A Dangerous Business

Date: 11th September 2023

Start: Apollo Bay Information Centre

End: Elliot Ridge Campsite

Distance Walked: 10.1 km

Song Currently Stuck in Head: Whiteshadow by Voyager

Love of Hikers Wool: limitless

Considering everything that happened on the Carnarvon Great Walk, it’s quite surprising that I rose today feeling awfully excited for what lay ahead of me. Perhaps it’s because I knew the track would be a lot nicer, that I wouldn’t be going very far… or perhaps it was because I got to take a train to get to the trailhead.

And catch a train I did. Checking out of the hostel at 7:45, I made the quick jaunt to the tram stop that then whisked me up to Southern Cross station. Considering the crowds I had dealt with on the trams yesterday – a Sunday – I feared for the worst travelling at peak hour on a weekday. But nothing came of it. It got a little busy, but nothing like what I’d expected. With an hour to spare, I grabbed a very nutritious brekkie from Hungry Jacks and a sanga from Woolies for lunch. Ok, allow me to nerd out a bit here: getting to look over the station and see countless trains coming and going from the furthest corners of Victoria was a really cool sight. And I would soon be taking one. It was this one, actually, a VLocity DMU capable of 160 km/h (if any Europeans or Japanese people are reading this, this is a big deal for us, so don’t laugh).

The net result was that it only took us a little over an hour to reach Geelong. I still haven’t gotten over the fact that regional rail is so widespread down here, and that there’s so much investment being put into it.

Anyway, enough train chat for now, it’s not time for the bulk of today’s journey, a coach ride to Apollo Bay along the Great Ocean Road. I travelled along this road 10 years ago on a family holiday, and I had clearly forgotten how gorgeous it is down here. Past Anglesea, the road skirts along mountainsides all the way to Apollo Bay, passing through small towns along the way.

Despite the amount of road work zones we had to stop at, we arrived in Apollo Bay right on time. To make things even better, I met a fellow hiker who’d also be doing the Great Ocean Walk named Sam. After feeling very alone on the Carnarvon Great Walk, it’s nice knowing that I’ll at least be sharing a campsite with someone else tonight. They’re doing the full 8 day itinerary, so my chances of catching up with them after tomorrow are pretty slim.

…and I immediately got lost. The track is supposed to head through town for a bit, but I couldn’t tell whether I should follow the path up by the road or the one down by the beach. Turns out it was the former, thanks to seeing an old friend.

Saying farewell to Apollo Bay was surprisingly difficult. It would be the last decently sized settlement I’d see until I pass through Port Campbell on a coach in 4 days time. But I couldn’t just wait on the side of the road, close my eyes, and hope that when I’d open them I’d be at the Twelve Apostles. No, my legs have got to take me there.

The track runs parallel to the Great Ocean Road until reaching Marengo, where it then peels off through a campground and onto the first of many beachwalks. It was during this section that a magpie decided to have a go at me. I shouldn’t be surprised, but unlike your average Aussie I barely ever get swooped. Once I stuck my pole above my head he left me alone as I headed out onto the beach. News flash: walking on soft sand in heavy boots is really hard!

I went into it with the mindset of it being a good test for when I have to walk down the length of Ninety Mile Beach on Te Araroa. I soon found out that I really hope it’s easier on Ninety Mile, because it was hard enough trying to walk along this beach for 100 metres or so. Once off the beach, I started climbing. Nevermind the physical injuries I’m dealing with, I haven’t had the time to mentally recover from that godforsaken climb up to Battleship Spur. On the plus side, none of the climbs I’ll do on this track will be nearly as arduous as those on Carnarvon, and I’ll get better views at the top.

Passing by farmland, I entered Great Otway National Park. This section in particular was filled with tall stringybarks, similar to the Mahogany Forest on Carnarvon. A key difference between the two was the track quality; nice and wide and very well groomed, unlike the goat path I had to follow up north.

Another improvement was in the signposting. I’m not using AllTrails for this hike, so seeing these green signs is helpful in understanding my progress and knowing what points of interest lay ahead of me.

Right on the crack of 4pm, I arrived at Elliot Ridge campsite and was met by another solo hiker named Dana and a couple whose names I’ve sadly forgotten (if you’re reading this, I’m sorry!). Each campsite on the trail has 8 individual sites plus a large area for any group bookings, along with a covered shelter and composting toilet. All in all, I’m very happy with the amenities provided. Sam arrived shortly after me, and together our ragtag group of five gathered in the shelter and spent the evening sharing stories of our experiences on trail. Compared to the loneliness I had felt on Carnarvon, this was a welcome change and is a big part of why I love coming out and doing these hikes, getting to meet new people from all walks (pun intended) of life sharing a common interest. Sadly, they were all doing the full 8 day itinerary, so the last time I’ll see them will be at brekkie tomorrow morning. I did give a small plug for this blog, so maybe I’ll be able to reconnect with them that way.

We were all in bed by 8pm, falling asleep to the sounds of koalas in the trees above us. Did I say fall asleep? I meant huddle in terror and pray they won’t come for me. If you’ve never heard what a koala sounds like… you don’t want to. I did see one when I arrived at camp – no pics, sadly – and I wish that would’ve been the end of my koala encounter. Still, I guess it is special getting to spend time in one of the few remaining areas of this country in which they seem to be thriving.