Great Ocean Walk

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Melbourne (transfer to Apollo Bay) walk to Shelly Beach

   Your Great Ocean Walk Tour starts at Southern Cross Station, Melbourne. After your luggage is loaded into the vehicles you will set off for Apollo Bay at the close end of the Great Ocean Walk. Arriving late morning, you will get set up and head off after a safety briefing, orientation and some lunch from the famous bakery. Before you know it, you will be walking the world-famous Great Ocean Walk, taking in sweeping rural farmland views with a couple of short beach walks.

   At the end of a good first day’s walking, you will be taken back to your accommodation for a hot shower and the opportunity to settle in and relax. Tonight you will all enjoy a welcome dinner together to get to know your fellow walkers and crew.

   Walking distance: 9km (5.5mi)
   

   • Hotel in Apollo Bay
   • Dinner
2. Day 2Shelly Beach to Parker Hill

   This morning after breakfast you’ll be all fired up to get back on the track for your first full day of walking. It’s a 19km (11.8mi) day that starts with a downhill section to the river followed by a climb up to Elliot Ridge. The track leaves the coast for a while, winding through thick Mountain Ash trees and forest with plenty of wildlife and birds to spot before hitting the beach again at Blanket Bay (anyone for a swim?) where the tour staff will have your lunch ready and waiting for you.

   The remainder of the walk presents some small creek footbridges and coastal forest to Parker Hill. Transfer to your accommodation to freshen up and relax.
   

   Walking distance: 19km (11.8mi)
   

   • 11.8 miles
   • Hotel in Apollo Bay
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
3. Day 3Parker Hill to Aire River

   Back on the track today you will have a special stop for morning tea at Cape Otway Lightstation where you will also listen to some of the history and stories of the historic site.

   After Cape Otway, you walk high along the ridgeline overlooking the wild Southern Ocean, ducking in and out of tree-covered track sections before dropping down to Aire River where you may want a swim in the fresh river water before lunch (all supplied by your crew) and heading back to your accommodation for your final night in Apollo Bay.

   It's a 'Get Your Own' dinner kind of night where you can explore the town and choose where to eat from the wide variety of restaurants. There's fine dining, classic pub meals to simple and tasty fish and chips.
   

   Walking distance: 15km (9.3mi)
   

   • 9.3 miles
   • Hotel in Apollo Bay
   • Breakfast and Lunch
4. Day 4Aire River to Yuulong

   This morning after breakfast pack up your luggage and get ready for another great day on the track. The tour operator will take your luggage to the next overnight destination while you again take in the views from the cliff-top walk as you make your way to Castle Cove where the Great Ocean Walk meets the Great Ocean Road and where morning tea will be ready for you as you pass through.

   After morning tea, more lovely views from up on high unfold before you drop down to Johanna Beach for a stunning 2km (1.2mi) beach walk section before lunch at the tour operator's vehicles at Johanna Beach. From here it’s an uphill climb with stunning ocean views (check out Slippery Point views) leading into tea tree scrub and blue gum woodland to where you will meet the vehicle to take you through to your new accommodation at Port Campbell and a lovely dinner overlooking the bay.
   

   Walking distance: 19km (11.8mi)
   

   • 11.8 miles
   • Hotel in Port Campbell
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
5. Day 5Yuulong to Moonlight Head

   Today’s walk begins with some significant stair-work. A number of steps up and down will take you eventually down to Milanesia Beach for a short beach walk section, the track then leading through to the crew waiting with morning tea. Refuel and get back on the track again with more stairs through to Moonlight Head providing rewarding views for all those who take the challenge.

   On the way back to Port Campbell, in the vehicles we will stop at the stunning Loch Ard Gorge for a few photos and you’ll have plenty of time this afternoon to continue exploring the town. You can head down to the pub for a drink or take a swim in the sheltered bay. Tonight is the second of two ‘Get Your Own’ dinners on the tour, giving you the flexibility to splash out on something special, or keep it simple.
   

   Walking distance: 14km (8.6mi)
   

   • 8.7 miles
   • Hotel in Port Campbell
   • Breakfast
6. Day 6Moonlight Head to Princetown

   After another great breakfast and a relaxing evening last night, you will be ready to take on your last full day of walking, and it’s another beauty. Several wooden bridges take you over wet forested gullies as you glide through Moonlight Valley with beautiful views at the Gables Lookout. Wreck Beach and around this area is the resting place for multiple shipwrecks in the 1800’s (hence the name Shipwreck Coast).

   The crew will meet you at Devils Kitchen for morning tea before the second section of the day meanders high above the beach and through dense vegetation sections, opening out to the Gellibrand Estuary’s sandy landscape. One final boardwalk takes you into Princetown where the group will gather and transfer the short distance to Port Campbell for lunch and a relaxed afternoon to rest the legs. Tonight’s final group dinner will be a lot of fun as you celebrate a stunning week of walking with just the one final push to finish it off tomorrow.
   

   Walking distance: 17km (10.5mi)
   

   • 10.6 miles
   • Hotel in Port Campbell
   • Breakfast and Dinner
7. Day 7Princetown to Twelve Apostles

   The climax of the tour is nearly upon us. We head out from Princetown with just a few kms to the Twelve Apostles. Making this a short day allows you to arrive at the popular location before most of the crowds and gives plenty of time for photos, exploring the area and helicopter flights (optional extra).

   You will be on the road heading back to Melbourne before lunchtime when the place can get very busy. Congratulations on your walk! Whether you walked the full distance, skipped a couple of sections or decided to take a day off here and there, we are sure that your experience will be a memorable one.

   Walking distance: 7km (4.3mi)
   

   • 4.3 miles
   • Breakfast