The rest of Monday afternoon I took it easy around the campsite - read my book a bit and spent some time up on the grassy knoll above the camping area. From there, there were stunning views southwest to Cape Volney and, from another vantage point on the other side of the knoll, views all the way back to Cape Otway - the lighthouse was just visible in the distance. The wind had picked up and was blowing pretty hard - coupled with some lowering clouds it made the seascapes seem all the more intimidating. I felt glad I was on land and not trying to survive in a kayak on those huge swells!
From tent site
I had dinner around 6:30 pm, followed by a cup of tea and retired to the tent early, around 8.
So, to be able to make it to the Gables car park decision point by 11 am at the latest, I figured I'd need to be on the trail by 7:30, which would mean getting up at 6 to give me time to pack up, have breakfast etc. I set the alarm on my phone for 6 am and drifted off to sleep after reading my book for an hour or so.
Leaving Ryans Den behind...
I woke at about 5:50 am and looked outside - it still seemed as dark as the middle of the night, so I wasn't too motivated to get out of bed. Some light finally started showing in the sky nearer to 6:30, so I got up and started getting everything ready. Somehow, I managed to get it all done and scoff down some breakfast and hit the trail at 7:20 am. The first part of the walk, to Moonlight Head, was described on the map as the hardest part of the GOW, but it ended up not being that bad. Plenty of ups and downs - like a slow-motion rollercoaster - but not as tough, in my opinion, as the last part of the walk the day before.
Kangaroo and joey
The all-important decision point ...
The walk to Moonlight Head was really nice and the section from there through to The Gables car park was also great, mostly coastal forest but some farmland views as well. I arrived at The Gables at 10 am which was much quicker than I'd expected. Confusingly, there was no decision point sign there, so I thought I must've got things mixed up. As I was making good time, I decided I'd head for Wreck Beach from here. I continued on along the path and found myself at the top of the Wreck Beach stairs at 10:15. By now there seemed to be a complete disconnect between what the map had said and what I was encountering, so I decided I should just charge on and get down to the beach as quickly as I could. The sign here had three options, I was only expecting one by this time (as I thought the decision point had been earlier, at The Gables car park). The GOW continued either via the beach, via the road in, or via another track to the Devils Kitchen campsite. What the ...? It was only later that I realised that the Devils Kitchen track was new, not marked on the map - and that I could've taken that without risking the beach and without having to double back inland at all - would've been an excellent, stress-free option!
Wreck Beach again, just quickly!
Never mind. Off I went, charging down the 366 steps to the beach, adrenaline eliminating any pain from blisters or knees. The tide was in quite a bit further than it had been when I had visited 5 days before, so I didn't muck around playing tourist and taking photos - I charged off down the beach as quick as I could. I managed to spare a couple of seconds to snap a quick photo of the anchor of the Marie Gabrielle on the way past. The beach narrowed beyond here and I only had a few metres of dry sand to sneak through between the waves and the cliffs. Beyond the anchor of the Fiji, standing upright in the sand, I had to scramble over some rocks to make it around a headland and, to my relief, saw that the final beach was much broader and I still had plenty of time to get through. I made it to the resumption of the track and began the slow ascent back up to the top of the cliffs.
View west to 12 Apostles
Early lunch - not far to go!
I enjoyed the rest of the walk in unhurried fashion - once at the top of the cliffs, the track remained pretty flat all the way back to Princetown. Along the way, occasional lookout points revealed stunning views to the west - all the way along the coast to the 12 Apostles and beyond. At around 11:15, I stopped for an early lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the last of my nutella on corn flatbread. I guzzled a good half litre of water as I knew I had more than enough for the remaining walk. At Rivernook, the sign said 3.1 km to Princetown - I'd been expecting around 5, so that was an unexpected bonus. So, at around 1:15 pm, I walked into the Princetown Recreation Ground campsite, up to my parked car, dumped my pack on the ground and took off my boots, much to the relief of my worn-out feet. After a shower and fresh change of clothes, I headed off on the 4-hour drive home to Melbourne.
Point Ronald, Princetown
Finished!
The Great Ocean Walk. Sitting here now, at home, thinking about the days I've just spent along that coast, I feel such an affection for the places, the landscapes, the animals and birds, the light, the air, the space that I've encountered. It's been brilliant, even if it was tough at times.
Ryans Den. Decent night's sleep at Johanna, up at 6:40 am and on the trail at 8 am sharp - I'm getting quicker each day. I read my book again in bed from about 8 pm before falling asleep. The walk today was similar to yesterday except for the final 1/4 or so - much tougher with lots of steep ascents and descents. A foretaste of tomorrow! Initially walked along a gravel road through farmland - it was a really nice change from the forests, coastal cliffs and beaches. This walk certainly has plenty of variety. Then it was down to Milanesia beach - once again no problems getting along it. Heading up from the beach, the sides of the path were infested with blackberry bushes, laden with ripe fruit, so I well and truly made the most of it - just brilliant. In spite of the extra calories, I started getting some low-blood-sugar shakiness towards the end of the walk - an extra muesli bar didn't seem to help either.
The seas below this campsite are massive and intimidating, the winds are strong.
I got here at 12:30 pm, found a concrete-hard tent site then cooked 2 x 2-minute noodles for lunch. Have felt slowly better since.
Thankfully, the evolutionary process has enabled us humans to work out how to use tools when our limbs aren't suitable. I was able to put up my tent by using a large piece of wood as a hammer to drive in the tent pegs. Swearing at it seemed to help too.
My feet were sore again for the last 90 minutes today - it'll be a challenge tomorrow.
I saw wallabies and a juvenile grey kangaroo and a 60 cm-long tiger snake along the way.
View to Cape Volney from Ryans Den campsite
This area feels more remote than anywhere else so far, even though farmland is visible inland. The sea is green and blue and covered with whitecaps - all the way back to Cape Otway. The sun is coming out now but it's still cool.
Currently, I'm thinking I could try Wreck Beach tomorrow - because that way is around 2 km shorter than the inland route from The Gables. Just as long as I get to the decision point by 11 am. Low tide at Wreck Beach is 8:50 am, the next high tide at 2:15 pm. So half-way between "should" be OK. But I'm not going to kill myself rushing to get there.
This has been an awesome walk. A slog at times but really rewarding. I'm so fortunate to be able to fill my life and memories with these sorts of experiences.
I've been wondering if and when the magic would kick in on this walk - well it has. The campsite here at Johanna is awesome and I've got it all to myself at the moment.
It was the usual routine last night except it was cut short when some light rain began to fall, so I got into the tent a bit early. Read book again and slept well. 6:45 am rise (spitting still) and on the trail by 8:15. I added a bigger blister plaster to my right 4th toe but left the left foot alone. I'd felt something change there late on the walk yesterday - I think the fluid sac had burst and suddenly it was a lot less painful to walk on (sorry - too much information). I did remarkably well today - it was much less painful than yesterday, especially the first 3 hours - no problems at all really.
Leaving Aire River
It was a really great walk today. Ferocious seas, whipped by the strong winds, seething on the rocks below. I saw 4 wallabies along the track - cute! Last night at the campsite, there was an English-accented man with a daughter and son camped. There were awful, angry exchanges between them the whole evening then again this morning - the son sounded extremely petulant and annoying but the father was just making things worse. I only heard them but then encountered them on the trail this morning, minus the daughter. How do people end up interacting like that? Very sad. I chatted with them when I met them on the trail - the father's dream to do the whole walk as I was doing it, perhaps with his son, he said and looked at the 12-13-year-old hopefully. The boy just smiled non-committally.
Castle Cove
Johanna Beach
Castle Cove lookout and the Great Ocean Walk briefly touched the Great Ocean Road. Finally, Johanna Beach and a 2 1/2 km walk along the sands. Huge seas were coming way further up the beach than usual and I found out later I'd walked it at high tide. It made it all a bit hairy and I sped up big time. Took my boots off to cross Johanna River due to the incoming sea surge, not any outflow. I completed the rest of the walk bare-foot then in thongs (jandals/flip-flops). The last kilometre before the campsite, I thought I'd gone the wrong way along a crappy 4WD track but it turned out to be right.
I had a strange dream last night - something about the prayers of the "saints" (i.e. believers) underpinning the world - perhaps from something in Wolf Hall, I don't know. In my dream, I felt sadness at not having contributed, but that got me thinking whilst plodding along during the day today. If prayer is a form of petition, then one may as well do something more satisfying and throw a votive sword into a lake somewhere. I never liked the idea of an interventionist deity, even when I was much younger. But perhaps, an attitude of good-will to others and the universe is a deeper form of "prayer"? This sort of prayer is a manifestation or expression of love. The verse "pray without ceasing" and the passage about the Spirit's groans, beyond words, on our behalf. All of this is similar to the mindfulness idea, i.e. developing and maintaining a certain, constant state of mind and "being present" in each moment, for each encounter and interaction.
The forest was interesting today - grass trees thick underneath the eucalypts.
A couple have just turned up and taken a tent site just up and out of view from where I'm sitting.
I think about my PhD from time to time whilst walking - how awesome that I'm doing this for the next 3 years of my life. Fact is, I get my thrills from Old English stuff, but if that's not available (and it's not!), the Age of Revolutions is a pretty good next choice - an intriguing period in history and an area of expertise that will make me much more employable than OE.
Johanna Beach from campsite
I've just had a flashback to another campsite somewhere else, a long time ago. A couple camping there next to me called me over and asked me to join them in a bottle of wine. Actually, it was the attractive lady who walked over and asked me. French. But where? NZ, Canada, on the Celtic trail - not sure. But I'm leaning towards one of the Celtic countries - I think it was probably Scotland. What a great, poignant memory. Also remembered the girl I'd chatted to at a bus shelter once, half-way up Newfoundland. There are so many piercingly poignant memories. Perhaps this place will be a poignant memory one day. Right now I'm just so happy and at peace with the universe.
The couple are from Colorado and are doing the walk in 8 days.
Aire River. Same as yesterday - knackered! Walking today was something close to torture due to the blisters - the large one under my left foot was right where I'd place my weight on each step.
Last night was the usual routine of dinner, reading a bit, then falling asleep exhausted. A lesbian couple walking the GOW tried to help the penguin and wrapped it up in a towel for a while, which it seemed to like. In the end they had to leave it on the beach. I didn't go back down there again - didn't want to see the poor little thing struggling for its life. I read Wolf Hall again and slept well until 6:30 am. I was on the trail by 8:30 am after patching my blisters with some Compeed plasters. It was really nice as I set off - sunny, my feet felt OK, I was fully refreshed.
Parker Inlet
Parker Inlet was nice and the "river" decision point there a non-event - just a trickle. There was an anchor from the wreck of Eric the Red still embedded in the sand. From there, the walk to the Cape Otway lighthouse was partly along sealed and unsealed roads. Most of the sights of the GOW are accessible by 2WD or 4WD - this makes the walk feel different from, say, Wilsons Prom or the Alpine National Park. For that reason I'm not sure if I'd do this walk again.
Cape Otway lighthouse
I was in major pain by the time I got to the lighthouse - the halfway point for the day. I popped 2 panadols but they didn't seem to help at all. I just had to keep going. I exchanged a number of highly entertaining text messages with Nadia around this point, as I had mobile phone coverage. I also started seriously fantasising about pulling out of the walk early. Will have to see how tomorrow goes. The lighthouse and surrounds was a bizarre other-world of car-based tourism seen from the eyes of a walker. Smug families zooming past in their air-conditioned 4WDs.
Station Beach
It was a slog from the Cape to here - hard to enjoy it. The coastline was typical wind-blasted Bass Strait scenery. The sunshine came and went. 21+ km today, so a tad more than yesterday. The next 2 shorter days will be a relief! I didn't have lunch until I got here at 3 pm and then had a whopping breakfast/lunch combo. I'm aching all over like yesterday but I expect that'll go by the morning again. 6 1/2 hours walking today and much slower thanks to the blister on my left foot. I think I'll get through the next 2 days and I'll just have to push through on the last day.
Made it to Aire River!
There are loads of cockatoos here - I've seen yellow-tailed black cockatoos and gang-gangs and now a huge, raucous flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos have arrived. Their human counterparts - the bogans in boats - are here in great flocks again too.
Superb fairy-wren at Aire River
I saw 2 juvenile brown snakes on the path today. The fairy-wrens here are just adorable (snakes probably think so too). I've got a great little, secluded campsite all to myself.
Blanket Bay. I'm feeling knackered. Feet sore - a major blister on my left foot, underneath, between the big toe and the next toe, plus a smaller one on the end of my right 4th toe. Ouch! Shoulders, back, everything aching. Walked 20.4 km today from Marengo. Almost as much again tomorrow - no idea how I'll manage it. I realised today whist walking that this is the longest walk I've ever attempted - will end up being over 90 km.
Tall forests between Elliot River and Blanket Bay
I got tea bags and lunch at the Princetown General Store. The bus arrived on time - near new with leather seats, just me onboard for the whole trip. The driver had a small video camera set up, recording the road in front of the bus. He told me some hairy stories about things he's seen along that stretch of road - P-plate drivers passing on blind corners etc. Marengo was warm - it felt close to 30°. I ate my lunch, put on sunscreen and set off at 12:20 pm. It took around 5 1/2 hours. A nice walk - a mix of beaches, beeches and eucalyptus. From Shelly Beach it went in a big loop up into the hills through tall blue gum forests. I saw an echidna along the way and a second here at the campsite. I've also seen the infamous, kleptomaniac wallaby since arriving and have tied my boots to my pack to avoid them going missing. I heard a number of koalas along the track - their grunting sounding like a bizarre cross between an outboard motor and a gorilla! No snakes.
Made it to Blanket Bay!
The campsite is filling up, the ground is generally rock-hard but I've chosen the one site that isn't (I got here first).
There is a little penguin down on the beach in the shallow water - it looked really weak and I didn't know how to help. Some people came from the nearby car-based camping area and had a look at it too - they were the usual, somewhat rough "bogans with boats" crowd but they were really sweet with the penguin. One of the guys, with his can of vodka and coke in hand, raced off to find some bait to feed the penguin. Then a somewhat snobbier mother and 2 daughters turned up and starting posing for photos with the poor wee creature - that was awful.
Poor little penguin :(
Regarding "decision points" - there are many of them along the walk and at each one, the walker must decide which option to take - usually meaning a beach walk or river crossing if the tide is low, or an inland track if the tide is too high. The decision point nearest here was a non-event - I was expecting to have to wade across a river, but there was so little water around that the river/creek didn't even cross the beach to the sea.
I only took a handful of photos along the way - the scenery is nice but similar to many other places along the Victorian coast. I also dealt sparingly with the water - only drank about 1 litre all up.
I'm really sore! I've just taken 2 panadols to try to relieve the aches and pains - poor old bloke! My back's really stiff too.
I've recorded today's trek using the My Tracks app for Android, having given up on all the other ones I've tried. It seems to work better, but chews through the battery more quickly.
Right now, I'm missing being at home with Nadia and our entertaining little fluffy cat Ruby. I'm already imagining how great it'll be to get back to my car!
The Great Ocean Walk. Like the Great Ocean Road and the Great Otway National Park and the Great Everything Else in this part of Victoria, it promised to be a Great Experience. Having the good fortune to have a few months off between finishing work and starting my PhD had given me time to tackle a few mini-expeditions around Victoria and New Zealand (see my other blogs: Return to Wilsons Prom, Viking Circuit, Bound for Cannibal Cove and The Routeburn Track) and this was to be the last of them before officially becoming a penniless student once again.
I'd visited the coast and hinterland of this area of western Victoria many times and was aware that there were significant parts of the coastline that few visitors get to see, especially around Cape Otway. The Great Ocean Walk promised to take me to these areas, so it was with Great Anticipation that I began planning the hike. Thanks to a very helpful blog by Jez, I decided to attempt to finish it in 5 days - the standard length of time is 8 days, with 7 overnight stops at each of the strategically-placed hike-in campsites along the route. 5 days would mean doing double sections on the first 2 days and the last day but it sounded feasible. I also decided to start at Marengo instead of Apollo Bay, to avoid a boring walk along the highway at the start of the walk, and to finish in Princetown rather than continuing all the way to the 12 Apostles visitor centre car park - thereby shaving another 5 kms off the end of the walk. I set off from our home in southeast Melbourne on a sunny Thursday morning, planning to stay the night at Princetown, where I'd leave my car, then catch a bus the next morning up to Marengo to start tramping...
And now, I'm at the Princetown Recreation Ground camping ground, I'm pretty much packed and ready to walk up to "town" and catch the 10:45 am V/Line bus to Marengo to start the walk.
The only real concerns I have at this stage are: 1. potentially impassable beach sections if the tide isn't right, 2. potential lack of water at campsites.
In 5 days' time, I'll hopefully come trudging up the path east of here and smile as I see my car waiting for me :)
I ended up getting away at around 9:20 am yesterday and had an uneventful trip to Colac - I stopped at the library there to get on the internet and print out my permit for the walk, which I'd forgotten to bring with me, along with a printout of tide times - very important! I also forgot to bring my beach chair and pillows for camping at Princetown - that's what happens when you end up hurrying.
I'd hurried because, after consulting the tide times, I'd decided that it probably wouldn't be possible for me to visit Wreck Beach, one of the most iconic points on the walk, on my last day (next Tuesday). But it looked like it would be possible to drive there before heading through to Princetown, as long as I got there not too long after low tide at midday.
Anchor of Marie Gabrielle, Wreck Beach
So, from Colac, where I stopped for lunch in a park, it was down to Lavers Hill then onto Moonlight Head Road to the Wreck Beach car park. It was a nice beach with imposing breakers and poignant anchors stuck in the rock. I also dropped in on The Gables lookout for the spectacular views. Then it was a short drive through to Princetown to set up camp. I walked into town to time how long it'd take to get to the bus stop in the morning (20 minutes) and on the way back stopped at the boardwalk through the wetlands area to read a plaque about the local wildlife. Something large-ish slithered off the path near my feet and I jumped so high I almost ended up in the wetlands. It was a medium-sized brown snake getting out of my way but boy what a reminder that I was no longer in New Zealand and needed to watch where I put my feet!
12 Apostles
Back at the campsite, I spent a lot of time poring over my GOW (Great Ocean Walk) map to work out if the tides would be a problem anywhere else other than Wreck Beach. I read my current ebook (Wolf Hall) on my tablet, checked the news and generally took it easy and all of a sudden it was 6 pm. So, I had a shower and headed into town, got a hamburger with the lot for dinner, drove to the Gibson Steps where I sat and ate it (the hamburger that is), then went onto the 12 Apostles lookout for a quick look, then back to camp. Spoke to Nadia, read my book, pored over the map again then went to bed around 10 pm.
During the night, I was woken by the neighbours' dog barking and heard something large moving outside the tent. I assumed it was the camp proprietor's slow, old dog I'd seen earlier in the day and hoped it didn't pee on my tent. Speaking of peeing, I had to get up in the wee hours (now I know why they call them "wee"!) to head over to the toilet block - a few steps from my tent, I was startled by something very large bouncing towards me out of the darkness. Kangaroos of course! There were plenty of them and plenty of their poo on the ground - I should've known. They were all around the place, grazing silently and hopping to and fro. Back to bed then up at 7 after watching a cloud of mosquitoes gathering outside my tent and 2 superb fairy-wrens hopping under the flap of my tent in hot pursuit.
So now it's breakfast, final packing, park car in right place and walk to bus stop, perhaps buying some tea bags on the way (something else I forgot yesterday).
