Great Ocean Walk

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    Great Ocean Walk

    The Great Ocean Walk shadows the route of the iconic Great Ocean Road. Those stunning coastal landscapes you see from your car window are even better enjoyed at walking pace. The walk extends just over 100km and takes eight days, but you can also sample the experience with a range of half-day walks.
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    Starting at Apollo Bay and finishing at the world-famous Twelve Apostles, the Great Ocean Walk is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The full hike is over 100 kilometres over eight days. Walkers stay at the seven hike-in campsites, which must be booked, or nearby.

    What are you likely to see on this epic trek? All or some of the below:

    • Koalas sleeping or chewing meditatively in the eucalypt trees.
    • Cape Otway Lighthouse, where you can explore the stories of the Shipwreck Coast.
    • Wreck Beach and the rusting anchors of the Marie Gabrielle and Fiji shipwrecks.
    • Camp at the heritage-listed Aire River
    • Quiet beaches at Blanket Bay and Johanna Beach.
    • In winter you might spot Humpback and Southern Right Whales on their annual migration.

    Bite-sized Great Ocean Walk experiences

    If you don't wish to tackle the whole Great Ocean Walk, you can experience it in shorter snippets. Several half-day walks explore the tall forests of the 'tame side' or for the more experienced hiker, the remoter, steep and isolated coves of the 'wild side' in the sections closer to the Twelve Apostles. There are also short walks, day walks and overnight walks. Check out the Great Ocean Walk website for a selection of bite-sized experiences.

    How to get there

    Great Ocean Walk

    Apollo Bay, the start of the Great Ocean Walk, is three hours' drive from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. If you have only one or no vehicles, there are shuttle service providers. If you have one vehicle we recommend that you park at the Twelve Apostles Carpark and get shuttled back to Apollo Bay to start your walk.

    We currently recommend the following shuttles:

    GOR Shuttle: 0428 379 278

    Walk 91: 0439 893 950

    Timboon Taxi: 0438 407 777

    Christian's Bus Company (V/Line): (03) 5562 9432.

    Alternatively, use public transport. The V/Line bus stops at the Twelve Apostles Carpark, Princetown and Apollo Bay.
    Great Ocean Walk

    When you're there

    The full Great Ocean Walk is from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles and is walked over eight days:

    Day 1: Apollo Bay to Elliot Ridge, 10km, 3.5 hrs

    Day 2: Elliot Ridge to Blanket Bay, 12km, 4.5 hrs

    Day 3: Blanket Bay to Cape Otway, 11km, 3.5 hrs

    Day 4: Cape Otway to Aire River, 10km, 3 hrs

    Day 5:     Aire River to Johanna Beach, 14km, 5 hrs

    Day 6: Johanna Beach to Ryans Den, 14km, 5 hrs

    Day 7: Ryans Den to Devil’s Kitchen, 13km, 5 hrs

    Day 8:     Devil’s Kitchen to Twelve Apostles, 16km, 5 hrs

    The official Information Guide and Map to the Great Ocean Walk can be purchased from the Great Ocean Road Apollo Bay Visitor Information Centre in person or over the phone on 1300 689 297.

    Download the comprehensive Great Ocean Walk Frequently Asked Questions guide for more information.

    Need to know

    Great Ocean Walk

    Accessibility

    There are some sections of the Great Ocean Walk that are accessible for visitors with mobility limitations and for families with strollers. These sections vary in level of difficulty and are dependent on the type of mobility equipment used. Visitors to the Great Ocean Walk are required to travel in an east to west direction.

    Many sections of the Great Ocean Walk are unsuitable for wheelchairs and strollers due to steepness and the presence of many steps. Some sections of the walk are also unsuitable due to very loose beach sand, river crossings and intertidal zones.

    The most accessible sections of the Great Ocean Walk are:

    - Apollo Bay Visitor Information Centre to Marengo Caravan Park
    - Cape Otway Lighthouse car Park to Aire River Camp Ground
    - Gibson Steps to Twelve Apostles Visitor Centre.

    All-terrain wheelchairs, called Trailriders, are also available for use from Colac Otway Shire and Surf Coast Shire.

    Change of Conditions

    Nature being nature, sometimes conditions can change at short notice. It’s a good idea to check this page ahead of your visit for any updates.

    • Gibson Steps (Port Campbell National Park)

      No access to Gibson Steps beach

      For public safety, the staircase to the beach at Gibson Steps is currently closed due to potentially hazardous rocks. Cliff-top lookouts remain open.

    • Big Hill Campground (Great Otway National Park)

      Big Hill Campground is currently closed during seasonal road closure period

      The Big Hill Campground is closed during seasonal road closures. As the Campground is situated along Big Hill track which is seasonally closed due to wet weather. The Campground will reopen 30 October 2020

    • Herberts (Wymbooliel) Campground (Great Otway National Park)

      Herbert's Campground closed

      Herbert’s Campground is closed until further notice due to hazardous trees.

    • Great Otway National Park

      Temporary Road Closure

      Allardyce  Track in the Great Otway National Park is temporarily closed for public safety. 

    • Maits Rest Rainforest Walk (Great Otway National Park)

      Temporary Closure - Maits Rest Rainforest Walk

      Maits Rest Rainforest Walk is temporarily closed due to visitor safety concerns relating to hazardous trees at the site.

    • Notices Affecting Multiple Sites

      Aire River West and East campgrounds- Temporary Closure of sites

      Aire River East and West Campgrounds in the Great Otway National Park are currently closed due to recent flooding. 

    • Notices Affecting Multiple Parks

      Seasonal road closures 2020

      Some roads in this park are subject to seasonal road closures. Seasonal road closures generally operate after the long weekend in June through to the end of October, but may be extended due to seasonal conditions. View the list of 2020 seasonal road closures for details and check the corresponding map numbers with the seasonal road closure 2020 index map for locations of the closures or visit the seasonal road closures page for more information.

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