The Great Ocean Walk is a walking trail on
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
's southwest coast in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, traversing several areas of historical and cultural significance. The track makes extensive usage of
eco-friendly
Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...
facilities; with
Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria is a government agency of the state of Victoria, Australia.
Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The ''Parks Victoria Ac ...
and tour guide operators attempting to raise environmental awareness. The trail meanders along high cliff tops and sandy beaches.
Track
The Great Ocean Walk is a walking track located 200 kilometres south-west of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
.
It stretches 104 kilometres from
Apollo Bay
Apollo Bay is a coastal town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway, along the edge of the Barham River and on the Great Ocean Road, in the Colac Otway Shire. The town had a population of 1,790 at ...
to Glenample Homestead, located near
The Twelve Apostles, Victoria
The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.
Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Seven of the ...
. The walk passes through the
Otway National Park
The Great Otway National Park is a national park located in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia. The national park is situated approximately southwest of Melbourne, in the Otway Ranges, a low coastal mountain range. It cont ...
, with Parks Victoria providing seven hike-in camp-sites spaced at intervals of 10 km to 15 km along the track.
Guided tours are offered by several operators, with the walk estimated to take about eight days to complete.
All walkers are required to register with Parks Victoria, and must book for use of camp-sites.
The track hugs coastline which is not always visible from the
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated t ...
;
and traverses an area that hosts
koalas
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womba ...
,
wallabies
A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...
,
echidna
Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...
s,
reptile
Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...
s, bird species,
snakes
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joi ...
(including
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
,
brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
, and
copperhead
Copperhead may refer to:
Snakes
* ''Agkistrodon contortrix'', or copperhead, a venomous pit viper species found in parts of North America
* '' Austrelaps'', or Australian copperhead, a genus of venomous elapids found in southern Australia and Ta ...
),
ants
Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,00 ...
,
bees
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...
,
European wasps and
leeches
Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...
. From June through September, whales can be spotted along the coastline. The track passes through several named areas; including Elliot Ridge, Blanket Bay,
Cape Otway
Cape Otway is a cape and a bounded locality of the Colac Otway Shire in southern Victoria, Australia on the Great Ocean Road; much of the area is enclosed in the Great Otway National Park.
History
Cape Otway was originally inhabited by the Gadub ...
,
Aire River,
Johanna
Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek /h/ cou ...
Beach, Ryans Den and Devils Kitchen.
The difficulty of the track increases along the walk; with the section between Apollo Bay and Cape Otway suitable for beginners, becoming more challenging when reaching the rugged terrain through Ryans Den.
Also, travellers need to note that sections of track can be dangerous or impassable at high tide.
Facilities
Tourism and park officials offer bus services to and from accommodations, ranging from basic camp-sites to modern eco-lodges which utilise alternative energy.
There are seven dedicated hike-in camps along the walk at Elliot Ridge,
Blanket Bay,
Cape Otway
Cape Otway is a cape and a bounded locality of the Colac Otway Shire in southern Victoria, Australia on the Great Ocean Road; much of the area is enclosed in the Great Otway National Park.
History
Cape Otway was originally inhabited by the Gadub ...
, Aire River, Johanna Beach, Ryans Den and Devils kitchen.
Elliot Ridge, Blanket Bay and Cape Otway have three dedicated group camping areas; with access to the same facilities as the hike-in camp-sites including environmentally friendly toilet, a three-sided shelter and park benches. Blanket Bay, Parker Hill, Aire River and Johanna Beach host drive-in camp-sites.
About $500,000 was spent on constructing the camp-sites, with each selected after taking into account environmental, cultural, geo-technical, experiential, risk, cost and community interests. Over thirty sites were investigated in the planning phase.
Each camp-site has between eight and fifteen camping pads, a toilet, untreated rainwater tanks, camp benches and, except for Blanket Bay, a shelter.
The
Clivus Multrum
Clivus Multrum is a type of composting toilet and the name of a company that markets this brand name of composting toilets. " Clivus" is Latin for incline or slope; "multrum" is a Swedish composite word meaning "compost room", thus a "Clivus Mul ...
toilets are a self-contained, waterless, odourless continuous composting system. They were sized above their capacity taking into account climatic factors. Waste material and wood shavings compost in the tanks and the vent pipe to reduce odours. Recycled
red gum posts were sought from demolished wharfs at Docklands, which are used as feature posts for the toilets and shelter.
Radial sawn yellow
stringybark timbers from East Gippsland have been used for cladding of the buildings. This form of saw log creates minimal waste and features the natural curves of the tree. Native cypress from northern
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
was sourced for posts and framing to provide resistance to
termites
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...
and rot. 14 tonnes of material was flown into the camp-sites at Ryans Den and Devils kitchen by helicopter. A
JetRanger helicopter carried a maximum load of 600 kg which accounted for the single 7 m long red gum posts. Each camp-site took an average of six weeks to build.
There are two hygiene stations at Blanket Bay and Parker Inlet to reduce the potential spread of ''
Phytophthora cinnamomi
''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants variously called "root rot", "dieback", or (in certain '' Castanea'' species), "ink disease". The plant pathogen is one of the wo ...
''. Tracks may be closed and rehabilitated at times, to protect sensitive sand dunes and cultural sites. Sections of disturbed land are re-vegetated with indigenous species.
History
The idea to create the Great Ocean Walk was originally rejected in 1974.
It was however rumoured to have been resurrected by local accommodation providers in the early 1990s,
with planning actually beginning in 1994. Development did not begin until 2001; with the trail finally opening in January 2006.
Parks Victoria provided an initial investment of $2.3 million for a 91 kilometre trail between Apollo Bay and the Glenample homestead, near the Twelve Apostles.
Construction efforts included clearing 25 kilometres of previously existing track, with most of the new track constructed by hand using
mattock
A mattock is a hand tool used for digging, prying, and chopping. Similar to the pickaxe, it has a long handle and a stout head which combines either a vertical axe blade with a horizontal adze (cutter mattock), or a pick and an adze (pick matt ...
s,
shovel
A shovel is a tool used for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore.
Most shovels are hand tools consisting of a broad blade fixed to a medium-length handle. Shovel blades are usually made of ...
s and
crowbars.
Hand built local and imported stone was used for rock steps; put in place by power carriers and
Tirfor
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable").
In its simplest form, it consists of a spool (or drum) attach ...
winches. Elevated steps were built for the steeper terrain. Stepping stones, small rock bridges, and a single timber bridge, were built to cross water areas. Track work has also been performed by volunteers, including
Conservation Volunteers Australia
Conservation Volunteers Australia is an Australian Non-profit, not-for-profit conservation organisation that attracts and co-ordinates Volunteering, volunteers for environmental restoration projects.
History
The organisation was founded in ...
, Greencorps,
Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia.
Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn Ponds, ...
, and the regional employment and education Program.
In 2009, extra funding was allocated to build 10 kilometres of additional walking track from
Moonlight Head
Moonlight Head is a locality located on the Great Ocean Road in southwest of Victoria on the Southern Ocean. It is believed to be the headland seen by Matthew Flinders from the '' Investigator'' during a break in showery weather, on the night o ...
to the Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre, as well as a viewing point for the Twelve Apostles, new trail signage, seats and environmental boot-cleaning stations.
The upgrade, worth $1.3 million, was slated to be completed by April 2010.
On 25 June 2010, Premier
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby (born 21 April 1953) is the current Chancellor of La Trobe University and former Victorian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became leader of the Victorian Labor Party and premier ...
announced that $6.3 million was being allocated to upgrade 100 kilometres of walking track for all-season weather access, off-road track realignment, and camp-site extensions at Princetown and Johanna. Parks Victoria allocated $4.2 million for the project, while the state government allocated $2.1 million from the ''Regional Development Infrastructure Fund''.
The Art of Walking documentary
A one-hour documentary by Zach Merch, titled ''The Art of Walking: Great Ocean Walk'', depicted the track as walked by American environmentalist
John Francis, German Olympic
figure skater
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt (, ; born 3 December 1965) is a German former figure skater. A two-time Olympic champion, Witt is regarded as one of the greatest ladies' singles figure skaters of all time. Her Laureus profile states "she is remembered most for h ...
, and paralympic skier
Michael Milton - led by Head Ranger Will Cox. The documentary premiered on Australian and New Zealand's
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...
on 2 May 2010.
Points of historical interest
left, Lighthouse at Cape Otway
The Great Ocean Walk traverses the Otways, an area rich in fossils; including those of a dinosaur that roamed the area 105 million years ago. The area is also littered with various shipwrecks, including the ships ''Marie Gabrielle'' (in 1869) and ''Fiji'' (in 1891) at Johanna Beach and Wreck Beach respectively. To combat further shipwrecks on the
Bass Strait
Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterwa ...
coast and King Island, the Cape Otway light-station was built in 1848; standing 18 meters tall (at 90 metres above sea level). The lighthouse's first operator, Captain James Lawrence, operated the lighthouse for only a few months, as he was constantly drunk and failed to keep the light shining. Besides that, ship captains hailed the lighthouse as ultimately successful in helping them performing a dangerous manoeuvre they referred to as ''threading the eye of the needle'', entering the western entrance of Bass Strait.
Johanna Beach, occasionally used as a site for surfing tournaments, was named after the ''Joanna'' vessel that ran aground there, on its maiden voyage from
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
in 1843. A single crewman was lost, with the survivors taking an entire week to travel by foot to
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
, hepled by local
aborigines.
The historic Glenample Homestead, built by pioneer
pastoralist Hugh Gibson in 1869 from locally quarried sandstone, is at the end of the walk. The homestead currently stands as a museum, and displays information about the shipwreck, from which survivors Eva Carmichael and ship apprentice
Thomas Pearce were taken to the homestead to recover. The homestead also contained information about early station life, including other shipwrecks and local pastoral history, but the building has been closed indefinitely since 13 September 2007.
Wildlife
Wildlife that can be encountered include
koala
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...
,
sulphur-crested cockatoo
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...
s,
rosella
Rosellas are in a genus that consists of six species and nineteen subspecies.
These colourful parrots from Australia are in the genus ''Platycercus''.
''Platycercus'' means "broad-tailed" or "flat-tailed", reflecting a feature common to the ...
,
echidna
Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...
,
wallaby
A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized Macropodidae, macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same Taxonomy (biology), taxon ...
and
fairy penguins
The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage and are also known by their Māori name .
The Australian lit ...
,
kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
,
peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...
,
hooded dotterel
The hooded dotterel or hooded plover (''Thinornis cucullatus'') is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It is endemic to southern Australia, where it inhabits ocean beaches and subcoastal lagoons. There are two recognised subspecies whic ...
,
tiger snake,
brown snake, and
wedge-tailed eagle
The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. Adults of this species have lon ...
s. There are also abundant spots, where hikers can see
southern right whales
The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20° ...
and
fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family '' Otariidae''. They are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and share with them external ears (pinnae), relatively lon ...
. Hikers are told how to react to possible encounters with dangerous animals (snakes) at the mandatory orientation session prior to starting the walk.
See also
*
Apollo Bay, Victoria
Apollo Bay is a coastal town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway, along the edge of the Barham River and on the Great Ocean Road, in the Colac Otway Shire. The town had a population of 1,790 at ...
*
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated t ...
References
External links
*
Local websiteOfficial Website for 12 Apostles Region of VictoriaExperience Australia’s Premier Walking Trail – The Great Ocean Walk
{{coord, 38, 47, 18, S, 143, 39, 03.2, E, type:landmark_region:AU, display=title
2006 establishments in Australia
Hiking and bushwalking tracks in Victoria (Australia)
Tourist attractions in Victoria (Australia)
Otway Ranges
Great Ocean Road