Great Ocean Walk Update

[Dz Nguyen]

Just done and what i can say about the GOW is "do it". There are one to
three on-road sections of walking and i hope these sections will be recut
like the new section of coastal walk that links Blanket Bay to Aire River.

If car shuffle needed, I would suggest GOR Shuttle Cape Otway. They have 4
and 7 seat 4WDs and provided good service with reasonable price.
Ph: 03 52 379 278 or 0428 379 278. They also do food drops. Such a benefit
for a party of three+.

Carry a bit more water for the section - Aire River to Johanna Beach. The
only location where drinking water can be obtained is Castle Cove
Lookout/Carpark via tourists. Then, there is a quite long section of soft
sand walking of Johanna Beach. If i am correct, there is no water at
Johanna Beach Campground. Go to GOW hike-in campsite which is located just
about half of km away and on a ridge line which provides wonderful views of
the coastline with waves moving towards the shore. It was the perfect
evening conditions for million dollar views!!

There was no disappoinment in seeing wildlife on the GOW. Keep an eye for
Pooded Povers (spelling?) at Parker Estuary, koalas at Cape Otway Lighthouse
campsite, Blue Wrens at Aire River West Campground, and kangaroos seen off
the farm track (grazed by cattle in the area) near Johanna. Suprisingly, no
snake was in view on almost whole length of the GOW; but K., i met on the
track from Aire River to Castles Cove, spotted a tiger one.

The people I met on the GOW all were really nice. A local surfer guided me
through the section of Shelly Beach and Elliott River saving a detour of a
steep up walking. Water was given by a man who was walking his dog back
from Johanna Beach and lift to Milanesia Beach by an Australian NSW-based
entrepreneur saving me two to three kms of road bash on a raining day. I
was wet and cold and was trying to find a shelter for change and waited no
time to hitch-hire on hearing the car coming. The party of 5 walkers from
NSW
were happy for me to share the GOR shuttle back to Marengo where i had set
off. The GOR shuttle carrying the NSW walkers continued to Apolo Bay.

Information about the GOW can be found via Park Victoria website including
updated FQAs pages of Car-based Camping, GOW hike-in campsite facilities,
Distances calculated from campsite to campsite, How hikers can organise
transport for the walk, Where car can be parked, If water is available, why
checking out the tide times is needed, ...The thread "GOW" recently
discussed on this forum is also a great source of info.

Regards, Dzung Nguyen
MelbourneSE, Victoria, Australia

[JH]

Thanks Dzung, you have covered just about all we need to know!
Cheers
John Holland

Post by Dz Nguyen
Just done and what i can say about the GOW is "do it". There are one to
three on-road sections of walking and i hope these sections will be recut
like the new section of coastal walk that links Blanket Bay to Aire River.
If car shuffle needed, I would suggest GOR Shuttle Cape Otway. They have 4
and 7 seat 4WDs and provided good service with reasonable price.
Ph: 03 52 379 278 or 0428 379 278. They also do food drops. Such a benefit
for a party of three+.
Carry a bit more water for the section - Aire River to Johanna Beach. The
only location where drinking water can be obtained is Castle Cove
Lookout/Carpark via tourists. Then, there is a quite long section of soft
sand walking of Johanna Beach. If i am correct, there is no water at
Johanna Beach Campground. Go to GOW hike-in campsite which is located just
about half of km away and on a ridge line which provides wonderful views of
the coastline with waves moving towards the shore. It was the perfect
evening conditions for million dollar views!!
There was no disappoinment in seeing wildlife on the GOW. Keep an eye for
Pooded Povers (spelling?) at Parker Estuary, koalas at Cape Otway Lighthouse
campsite, Blue Wrens at Aire River West Campground, and kangaroos seen off
the farm track (grazed by cattle in the area) near Johanna. Suprisingly, no
snake was in view on almost whole length of the GOW; but K., i met on the
track from Aire River to Castles Cove, spotted a tiger one.
The people I met on the GOW all were really nice. A local surfer guided me
through the section of Shelly Beach and Elliott River saving a detour of a
steep up walking. Water was given by a man who was walking his dog back
from Johanna Beach and lift to Milanesia Beach by an Australian NSW-based
entrepreneur saving me two to three kms of road bash on a raining day. I
was wet and cold and was trying to find a shelter for change and waited no
time to hitch-hire on hearing the car coming. The party of 5 walkers from
NSW
were happy for me to share the GOR shuttle back to Marengo where i had set
off. The GOR shuttle carrying the NSW walkers continued to Apolo Bay.
Information about the GOW can be found via Park Victoria website including
updated FQAs pages of Car-based Camping, GOW hike-in campsite facilities,
Distances calculated from campsite to campsite, How hikers can organise
transport for the walk, Where car can be parked, If water is available, why
checking out the tide times is needed, ...The thread "GOW" recently
discussed on this forum is also a great source of info.
Regards, Dzung Nguyen
MelbourneSE, Victoria, Australia

[j***@mbox.com.au]

Well done Dzung, sounds like you had a nice trip :) I'd like to try
the GOW myself eventually.

Pooded Povers (spelling?)>

Hooded Plovers I think.

Kind regards,
John W

(to reply change mbox to bigpond and remove .au)

[Dz Nguyen]

<***@mbox.com.au> wrote in message news:508d6761-ddda-4f37-9703-***@j40g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
Well done Dzung, sounds like you had a nice trip :) I'd like to try
the GOW myself eventually.

Pooded Povers (spelling?)>

Hooded Plovers I think.

Kind regards,
John W

(to reply change mbox to bigpond and remove .au)


Go for it, John. Thanks Dzung

[David Morrison]

Post by Dz Nguyen
Just done and what i can say about the GOW is "do it". There are one to
three on-road sections of walking and i hope these sections will be recut
like the new section of coastal walk that links Blanket Bay to Aire River.

I did (part of) the GOW in early October. I had to leave half way with a
broken rib. Our group met a fellow at the Wreck Beach campsite who had
been contracted to work out a new route for GOW from there on. The new
route would stick to the coastline and avoid the long road walk.

Gives me a reason to go back and do the second half in a year or two.

Post by Dz Nguyen
If car shuffle needed, I would suggest GOR Shuttle Cape Otway. They have 4
and 7 seat 4WDs and provided good service with reasonable price.
Ph: 03 52 379 278 or 0428 379 278. They also do food drops. Such a benefit
for a party of three+.

Yes, we used them too. Very obliging, reliable and cheap.

Post by Dz Nguyen
Carry a bit more water for the section - Aire River to Johanna Beach. The
only location where drinking water can be obtained is Castle Cove
Lookout/Carpark via tourists. Then, there is a quite long section of soft
sand walking of Johanna Beach. If i am correct, there is no water at
Johanna Beach Campground.

There are water tanks at all the GOW walk-in campsites. As far as I
know, there is no water at any of the drive-in campsites. According to a
sign at Aire River, it is actually illegal for people using the drive-in
camping area to take water from the GOW site.

And if you don't pay for the walk-in sites, be prepared to have to make
do with whatever you can find at the drive-in area. One couple we met
found the entire GOW campsite full and had to go back to the drive-in
area.

Post by Dz Nguyen
There was no disappoinment in seeing wildlife on the GOW. Keep an eye for
Pooded Povers (spelling?) at Parker Estuary, koalas at Cape Otway Lighthouse
campsite, Blue Wrens at Aire River West Campground, and kangaroos seen off
the farm track (grazed by cattle in the area) near Johanna. Suprisingly, no
snake was in view on almost whole length of the GOW; but K., i met on the
track from Aire River to Castles Cove, spotted a tiger one.

One of our party saw a tiger snake coming into Aire River - thought it
was a python.

We also saw black wallabies and many koalas in the bush between Blanket
Bay and Cape Otway.

Post by Dz Nguyen
The party of 5 walkers from NSW
were happy for me to share the GOR shuttle back to Marengo where i had set
off. The GOR shuttle carrying the NSW walkers continued to Apolo Bay.

Possibly from the Watagan Wanderers (also from Newcastle) who were there
about that time.

Cheers

David

[m***@yahoo.com]

Post by David Morrison

Post by Dz Nguyen
The party of 5 walkers from NSW
were happy for me to share the GOR shuttle back to Marengo where i had set
off.  The GOR shuttle carrying the NSW walkers continued to Apolo Bay.

Possibly from the Watagan Wanderers (also from Newcastle) who were there
about that time.
Cheers
David

Yes, it was the Watagan Wanderers (though not me).
Margaret

[Dz Nguyen]

Post by David Morrison

Post by Dz Nguyen
Carry a bit more water for the section - Aire River to Johanna Beach.
The
only location where drinking water can be obtained is Castle Cove
Lookout/Carpark via tourists. Then, there is a quite long section of soft
sand walking of Johanna Beach. If i am correct, there is no water at
Johanna Beach Campground.

There are water tanks at all the GOW walk-in campsites. As far as I
know, there is no water at any of the drive-in campsites. According to a
sign at Aire River, it is actually illegal for people using the drive-in
camping area to take water from the GOW site.

I believe that water is not a concern for those of car-based camping.
Those, travelling by cars, do bring water with them. My thought is of those
who walk in and use the campground.

Post by David Morrison
And if you don't pay for the walk-in sites, be prepared to have to make
do with whatever you can find at the drive-in area. One couple we met
found the entire GOW campsite full and had to go back to the drive-in
area.

GOW walk in campsite fee is fine for a couple. Hope they will change the
fee
for solo walkers.

Post by David Morrison

Post by Dz Nguyen
There was no disappoinment in seeing wildlife on the GOW. Keep an eye for
Hooded Plovers at Parker Estuary, koalas at Cape Otway Lighthouse
campsite, Blue Wrens at Aire River West Campground, and kangaroos seen off
the farm track (grazed by cattle in the area) near Johanna. Suprisingly, no
snake was in view on almost whole length of the GOW; but K., i met on the
track from Aire River to Castles Cove, spotted a tiger one.

One of our party saw a tiger snake coming into Aire River - thought it
was a python.
We also saw black wallabies and many koalas in the bush between Blanket
Bay and Cape Otway.

Post by Dz Nguyen
The party of 5 walkers from NSW were happy for me to share the GOR
shuttle

back to Marengo where i had set off. The GOR shuttle carrying the NSW
walkers
continued to Apolo Bay.

Post by David Morrison
Possibly from the Watagan Wanderers (also from Newcastle) who were there
about that time.
Cheers
David

I also met F. of Newcastle. He took a plane, a train and a bus to get to
Apolo Bay
from which he started.
Dzung

[Josie]

Am off to do the GOW starting on the 17th of this month... can't wait!
Thanks for the info all.

Cheers, Josie

[Dz Nguyen]

Post by Dz Nguyen
GOW walk in campsite fee is fine for a couple. Hope they will change the
fee for solo walkers.

I am not very correct here. Should be: the fee for those camping solo.
There are also solo members in a group walk.
Dzung.