The Great Ocean Walk

A part of Princes Hill Secondary College’s Inaugural Wilderness Week

December 4 to December 8, 2006

for all photos (small and large versions) go here

 Day 1: Melbourne to Elliott Ridge

After months of intense planning, thirteen brave adventurers met at the remote location of Southern Cross Railway Station to begin a life-changing experience – a crack at the great Southern Ocean, a battle with the wide brown land – the Great Ocean Walk. Gus, Nakita, Lewis, Sam, Mohammed, Ben, Jordan, Lia, Gracie, Rubie, Isobel, Sue and Ned.

The girls were (mostly) wearing their white Wilderness Week T-shirts, clean at this stage, the boys were (mostly) wearing the same things they would any other day of the week. Everyone was bright-eyed, alert, and swapping notes about what they had and hadn’t brought. An easy trip to Geelong, a longer bus trip to Apollo Bay – winding around the Great Ocean Road, breakfast slowly rising higher and higher up our throats – but eventually everyone tumbled out of the bus intact onto the lawns by the beach. An hour of faddling around, lunch, sunscreen, water, and we set off down the track. The first stop was about 200 metres down the track – and everyone was already happy to drop the packs off their backs.

The first bit was right along the edge of the Great Ocean Road, until we wandered on to the beach at Marengo, where most people swam. There was no track for the next while, just keeping the water on our left, as we walked along beaches and rock shelves. Eventually, a sign pointed away from the beach and a track led up up up over a ridge or two, before descending back to various beaches. The track went uphill and inland before we crossed the barely flowing Elliott River, right by the coast. The last bit of walking for the day was the hardest – uphill from the river to the campsite at Elliott Ridge. The campsite was great – deep in the forest, no-one else there, lots of room.

at the ocean, on the rocks, before heading up to the Elliott Ridge campsite

First dinners were all good (well mostly – Kita and Lia somehow managed to get a little meths in theirs – which made it taste totally disgusting), and to bed. An incredibly noisy campsite – beasts and birds – something that sounded like a demented duck, but nothing actually sighted. A full moon.

 Day 2: Elliott Ridge to Blanket Bay

A leisurely start – but with no hassles or worry, we managed to wander off mid morning. The route this day was all inland, mostly on old forest roads. The walking was good – a hot day (we later found out it was a total fire-ban day) but mostly shaded from tall trees. Sue did a little navigation and encouragement, breaking the day into straightforward sections. The last few kilometers was basically directly south, back towards the coast which we had not seen all day. Sweating, breaking into little runs, we fell on to the beach, and then dragged our stuff up to the Great Ocean Walk campsite.

leaving Elliott Ridge

Blanket Bay is also a campsite for normal people with normal cars and normal lives, so there were a few other people around, but none in our little section. We swam in beautiful clear water, watching metre wingspan stingrays just feet away from us. Throwing the vortex and a footy, a bit of a longer swim for some. During the arvo, everyone sat around and rested, getting updates on the cricket as Oztraylia managed to claw its way to victory. Later, more swimming, messages written into the sand, and eventually back to the campsite for food.

A few of the boys decided to sleep on the beach – which was fine, until a vicious rainstorm (well, a dozen drops or so) started, forcing them back to their tents – except for a couple which hadn’t set up a tent – which they succeeded in doing at 3 am. Another vicious rainstorm, everyone slept.

Day 3: Blanket Bay to Cape Otway

The day before had been long and hot, so we chucked a few ideas around about staying until after lunch, or having a rest day at the beach, but it wasn’t quite as hot, and the more we thought, the more obvious it became that we should plug along. So, it was a late start, but we started off along the coast, on a great walking track just through a different sort of forest than the previous day – low twisted gums, always close to the wide blue ocean. The track did wander away from the coast, before returning as we came down to Parker River. There was another school group there – their girls did lots of parading before asking our boys if they wanted to play cricket. Our mob answered, “Nuh”. Marvellous.

Parker River - getting ready to go after lunch

A bit of reading, a bit of lounging, a bit of mucking around in the river, as we hung around for lunch. Again, a bit of thought as to whether we should amble around the coast or head up to the inland track – but the tide looked high, and the waves were big, so inland we went. A big nasty climb up to the ridge, but then fairly straightforward for the rest of the day. Lots of koalas. Met a bloke at one of the forest road junctions who was heading down to a spot on the coast where he reckoned he was going to snorkel around looking for sharks. A short while we spent walking along the bitumen towards the lighthouse – there was a walking track, but it was just stupid. Jordan found some poo in his pack.

There’s a little shop at the entrance to the Cape Otway lighthouse, so everyone sugared and fatted up on softdrinks, icecream, chocolate and chips, and then shared all this food with about a gazillion flies. By this stage, there were a few bags of rubbish being carried around – we had hoped we’d be able to get rid of them at this shop, but we ended up carrying them all the way.

The campsite was just a little further along – tucked away in a hollow, quite a way from the coast, lots of koalas, and a different school group. Ended up with the boys camping in one little area, the girls in another – guess which was tidier in the morning. The trees were thick and twisty – so everyone ended up climbing up and around, wondering how the hell those koalas can find a comfortable spot. Saw a vicious venomous snake – maybe about 10 centimetres long. After food, Sue got together a game of speed charades – a few highlights were trying to charade Princes Hill and Megadeath. Dust was flying as the mimers mimed. The teachers won, cos they rock.

charades: guess the word..??

More koala growling and grunting through the night.

 Day 4: Cape Otway to Aire River

The other mob were up and out earlier than us – we were slow to rise, and slow to get going. People were getting better at packing and organizing, so it didn’t take long once there was a bit of movement. The walk started through heathland, and ended up high above the ocean, and we were often able to look out over the sea. We had a choice between walking along the beach (harder on the legs, easier on the head) or on the path (and vice versa). We ended up on the beach – a wild crazy surf, clear blue sky, trudging along in little groups.

station beach

the whole group

We had lunch in the shade of a little bunch of rocks, the boys went to play tag with the surf, which was incredibly powerful, even if only up to the knees. The track eventually left the beach, and climbed steeply up to a ridge, where we walked along for quite a while. We caught glances down to the promised land – a big broad river in a wide valley. We found our way down to the bridge, mumbled about, wondering whether we might plug on to the end, whether we would camp up in the GOW camp area, or down on the lawn – Aire River is another area which normal folks can get to.

We ended up on the lawns, ended up staying. The skies were blue, so we wandered to the bridge, and did jumping off – bombs, twisting, shrieking. Big black mud on the way out of the water. We set up tents (in the car park?) and the boys went back to the bridge to chuck stones. Because they are idiots, they thought Ned had trashed their camp (he was on the bridge the whole time?!), so went and trashed his. Nice work.

Nakita

Another round of charades up at the shelter in the GOW area – one of the fellas was unable to get the word “breast” – but he did go through every synonym possible.

Day 5: Aire River to Prinnie 

Most of the boys slept out – and despite a bit of dew, slept well. Again, the day was fine and sunny, and warm by the time we left. The track was close to the sea for most of the day. By this time, the mob was walking well, and the idea of civilization was drawing us on, so with a few breaks, we rounded the cliff into Castle Cove.

the boys outside on the last morning

A tall majestic figure appeared on the beach: Baden. Everyone was yelling out, delighted that he was there early, and that the planning had worked. He’d come down the night before, and was enjoying a leisurely morning losing his pants in the surf.

We jumped on the bus, steamed past a million cyclists on the way to Apollo Bay, and in 40 minutes, we wer back where we started 5 days previously – T-shirts a little wearier for the wear. We stopped for food, a swim, and to pick up some gear. The water was beautiful, and everyone was relaxed and happy to head back.

Parents were happy to see their beloveds – despite the smell – and everyone disappeared into the warm afternoon.