Great Ocean Walk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Ocean Walk |
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The Twelve Apostles
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| Length | 104 km (65 mi) |
| Location | Victoria, Australia |
| Trailheads | Apollo Bay, The Twelve Apostles (Victoria) |
| Use | Hiking: overnight and day walks |
| Lowest point | Beaches |
| Difficulty | Easy-medium |
| Season | All |
| Sights | Coastal, shipwrecks, beaches, rivers, Waterfalls |
| Hazards | Snake bite, cliff walking |
The Great Ocean Walk is an exciting walking trail in Victoria, Australia. It follows the beautiful southwest coast. This trail takes you through many places important for history and culture. The walk uses lots of eco-friendly (environmentally friendly) features. Groups like Parks Victoria want to teach people about protecting nature. The path winds along tall cliff tops and sandy beaches.
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Exploring the Great Ocean Walk Trail
The Great Ocean Walk is a long walking path. It is about 200 kilometres southwest of Melbourne. The trail is 104 kilometres long. It starts at Apollo Bay and ends near The Twelve Apostles, Victoria. This famous rock formation is at Glenample Homestead.
The walk goes through the Otway National Park. Parks Victoria has seven special campsites along the way. These camps are about 10 to 15 kilometres apart. Many companies offer guided tours. Most people take about eight days to finish the whole walk. Everyone who walks the trail must sign up with Parks Victoria. You also need to book your campsite spots.
The path often follows the coastline. This part of the coast is not always seen from the Great Ocean Road. You might spot many animals here. These include koalas, wallabies, echidnas, reptiles, and many kinds of birds. Be aware that snakes like tiger, brown, and copperhead snakes live here. You might also see ants, bees, European wasps, and leeches. From June to September, you can often see whales swimming along the coast.
The trail goes through several interesting areas. These include Elliot Ridge, Blanket Bay, Cape Otway, Aire River, Johanna Beach, Ryans Den, and Devils Kitchen.
The walk gets harder as you go along. The first part, from Apollo Bay to Cape Otway, is good for beginners. But it becomes more challenging when you reach the rougher land around Ryans Den. Also, some parts of the path can be dangerous or blocked during high tide. Always check tide times before you walk.
Facilities for Walkers
Bus services are available to take you to and from places to stay. These places range from simple campsites to modern eco-lodges. Eco-lodges use clean energy sources like solar power. There are seven special hike-in camps along the trail. These are at Elliot Ridge, Blanket Bay, Cape Otway, Aire River, Johanna Beach, Ryans Den, and Devil's Kitchen.
Elliot Ridge, Blanket Bay, and Cape Otway have areas for groups to camp. These spots have the same facilities as other hike-in camps. They include eco-friendly toilets, a three-sided shelter, and park benches. Blanket Bay, Parker Hill, Aire River, and Johanna Beach also have campsites you can drive to.
Each campsite has between eight and fifteen spots for tents. They also have a toilet, tanks for rainwater (which is not treated), and camp benches. All camps except Blanket Bay have a shelter. The toilets are special composting systems. They do not use water and help turn waste into compost. This helps protect the environment.
The buildings use recycled wood from old wharfs. This wood is used for the toilet and shelter posts. Other wood comes from special trees that are cut in a way that creates less waste. This wood also helps keep out termites and rot. Some building materials were even flown in by helicopter to harder-to-reach campsites.
There are two special cleaning stations at Blanket Bay and Parker Inlet. These help stop the spread of a plant disease called Phytophthora cinnamomi. Sometimes, parts of the track might be closed for repairs. This helps protect sensitive sand dunes and important cultural sites. When land is disturbed, new native plants are put back to help it recover.
History of the Trail
Most of the walks I’ve done in the past— Kokoda, Mt Kilimanjaro — were about speed and pushing my limits, [In Victoria] I had the chance to slow down, let the camera crew catch up, and take in the beauty of the area.
The idea for the Great Ocean Walk first came up in 1974, but it was not approved then. Later, in the early 1990s, local businesses started talking about it again. Planning for the trail officially began in 1994. However, building did not start until 2001. The trail finally opened in January 2006. Parks Victoria first spent $2.3 million to create a 91 kilometre trail. This first part went from Apollo Bay to the Glenample homestead.
Building the trail involved clearing 25 kilometres of old paths. Most of the new path was built by hand. Workers used tools like mattocks, shovels, and crowbars. They used local and imported stones for rock steps. These heavy stones were moved with special carriers and winches. Higher steps were built for very steep areas. Small rock bridges and one timber bridge were built to cross water. Volunteers also helped build parts of the track. Groups like Conservation Volunteers Australia and students from Deakin University lent a hand.
In 2009, more money was given to extend the trail. They added 10 kilometres of new path from Moonlight Head to the Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre. They also built a new viewing spot for the Twelve Apostles. New signs, seats, and boot-cleaning stations were added. This upgrade cost $1.3 million and was finished by April 2010.
On June 25, 2010, the Premier John Brumby announced even more funding. An extra $6.3 million was set aside. This money was to improve 100 kilometres of the trail. The goal was to make it usable in all weather. They also planned to move some parts of the track off-road. Campsites at Princetown and Johanna were also made bigger. Parks Victoria gave $4.2 million, and the state government added $2.1 million.
The Art of Walking Documentary
A one-hour film called The Art of Walking: Great Ocean Walk was made by Zach Merch. It showed three famous people walking the trail. These were American environmentalist John Francis, German Olympic figure skater Katarina Witt, and paralympic skier Michael Milton. Head Ranger Will Cox led them. The documentary first showed on the National Geographic Channel in Australia and New Zealand on May 2, 2010.
Historical Places to See
The Great Ocean Walk goes through the Otways region. This area is full of amazing fossils. Scientists have found fossils of a dinosaur that lived here 105 million years ago! The coast is also known for many shipwrecks. For example, the ships Marie Gabrielle (in 1869) and Fiji (in 1891) sank near Johanna Beach and Wreck Beach. To help prevent more shipwrecks along the Bass Strait coast, the Cape Otway light-station was built in 1848. This lighthouse is 18 meters tall and stands 90 metres above sea level.
Johanna Beach is sometimes used for surfing contests. It was named after a ship called the Joanna. This ship ran aground there in 1843 on its very first trip from Tasmania. Only one crewman was lost. The other survivors walked for a whole week to reach Geelong. Local Aborigines helped them along the way.
The historic Glenample Homestead is at the end of the walk. Pioneer pastoralist Hugh Gibson built it in 1869. He used sandstone from local quarries. Today, the homestead is a museum. It has information about the Loch Ard shipwreck. The two survivors, Eva Carmichael and Thomas Pearce, were taken to the homestead to recover. The museum also used to share stories about early farm life and other shipwrecks. However, the building has been closed since September 13, 2007.
Amazing Wildlife on the Trail
When you walk the Great Ocean Walk, you might see many different animals. Keep an eye out for koalas, sulphur-crested cockatoos, rosellas, echidnas, and wallabys. You might also spot fairy penguins, kangaroos, peregrine falcons, hooded dotterels, and wedge-tailed eagles flying high above. Remember, tiger snakes and brown snakes also live here.
There are also great places to see marine animals. You might spot large southern right whales and playful fur seals along the coast. Before starting the walk, hikers attend a session. Here, they learn what to do if they meet dangerous animals like snakes. This helps everyone stay safe on the trail.
See also
- Apollo Bay, Victoria
- Great Ocean Road
