase some of the best and most dramatic sections of the Great South West Walk and its amazingly diverse scenery, from the limestone gorges of the beautiful Glenelg River to rugged sea cliffs and remote beaches littered with shells to the beautiful seclusion of Cape Nelson lighthouse. Standing atop soaring sea-cliffs at Bridgewater Bay looking back at a perfect crescent-shaped beach sitting on the rim of a long extinct volcano is one of the highlights of the walk.

Not to mention the prolific wildlife of the seashores and forests and a staggering variety of seasonal orchids and wildflowers which enhance the trail in Spring. Our walking trip will not only show you some of the best parts of the trail but also some great cultural insights as we visit the hugely significant and ancient Indigenous site of Budj Bim and the Tower Hill reserve with a guided tour with an Indigeneous Ranger. We also delve into the history of ‘the Shipwreck coast’, take a walking history tour at the iconic village of Port Fairy, the Flagstaff Hill Museum and stay in Victoria’s first permanent European settlement in Portland with its many historic buildings.

We would love for you to join us on our 5-day Great South West Walk tour to discover for yourself the unique biodiversity & history of the area.

 

Portland

Highlights

Get ready for

  • Walking wild dramatic coastlines, beaches & headlands
  • Explore the limestone river gorges of the Glenelg River & serene Nelson
  • Spot Australian and New Zealand fur seals
  • Visit Australia’s only mainland gannet colony
  • Guided tour of 6,600 year-old UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim & Tower Hill Volcanic reserve
  • Explore Victoria’s first European settlements in Portland and Port Fairy
  • Guided tour of historic Port Fairy
Tae Rak guide

Local Guides

Unique Insights

As well as being accompanied by our experienced RAW Travel leader throughout you will enjoy various short guided tours with local guides and experts, including:  the UNESCO listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape with local Aboriginal rangers, a historical walking tour of Port Fairy, a talk and exploration of Cape Nelson lighthouse with a former Lightkeeper, a volunteer-led exploration of the only Australian Gannet colony on the mainland.

Great South West walk

On the trail

The experience

Our Great South West Walk sections consist of varied track conditions, some of which follow the contours around both coastal headlands and the river gorges of the Glenelg river. On occasions you will walk down to isolated beaches and across soft sand and then walk up the other side over steps on a well-marked track that has been constructed and managed with your safety in mind. Some sections involve walking in quite exposed areas next to the ocean so you can expect windy weather. You can expect to walk between 5 and 8 hours each day with regular stops to take in the natural beauty, and for snacks and lunch.

Itinerary

Daily details

Day 1: TRANSFER FROM MELBOURNE TO PORTLAND; WALK WORLD HERITAGE LISTED BUDJ BIM

Our day starts with a 7:30am pick up from the Melbourne Arts Centre, St Kilda Road in Melbourne. We will travel via Colac and Camperdown – stopping for morning tea along the way, then onwards to Budj Bim and the Tae Rak aquaculture centre part of Lake Condah, where we walk as guests on Gunditjmara country. We will have our Cafe lunch on site before our 2-hour guided tour of UNESCO World Heritage listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape site that allows us to experience the history and learn about the ancient aquaculture practices and eel traps through the eyes of expert Indigenous guides. 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. 

We arrive in Portland around 5pm to check into our historic hotel in the heart of town. We may also visit the Point Danger Gannet Colony this evening depending on the availability of local volunteers, or on another evening while we are here,

Dinner is in town where we will give you a briefing and details of the next day’s walk.

Overnight: Portland
Meals: L, D

Day 2: WALK THE GLENELG RIVER GORGES TO NELSON (14KM/5 HOURS)

This morning we transfer out to the serene coastal hamlet of Nelson, sitting on the Glenelg river mouth and the border with South Australia. The Glenelg river at 350km is the third-largest in Victoria and where it meets the coast here at Nelson it carves out magnificent sweeping gorges through the limestone country. Our walk traces a narrow path above the river with excellent views of the gorges below, before venturing inland slightly and through growths of Grass tree forest and eucalpyt forest. At one point we venture into South Australia for a few kilometres on a bend of the river then return to Victoria again. Be on the lookout for the prolific native wildlife in this area as you will often see more animal tracks than human ones along this stretch of the Great South West Walk. We will take morning tea and lunch out on the trail before we eventually emerge into Nelson, where our driver awaits.  Weather and time permitting we will drive to the ocean beaches just south of Nelson to enjoy the fantastic scenery here before we return back to Portland. 

Overnight: Portland

Meals: B, L, D

If the SA Border is closed  at the time od departure then we will substitute with the following walk at Mount Richmond, as below:

An enjoyable first day that begins among the unspoiled bushland of Mount Richmond National Park. The park was established in 1960 and is home to around 450 plant species including 50 different orchid species. The Gunditjmara called the region Benwerrin, meaning ‘Long Hill’ and once gathered a wide variety of food from the area. In spring there are stunning displays of wildflowers including correa, coastal heaths and wattles. The diverse habitat also supports vibrant bird-life including emus, Crimson rosellas, Gang-gang cockatoos, thornbills, robins and currawongs.

After enjoying beautiful views from the summit, the path widens onto flat open trails allowing for easy hiking; make sure you keep a look out for kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and wallabies. We cross Bridgewater Lakes Road to enter a small section of quiet secluded bushland before crossing an ‘interesting stile’. From here the trail takes us high over farmland with great views over the Bridgewater freshwater lake system through to the blue-green water of Discovery Bay.

Day 3: WALK BRIDGEWATER LAKES TO CAPE BRIDGEWATER (18KM/6-7 HOURS)

We start the day with a short climb to the mouth of Tarragal Caves, a network of ancient limestone caves within the Discovery Bay Coastal Park overlooking Bridgewater Lakes. From here a gentle walk through sand hills brings us to the beginning of a remarkable day’s walk featuring an astounding display of diverse natural beauty. We will enjoy sensational cliff-top walking, two large seal colonies, a surreal petrified forest, ocean blowholes, kangaroos, pristine lakes and remote rugged coastline. We follow a rugged coastline where it seems you never put your camera away – the views are glorious! So have your cameras ready to capture the endless juggernaut of waves crashing onto the rocks below.

We arrive at a moonscape of petrified trees where we will break for lunch, allowing you time to appreciate the views and explore this fascinating area. The walk after lunch is just as remarkable with more glorious coastline and plenty of photo opportunities including the aptly named ‘Perilous Parapet’. As we walk towards Cape Bridgewater look out for a local mob of kangaroos who usually keep a close eye on things. The trail 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 search for seals and take advantage of the magnificent uninterrupted views over deep-blue water to the horizon. We end our day with a beautiful dinner just for us at the Cape Nelson Lighthouse precinct and cafe.

Overnight: Portland
Meals: B, L, D

 

Note: the Cape Nelson lighthouse tower will be undergoing renovations in late 2022/ 2023 and will be closed to visitors climbing it.

Day 4: WALK CAPE BRIDGEWATER TO CAPE NELSON (18KM/6 HOURS)

A gorgeous walk starting from Travella camp near Cape Bridgewater leads us along the beach and the hard flat wide open shores of Shelly Beach. The coastline is alive with birdlife including Pied Oystercatchers, Sandpipers, Hooded Plovers, Terns and Pacific gulls; there are shells galore to admire and name. The mostly pristine beach is subject to small patches of debris bought in by strong tides and coastal storms, so bring a bag if you’d like to beach-comb for litter along the way.

We keep on the beach for a long stretch of 5km where we pass a group of washed up shipping containers. The sand can be a little soft but the walking is pleasant, it is possible to take your shoes off and appreciate ‘grounding’ with the earth. ( We can also offer an option to skip this section with our driver and reduce the walking distance for those who prefer to)

After completing the beach walk we climb a sturdy wooden stairway to the start of the spectacular sea cliffs. There are dramatic views over the Southern Ocean and the open expanses of the bay, so you can see exactly how far you walk today. After a pretty grove of coastal Tea trees and crossing Murrells Rd, the trail winds across the cliff tops as we begin the next part of our walk to the now familar sight of Cape Nelson Lighthouse. The eroded rocky landscape, dotted with native coastal bushes is strkingly beautiful along this section with great views back along the sea cliffs.

After stopping for a break at the lighthouse we continue on the other side of the Cape for a few km; this has similar sea cliffs and dramatic views but this side has dense vegetation and forest. We then meet the bus and are transferred to the last section of our walk today; a stroll through the aptly named ‘ Enchanted Forest’ a grove of wonderfully tangled and atmospheric tea trees backed with limestone cliffs.

Overnight: Portland
Meals: B, L, D

Day 5: WALKING TOUR OF PORT FAIRY, TOWER HILL, RETURN DRIVE TO MELBOURNE.

Todays itinerary follows a maritime theme as we depart Portland after breakfast and stop at at the wonderful and historic town of Port Fairy on our way back to Melbourne. In Port Fairy  we will take a history walk through the wharf and nearby streets with a local guide who will inform us of the long and colourful history of this former whaling and sealing town. There are over 200 historic buildings in Port Fairy and we will learn about the most significant of these.

After a cafe lunch we will move onto nearby Tower Hill reserve and explore this amazing Volcanic caldera which was Victoria’s first national park. Tower Hill is believed to have erupted over 32,000 years ago. Its formation is known as a ‘nested maar’ and, at 3.2km wide, is the largest caldera of its type in Victoria. Today you can still see the striated rock faces of the spectacular 11km crater rim, a rare geological site. Tower Hill is also a reserve that is rich in native animals and you can expect to see many species here. The Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative are the custodians of Tower Hill and the visitor centre gives good insights into traditional practices in the area. Afterwards we will resume our journey back to Melbourne and arrive back by late afternoon.

Meals: B

IMPORTANT NOTE: All walking routes and local guide visits are subject to change based upon local conditions, extreme weather, group abilities  COVID closures and other factors beyond RAW Travel’s control. RAW Travel reserves the right to alter an itinerary or substitute an aspect of it in response to unforeseen changes or conditions with a group.

Inclusions

What's included?

Included
  • 4-nights accommodation in a historic hotel in Portland
  • Twin share room with en-suite
  • All meals (excluding breakfast on day 1 & lunch, dinner on day 5 )
  • Return transfers to/from central Melbourne
  • Refreshment stops during walks
  • Experienced RAW hiking guide
  • Driver and support vehicle for the duration of tour
  • Walk with Indigenous guide at UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim (or Tower Hill)
  • Gannet colony private visit
  • Exclusive RAW Travel Cape Nelson Lighthouse dinner & talk
  • History walk around Port Fairy with local guide
  • National Park fees
Excluded
  • Travel insurance
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Alcoholic beverages

 

Great South west walk accommodation

Accommodation

Historic Inn

We will base ourselves in Portland for 4 nights in a restored Victorian-style inn built-in 1856, one of the oldest Inns in Victoria . The hotel has been tastefully restored and has original heritage decor with modern comforts & en-suite rooms for you to appreciate after a day on the trail. The hotel offers a public bar and restaurant downstairs for a drink at the end of the day.

Great South West Walk - Guided

Meals

Food

We take our included meals ‘a la carte’ at different restaurants in Portland each evening to allow maximum flexibility and sample great local produce & seafood.We also include a dinner at the Historic Cape Nelson lighthouse. Breakfasts are taken at our hotel with a selection of fruit, yogurt, bread, cooked breakfasts, juices and tea/ coffee. Lunches are for the most part taken out on the trail supported by our driver and van and a great selection of healthy fresh options are laid out for you to choose from. We also have morning teas/afternoon teas at selected stops on the trail with fruits and many varied and delicious snacks laid out for you with a selection of hot drinks to keep your energy up.

Great South West Walk, Victoria

Private group tour

With friends and family

This trip can be run as your own private tour! Get a group of friends or family together and share a memorable pack-free adventure. Private tours are the perfect way to celebrate special events and special people. And they are so much fun! Contact us to get started. It’s that’s easy.

Great Ocean Walk

Exclusive Guide

Get Inspired

Discover Australia’s best coastal walks! Our comprehensive destination guide is bursting with inspiration, travel essentials, practical advice and more to help you prepare for a memorable journey along this breathtaking trail.

Download Now

Great South West walk 0000
Great South west walk 0001
Great South west walk 0003
Great South West Walk - Guided
GSWW Rhonda
GSWW group
Aus camino 0013

Customer Star Rating of 5   

Customer Testimonials

When I met Nick and Darren in front of the NGV International on Wednesday, April 21st, for the Great South West Walk  I instantly felt that they would be a wonderful team to travel with and I am very pleased to be able to tell you that my instincts turned out to be true!  Nick was a terrific guide over the three days of walking…very knowledgeable, very attentive and very personable.  I was very impressed with Nick’s efforts to learn more about the plants and trees along the walk.  It was lovely to see someone who worked diligently to expand his knowledge of the area.  This will definitely hold Nick in good stead in future travels.  Darren was not only a careful driver but his local knowledge of almost everything was impressive and it is just wonderful that he has such a pleasant manner about him. Both Nick and Darren worked hard to ensure that The Great South West Walk was a memorable experience for all of us.  Loved the trip!!

Jahn Buhrman

Customer Star Rating of 5   

Customer Testimonials

Our group thoroughly enjoyed our Great South West Walk with Raw Travel over 5 days based in Portland. The walking was very rewarding, with spectacular scenery and great flora and fauna including echidnas, koalas, emus, wallabies and of course kangaroos aplenty. The accommodation was comfortable and convenient and the meals were also very good.

Tom McNair

Customer Star Rating of 5   

Customer Testimonials

The Great South West walk was my first adventure with RAW travel and it
was a superb one – an itinerary rich in natural, cultural, historic and human
experiences. We trekked through a wonderful diversity of landscapes: the
limestone cliffs of the Glenelg River winding its way down from the Grampian
Ranges to enter Discovery Bay at Nelson; the tranquil forests and woodlands
with an abundance of grass trees with turbo-charged flowering from recent
fires; the wild Discovery Bay; the stunning beauty of Bridgewater Bay; the
dunes and heathlands; the spectacular cliff views; the moonscapes leading to
the lighthouse at Cape Nelson; and the closed canopies of melaleuca moonah
trees forming the enchanted forest. On top of this was the delightful diversity
of birds and wildlife – my favourites were the glorious gannets at the Point
Danger rookery. I haven’t gotten around to the cultural and historic stuff, but I
do need to mention the great company, professionalism and charm of the
guides!

Tia Negerevich

Customer Star Rating of 5   

Customer Testimonials

I had a great trip and loved the area. Your organization and leadership was terrific and both Erica and I had a lovely time. RAW Travel is top of my list for walking tours and I look forward to an opportunity to do my 4th trip with your company.

Anne Moore

Customer Star Rating of 5   

Customer Testimonials

Thanks to Fred and Dave for a fun filled, interesting, enjoyable and thoroughly satisfying 5 days. You are both interesting and interested people, passionate about the environment, and you do a superb job of guiding, supporting, getting us around and adding to our knowledge of this special area on Victoria’s south west coast.

The walking was spectacular, even if a little exhausting by the end of the days. We walked in a variety of different environments, from following the Glenelg River to Nelson, to the clifftops and beaches abutting the Southern Ocean, bush to sand and rocky cliffs. These were wonderful environments to take in slowly from close range.

The accommodation in Portland was comfortable in a grand old hotel. The meals provided were varied and good. The real bonus was along with the walking, we enjoyed many interesting extras like eating at and visiting a lighthouse at night, being shown around the World Heritage listed Budj Bim National Park, learning about the eels and eel traps from a traditional owner, visiting and learning about Australian Gannets at the colony on Pt Danger and a history tour of Port Fairy on our return trip. It was much more than just a walking holiday.

To top it off, all of this was in the company of a great group of fellow walkers.

For this single, 70 year old female, it was a fabulous five days.

Rhonda Christopher

A wonderful hiking holiday completed at a relaxed pace alongside spectacular scenery. Dave and Fred were the best of guides and ensured we were well supported, well fed and well educated with a variety of interesting side trips to indigenous sites, lighthouses and gannet colonies. Local, passionate people educated us about the country we were hiking on and this contributed I think to us treading more lightly and being aware of leaving nothing but footprints.
Both Dave and Fred were cheerful, knowledgeable guides with such enthusiasm for the bush and our amazing country. Comfortable accomodation, good food and the best of company.
I would thoroughly recommend this trip.

Libby Eaton

GSWW must be Victoria’s best kept secret. Raw’s well planned itinerary showcased the diversity in the landscape of the area and guides Fred and Daves focus was on giving our small group the best hiking experience possible and they succeeded. As well as walking we also enjoyed interesting talks on indigenous aquaculture, lighthouses and gannets given by passionate locals. Comfortable accommodation, good food and great company made for a very memorable few days. This walk exceeded my expectations and I am looking forward to doing more Raw hikes.

Denise Uusioja

Similar walks

Australia

7 Days

Great Ocean Walk

The End to End Guided Trip – Great Ocean Walk

Guided History Moderate
  • Dramatic landscapes and seascapes
  • Comfortable well-appointed accommodation
  • Insights into the local history and culture
  • Exclusive talks with our local historian and Indigenous Elder
from

$3,250.00

view trip
11 Days

Australian Caminos

‘The Aussie Camino’

Guided History Moderate
  • Capture the essence of the Camino de Santiago 
  • Learn about the life of Mary MacKillop
  • Walk with like-minded people in this centuries-old tradition
  • Stunning beauty and diversity of Australia’s landscapes
from

$4,490.00

view trip
5 Days

Mornington Peninsula

Mornington Peninsula Highlights

Guided Moderate
  • Stay in charming villages
  • Taste the Peninsula’s many food offerings each day
  • Explore the very best of the Mornington Peninsula’s varied trails
  • Walk sections of the clifftop between Flinders and Cape Schanck
from

$2,250.00

view trip
5 Days

Mornington Peninsula

Food, Wine and Walking – Mornington Peninsula

Food and Wine Guided Moderate
  • Walk some of the best trails, accompanied by taste sensations
  • Feast on lunches featuring fresh and local cuisine
  • Learn about wine production at one of the best vineyards
  • Local food producers, behind-the-scenes on a farm, vineyard and olive grove
from

$2,490.00

view trip

TRIP date selection

when would you like to travel?

Please select your preferred dates for on-demand trips or select a scheduled date for group departures. If you have booked a self-guided trip please understand that because your trip date is on demand and we must check availability of all properties on your chosen dates before it can be fully confirmed

dates
availability
price
single occupancy
dates
11/11/2022 - 15/11/2022
availability
price
$2,550
single occupancy
$0

sign up to our newsletter

explore the world with Raw