Great Ocean Road Walk
We are thinking of taking a walking holiday in either Australian (home) or NZ and are tossing up whether to do the Great Ocean Road Walk. There will be two families, with the youngest being 13.I've looked at websites for organised 'independent' tours (includes accommodation, maps, some food and luggage transfer) and the prices are hair raising ($350-400plus per night per person) and we can't afford that. Don't want to camp though and don't want to carry heavy packs. We would probably have two cars so could luggage shuffle.
Is it easy to organise our own accommodation at more reasonable costs and without adding lots of kilometres to each day's journey? Is it easy to access the track by vehicle at day's end?
One of the websites I looked at describes most sections of the walk as 'hard'. For someone who in a normal week only walks a few kilometres at time, that sounds a bit daunting. How difficult is it? Is it possible to easily organise to walk shorter lengths?
Thinking of walking in either September or December, to fit in with school holidays. Any comments on the weather then? I'm from Melbourne so I know it can be four seasons in a day but would be interested in a local perspective.
Thanks!
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The accommodation is expensive because its largely private luxury lodges and b and b's. If you don't want to camp and carry all your gear the next option would be to stay in Apollo Bay and do it in sections. You can use your own car but that means always backtracking to it, or use a shuttle bus, there's a couple I think.The YHA hostel in A Bay is one of the best in the country and would be a great budget base. I've met people staying there doing just that, the entire walk in sections using a shuttle bus. It is challenging in parts.
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I would recommend Bimbi Park (http://www.bimbipark.com.au) for good affordable accommodation on the Great Ocean Walk especially with children. A range of cabins there and the kids would love being amongst the koalas. You can also walk into Bimbi Park on one day. They can organise transfers as well if required. For details of the walk see http://bit.ly/greatoceanwalk This will show you all the easy pick up points and local tips as well.Anywhere from September to December will be OK to walk. Not too hot. The weather can be just as variable in any of the months.
There is really only one section that is hard. Melanesia Gate to Moonlight Head but I think on Day 3 or 4 of your walk you would have fitness to do this and it is worth doing. Very spectacular.
I have recently walked some of it with my kids aged 10 and 12 and they galloped along it much quicker than I did and they loved it.
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I wonder if anyone can help.I land in Melbourne 29th March and leave Sydney 8th april and the sole purpose of the trip is to do the great ocean walk!
however i am finding it very difficult to find anywhere that will accommodate single travellers at a reasonable price, most trips charge an extra few hundred dollars, although i can see why i can't believe there is no way of doing it for a fair price on my own?
any advice would be fantastic!
Thank you!
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We also looked at organised tours and they were way out of our budget. We decided to rent a house for 5 nights (plus one night in Apollo Bay) and we used the shuttle service combined with one vehicle of our own. We were a group of 5 and we saved a considerable sum compared with doing an organised tour.There is at least one shuttle service which will drop you at the start of each section of the walk and could pick you up at the end of the day's walk. You could stay in one or two places and use them as a base or move on each night. There is very little accommodation within walking distance of the track.
The YHA at Apollo Bay gets good reviews and would easily allow you to do the first half of the track. Then perhaps you could base yourself somewhere in the second half of the track for the rest? Also check Bimbi Park above. Accommodation in Australia does tend to be expensive. Have you checked the Great Ocean Road accommodation website?
Email Abby at gorshuttle@bordernet.com.au for shuttle information. One good thing about using the shuttle is that they will advise you about tides.
There is also a map available which can be purchased in Melbourne at Information Victoria or I believe it's also available from Apollo Bay tourist office (you can email them or phone if needed). Mostly, it's as said above 'keep the ocean to the left' and it's reasonably sign posted but there was one bit where it met the road and I was uncertain so checked the map.
When we did it (September) the track was very muddy in places but you won't find that in March. It could be hot so you should take lots of water. There are few facilities along the track. Be very careful if you swim as it can be quite dangerous, with rips and currents.
It's a really beautiful part of the world and we had a great time. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I might be able to help.
