A great place for a walk
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Ancient rainforests and spectacular coastal scenery are a winning combination for bushwalkers in the Otways. And since 2006, a spectacular new coastal walk has been attracting more walkers to the region. The 91-kilometre Great Ocean Walk hugs the coastline from Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead, Princetown, near the Twelve Apostles. Hikers can do the walk in stages, allowing for short, day or overnight hikes. Attractions along the way include the towering cliffs, pristine sandy beaches and magnificent views. The Geelong Bushwalking Club has organised a couple of walks along the Great Ocean Walk, staying at the purpose-built camp sites and in accommodation provided by a range of private operators along the way. The club, formed in 1973, has more than 300 members. It also offers activities such as canoeing, mountain bike riding, crosscountry skiing and abseiling. Activities are planned for every weekend as well as most public holidays. The club also has a large group of midweek walkers, such as Point Lonsdale resident Beth Neyland. Mrs Neyland, who is nearly 80, has been a member of the club for 27 years and distributes the club’s popular guide Walking the Otways, now in its third edition. Her Thursday walks may be as far afield as Apollo Bay, Daylesford or the Wombat State Forest or as close as the Bellarine Rail Trail. The Anglesea heathlands and the Brisbane Ranges are among her favourites. The 103,000-hectare Great Otway National Park provides plenty of opportunities for summer walkers to escape the crowds at the busy coastal resorts. Through ancient mountain ash forests through to the drier forest and diverse heathlands around Anglesea, many of the walks follow old timber tramways used in logging days. Other tracks were built late in the 19th century, making them among Victoria’s earliest tourist developments. |
