Great Ocean Walk Day 7: The Gables to The 12 Apostles

We did it — 80 miles in 7 days, finishing strong with a final 12-mile push to the 12 Apostles.

We said goodbye to CHI Farms, our home for five nights. A full apartment, homemade meals three times a day, and the sound of waves crashing over the hill at night. Wonderful hosts, wonderful food.

Our new driver dropped us early and we hit the trail at The Gables

Most of the day wound through scrubby coastal bush with great coastline views and the occasional wallaby or kangaroo just off the path — nothing as dramatic as the two giants we herded along the day before.

Those plants lining the trail that look like decorative grasses are actually young “grass trees” — native to Australia and capable of growing several feet tall. The plant holds historical significance for Aboriginal peoples, who made use of every part of it, and for sailors, who used them as flares.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Our guidebook recommended a short detour to a river mouth, and it didn’t disappoint. There’s something mesmerizing about watching freshwater and surging tides push against each other.

A wide sandy beach had formed at the mouth of the river and a group of school kids on a field trip were in full creative mode.

We enjoyed checking out their sand sculptures.

(A shark)

Over the final couple of miles, the 12 Apostles slowly came into view — stone stacks carved by millions of years of crashing waves, and the official end of the Great Ocean Walk.

Despite the name, only 8 remain standing. Originally dubbed “The Sow and Piglets” by English explorers, the formations were renamed in the 1920s — apparently the original name didn’t have quite the same ring to it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We soaked it the views of these impressive landmarks alongside hundreds of tourists on a big sky bridge (much like the Grand Canyon). Quite a shift from seven days of quiet, secluded trail.

We were picked up by our driver at 12 Apostles, who took us to a sleepy little coastal town called Port Campbell that had an English pub and not much else. We thoroughly enjoyed some traditional pub cuisine - Meat Pie and Curry.

The next morning he shuttled us to the train station in Camperdown, and we made our way back to Melbourne to catch an early flight to Cairns.

Which brings us to today….

We’re settled into a comfortable beach house in Clifton Beach, just north of Cairns in Queensland — and we are emphatically not walking more than absolutely necessary.

On the agenda for the next few days: snorkeling, a rainforest visit, maybe some wildlife, resting our feet….

When we leave here, we fly south to Brisbane, pick up a camper van, and explore for a few more days before heading home.

More highlights to come!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​